By Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – State officials condemned revelations that a former state lobbyist who was one of House Speaker Michael Madigan’s closest confidants sought leniency for a state employee who kept quiet about a rape in Champaign and “ghost workers”.
Chicago-based NPR station WBEZ acquired emails from Michael McClain, a former Democratic lawmaker from Quincy who later became a powerful lobbyist for utility ComEd, sent then-Gov. Pat Quinn’s chief of staff.
In the email, McClain asked officials to ensure that another long-time employee, Quincy native Forrest Ashby, got leniency in a disciplinary hearing.
McClain said Ashby “loyal to the Administration” and recounted how Ashby “kept his mouth shut on Jones’ ghost workers, the rape in Champaign and other items.”
Those vague references, if substantiated, represent felonies and should be investigated, Illinois House Republican Minority Leader Jim Durkin said Wednesday.
“There needs to be accountability for what happened,” the Western Springs representative said. “Even worse, this individual is currently on the state’s payroll.”
WBEZ reported that Ashby has a contract with the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.
Durkin laid the blame at legislative Democrats, who have held power in Springfield for years.
Madigan said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that he was concerned about the allegations in the email.
“These are extremely serious and troubling allegations,” he said. “I had no knowledge of the incident referenced in the story and only learned of this today. I encourage those with any information to come forward.”
The Illinois Senate Women’s Caucus called the report “horrifying” in a statement and asked anyone with information about the referenced sexual assault to call the authorities.
“Sexual assault will not be tolerated. We need to get to the bottom of this and hold people accountable,” said Sen. Linda Holmes, an Aurora Democrat and co-chair of the Senate Women’s Caucus.
“I am stunned and disturbed that keeping quiet about a rape was so casually offered up as proof of loyalty,” said Sen. Sue Rezin, a Morris Republican and co-chair of the Senate Women’s Caucus. “This needs to be investigated thoroughly and anyone who helped cover it up needs to face the consequences. Please, if you know anything at all about this incident, contact the appropriate authorities.”
State Reps. Kelly Cassidy, Will Guzzardi, Sara Feigenholtz, Ann Williams, Bob Morgan, state Sen. Scott Bennett and others called for a formal investigation into allegations of the rape cover-up.
“Mike McClain has done it again w/his bottomless well of toxic email soup,” Cassidy tweeted. “If he has knowledge of a rape, he needs to fully cooperate w/any investigation & should be liable for damages to the victim if his cover-up blew the statute of limitations.”
The Chicago station acquired the email through an open records request.
In May 2019, federal investigators searched McClain’s home and reportedly tapped his phone calls as part of a probe into ComEd’s lobbying practices. McClain has not been charged with a crime.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office didn’t respond to requests for comment about the email but told WBEZ that the information had been forwarded to the proper authorities.
Illinois Radio Network can be reached at [email protected].
