Illinois Policy Institute research shows the policies that allowed former House Speaker Madigan’s 36-year reign have yet to be dismantled
PRESS RELEASE from the
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
CONTACT: Alyson Springer (312) 607-4977
Madigan guilty, but the jury’s still out for ethics reform in Illinois
Illinois Policy Institute research shows the policies that allowed former House Speaker Madigan’s 36-year reign have yet to be dismantled
CHICAGO (Feb. 12, 2025) – After 11 days of jury deliberation, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been found guilty of 10 counts of federal corruption charges including conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery. Proceedings will continue to determine his sentence.
Madigan’s conviction is just the latest in a historical trend that has led to Illinois and Chicago being ranked among the most corrupt places in the nation. Original analysis from the Illinois Policy Institute found there have been over 2,100 instances of public officials being convicted of corruption since 1983 – or over one a week. Corruption cost Illinoisans $556 million a year from 2000-2018.
“The verdict of this case held former Speaker Madigan accountable for his years of corrupt action, but the battle against Illinois’ culture of political corruption must continue,” said Austin Berg, vice president of marketing for the Illinois Policy Institute and author of “The New Chicago Way.” “To truly protect taxpayers and voters, we need serious ethics reforms at both the state and city level.”
Institute experts found no other state had laws as extreme as Illinois that allow the House speaker to wield unparalleled power – laws that are still in place.
Necessary ethics reforms include:
- End the revolving door of lawmaker to lobbyist. Prohibit lawmakers from acting as lobbyists while they’re in office and establish a two-year limit between retiring as lawmaker and becoming lobbyist.
- Require better financial disclosure and voting recusal for conflicts of interest. Mandate lawmakers to provide detailed statements of economic interests and to recuse themselves from voting in the case of a conflict of interest, with real penalties for violating this rule.
- Empower the legislative inspector general. Allow the office to serve as a watchdog able to issue subpoenas on its own initiative and publish findings of wrongdoing.
- Enact true fair maps. Adopt a redistricting process that places map-making power with an independent redistricting commission and removes it from the hands of lawmakers who stand to benefit from drawing their own districts in their favor.
- Reform the House Rules. Right-size the speaker’s legislative power so one political office does not have the power in the General Assembly to determine when or even whether a bill is called for a vote.
“Correcting the system that allowed for a Madigan to politically dominate the Statehouse as the longest standing House speaker in the history of the country requires dismantling the system itself. It’s a system that allowed Madigan to leave a legacy of extreme debt, little room for taxpayers’ voices and an entrenched political machine. Madigan is still collecting an annual pension of $158,000 off Illinois taxpayers because of the system he built. Now that he’s been convicted he should lose his pension and pay back what he’s received. It’s time to dismantle that machine,” Berg said.
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.
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