Grundy Reporter

With the indictment of former House Speaker Michael Madigan, Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) has joined the chorus of legislators calling for serious changes to ethics policies in the legislature.

"For far too long, Illinois has been darkened by the shadow of former Speaker Madigan's alleged corruption," Rezin posted March 2 on Facebook. "Rumors of his unethical behavior have been all too common throughout his reign as speaker. However, those rumors had never been substantiated enough for criminal charges, until today. With his indictment, I hope that my Democrat colleagues choose to take a tougher stance on public corruption and work with us to create stronger ethics reforms, so the people of Illinois don't have to rely on the federal government to hold Illinois officials accountable for their corruption." 

Madigan, 79, was considered one of the most powerful figures in the government for decades. He is now charged in the 22-count indictment with racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, attempted extortion, and wire fraud. He has been accused of using the powers of his office for personal gain. "The indictment alleges a long-term, multifaceted scheme to use public positions for unlawful private gain," John Lausch, the top federal prosecutor in northern Illinois, said in a statement.

The prosecutor's office accuses Madigan "of leading for nearly a decade a criminal enterprise whose purpose was to enhance Madigan's political power and financial well-being while also generating income for his political allies and associates." 

Madigan released a statement denying all the federal charges that were placed against him. "I was never involved in any criminal activity," Madigan said.