Madigan will see plenty of corrupt Illinois cronies during 7.5 years in federal pen

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan will face 7.5 years in prison for a bribery scheme involving the state’s largest utility company. When it comes to public corruption, he’s Illinois’ convict of the week.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, the master of Illinois’ political machine for 36 years, was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for his corrupt dealings with the ComEd utility company.

Federal prosecutors may have landed the Big One, but Madigan is one of many. Illinois averages over one public corruption conviction a week, and that’s just the federal cases. Local prosecutions add to that tally.

In 40 years, Illinois saw 2,310 public servants convicted by the federal courts. That is from 1983, the year Madigan took over as speaker, to 2023, the most recent data available.

He may be headed for a cell, but Madigan’s influence will persist as long as his creations remain intact. Those include a system of gerrymandering political districts, writing the rules that operate the Illinois House and controlling how political cash is disbursed. There are 57 current members of the Illinois General Assembly who likely owe their seats to the campaign funds he directed to them.

Since Madigan came to power, Illinois has averaged more than 57 corruption convictions a year. When adjusting for population, Illinois’ corruption is the most rampant of any big state in the country.

During his years as speaker of the House, Madigan exerted absolute power and was able to convert that power into fortune. He was found guilty on 10 counts of bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud. You’d have to look at smaller states to find more corruption than in Illinois.

Madigan’s prison time ends his personal reign – but not the system he led. Here’s how lawmakers should curb that power in the future.

1. End the revolving door of lawmaker to lobbyist. Prohibit lawmakers from acting as lobbyists while they’re in office and establish a one- or two-year limit between retiring as a lawmaker and becoming a lobbyist.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

By implementing these reforms, lawmakers can make a clean break from the Madigan dynasty. Concentrating so much power in the hands of one person is the opposite of democracy.