CHICAGO – Monday morning, the Illinois Republican Party continued its call for Governor Pritzker to stop defending House Speaker Mike Madigan, who is reportedly being investigated by the Feds.
They pointed to a Chicago Tribune editorial that recalled how Republicans called for the resignation of their party's then-serving Governor George Ryan when he was under investigation in the late 1990s.
The IL GOP press release:
It’s been 24 days since the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois implicated House Speaker Michael Madigan in a widening criminal bribery probe. Despite growing calls from Illinois Democrats and newspaper editorial boards, Madigan, also known as “Public Official A,” refuses to step down as speaker and chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
Madigan’s hold on power is secured with the support of Governor JB Pritzker, who himself is the target of a federal investigation into property tax fraud. Let’s review the facts:
- Pritzker refuses to call for Madigan to resign despite federal raids conducted in connection with the Madigan probe and having called for others under investigation to resign in the past.
- Pritzker has invested millions of dollars in Madigan-controlled campaign committees and has not asked for his money back.
- Pritzker appointed a close Madigan ally, the daughter-in-law of a former Chicago alderman targeted in the Madigan/ComEd bribery investigation, to chair a commission that oversees ComEd. He has refused to remove her from that position even as the criminal probe widens and reports that she tried to shield ComEd in court.
- Pritzker appointed officials to the Illinois Tollway at the direction of another target in the Madigan federal investigation. Those officials have not been removed despite reports of illegal activity.
- Pritzker appointed many other Madigan cronies to jobs throughout his administration.
- Now that Madigan appointees in his administration are under closer scrutiny, Pritzker is asking a federal judge to end the oversight of patronage hiring in his administration.
In case you missed it, the Chicago Tribune this weekend reminisced about how Republicans took action many years ago to demand the resignation of a leader under federal investigation – a clear contrast to Pritzker’s refusal to back Madigan’s ouster today.
Will today be the day someone asks Mr. Pritzker: 1) if it’s finally time for Madigan to resign; and 2) why he is trying to cover up Madigan-crony patronage hiring in his administration by getting rid of the federal hiring monitor?
