Years of exorbitant political spending in Illinois – more than $24.3 million since 2010 – has secured an enormous amount of political influence for the Chicago Teachers Union. It is now the main political player not just in Chicago, but across the state.

Chicago Teachers Union delegates voted to apportion $8 per month per member’s dues to help fund Brandon Johnson’s mayoral campaign. The motion to potentially triple the union’s campaign investment has drawn criticism from members.

Chicago Teachers Union leader Brandon Johnson announced his candidacy for Chicago mayor. It’s the latest push for political power by CTU, which has backed many campaigns including Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.

Teachers’ unions have provided lots of campaign cash to Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, who’s been implicated in a bribery scandal. Teachers who don’t want their money sent to a corrupt system can opt out of the union.

So who wants to fund a highly unpopular politician’s sexual harassment settlement on behalf of a disgraced political worker under federal investigation? Executives at Illinois’ largest public-sector labor unions.

SEIU’s political action committees gave $113,200 to Friends of Michael J. Madigan – the same election committee the longtime Illinois House speaker used to pay legal fees in a sexual harassment lawsuit against his organization.

AFSCME gave $71,400 in October to Friends of Michael J. Madigan – the same election committee the Illinois House speaker used to pay legal fees in a sexual harassment lawsuit.