By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – The top Republican in the Illinois House, Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), waved the 106-page, 22-count indictment of former House Speaker Mike Madigan as he reacted to the news during a late-afternoon news conference Wednesday at the Capitol.
“Speaker Welch, Mike Madigan’s hand-picked successor, and all of the House Democrats gladly drank from the Madigan trough over the many decades and even up to last November’s election,” said Durkin.
Another Republican, State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst), said another Democrat – Gov. JB Pritzker – should have to answer to his name-check in the indictment, that Madigan would talk to the then-governor-elect for juicy board and commission spots for cronies. Pritzker said Madigan should be accountable and denounced corruption, but the governor’s statement did not address what Mazzochi was talking about.
“I’m standing here because people stood on courage,” House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside), ignoring a reporter’s question about whether he regrets his longtime support of Madigan. “The process played out. The process worked. We’re moving forward, and we have done some great work the last thirteen months, and we’re going to continue doing that. I think that should be the focus.”
Welch chaired a special investigative committee examining Madigan, issuing no findings and not hearing from Madigan. Welch Wednesday said he had maintained all along the investigation should be under the auspices of the U.S. attorney.
Ultimately, the end of Madigan’s power in the House came when nineteen members of his Democratic caucus broke from him. One of them, State Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-Glen Ellyn), fought back tears as she said, “At the end of the day, I know that I can look my daughters in the face and tell them, doing what’s right isn’t always easy, but doing right is what we are required to do.”
Dave Dahl can be reached at news@wjbc.com
