Springfield, Ill. – In response to the June 27 verdict in the federal case against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, State Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) issued the following statement:
“As the sponsor of the first major ethics reforms to pass the Legislature in the past 25 years, I have always placed the integrity of state government at the forefront of my career. Now that we have read the book on Rod Blagojevich and closed the last chapter, it is important that we don’t lose track of the message. The message is, we need to constantly press forward with reforms in campaign financing and transparency. Along those lines, for the past two years I have tried to have the State Senate adopt all of the recommendations of former U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins’ Illinois Reform Commission (Collins was the prosecutor of former Gov. George Ryan).
“In the past, I have supported a Governor closing his or her campaign fund if elected. The Governor needs to spend all their time governing, not fundraising. It’s very clear campaign funds and governing do not mix.”
As a State Senator, Dillard sat through the impeachment trial of Rod Blagojevich, and served as a member on the Special Committee on Impeachment Trial Procedures. The Committee was charged with establishing the rules and standards used in the impeachment trial of Blagojevich.
