Today, the legal team for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan wrapped its defense against his federal corruption charges, which include bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy.
STATEMENT from the
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
CONTACT: Micky Horstman (312) 607-4977
Illinois lacks reforms to prevent a Madigan repeat: Statement from the Illinois Policy Institute
CHICAGO (Jan. 27, 2025) – Today, the legal team for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan wrapped its defense against his federal corruption charges, which include bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy.
Illinois Policy Institute analysis of data from the Department of Justice found on average more than one Illinois public servant was convicted every week between 1983 and 2023. A previous institute analysis estimated illegal corruption cost the state $550 million per year in lost economic growth from 2000 to 2017.
Illinois Policy released the documentary, “Madigan: Power. Privilege. Politics.” in 2016, which exposed Madigan’s system for ruling with unchecked authority over Illinois politics. The institute’s report, “Madigan’s rules: How Illinois gives its House speaker power to manipulate and control the legislative process,” was foundational for reporting on the former speaker’s political abuses.
Illinois Policy Institute experts will be available for comment throughout the Madigan trial process.
Austin Berg, vice president of marketing for the Illinois Policy Institute, issued the following statement:
“The fight to end Illinois’ culture of political corruption doesn’t end with this case. While a verdict could hold former Speaker Madigan accountable for illegal instances of corruption and set a precedent for sitting lawmakers to avoid, many aspects of the power structure Madigan built remain.
“The House speaker still decides which bills live or die through the Rules Committee. The position still doles out leadership positions and the stipends that accompany them. The House speaker can still call a bill for a vote without giving lawmakers any advance notice. The rules governing recusals when a lawmaker faces a conflict of interest still rely on the honor system. There are virtually no limits to stop the revolving door from lawmaker to lobbyist, or even to stop sitting lawmakers from lobbying Illinois local governments. The Legislative Inspector General’s office still does not have the authority to issue subpoenas or publish summary reports without the approval of the lawmakers who make up the Legislative Ethics Commission. Illinois must dismantle the system itself to end corruption within the state.
“Madigan’s fiscal record in Springfield includes the ballooning pension crisis, income tax hikes, skyrocketing property taxes and unbalanced budgets. And there’s nothing to stop this from getting worse.
“Illinois needs comprehensive ethics reform and financial guardrails to ensure lawmakers and government leaders aren’t exploiting constituents and taxpayers. It’s the only way to offer a clean break from the culture of corruption for which Springfield is notorious.”
For interviews or interviews, contact media@illinoispolicy.org or (312) 607-4977.