On Wednesday, former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan was found guilty on several charges of bribery conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud. Upon learning of the verdict, State Senator Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) issued the following statement:
“Justice was indeed served today in the case of the United States of America vs. Michael J. Madigan when the jury sent a clear message that public policy is not for sale in the State of Illinois. As Speaker of the House and Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party, Madigan ruled over a criminal enterprise that enriched not only himself, both also those loyal to him who were willing to do his bidding.
“While Mike Madigan and his allies benefitted financially from his criminal acts, it was the people of Illinois who were left behind due to stagnant economic growth and skyrocketing property taxes that were a direct result of his quid pro quo leadership style.
“This ruling ends a dark chapter in Illinois history, but make no mistake, there is a great deal of work that needs to be done to strengthen ethical standards for those serving in the public realm. Significantly stronger accountability measures must be enacted to prevent these illegal acts from ever occurring again in the Land of Lincoln and I invite every member of the General Assembly to join me in making ethics reform a vital element of this year’s session work.”