Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan was convicted of misusing his public office for his own power and profit. Not only should his public pension be halted, he should repay the nearly $600,000 taxpayers already paid the felon.

Four of the past 10 former Illinois governors are among the public officials who have been convicted of offenses in Illinois. The state needs stricter ethics reforms to change its culture of corruption.

In the case of an epidemic like COVID-19, Illinois governors are given a wide range of emergency powers for a limited period of time.

Chicago and the state of Illinois are notorious around the country for high-profile corruption convictions. Rod Blagojevich settles back in after the former governor’s imprisonment for corruption.