As the tangled web of Democrats’ corruption continues to unwind over and over in federal court, Illinois House Republicans have renewed calls for needed ethics reforms. The list of convictions continues to pile up, and the silence from the Democrat side of the aisle is deafening.
In 2023 alone, federal prosecutors in Chicago have secured the following convictions:
- Four former Commonwealth Edison employees were convicted on charges of conspiring to bribe former House Speaker Mike Madigan to guide and pass ComEd’s legislative agenda.
- Former Madigan Chief of Staff Tim Mapes was convicted of lying to a grand jury in an effort to prevent the bribery investigation into the former Speaker.
- Chicago businessman James T. Weiss was convicted and sentenced to five-plus years in prison for bribing two Democratic state lawmakers, wire and mail fraud, and lying to the FBI.
- And just days before Christmas, former Chicago Democratic Alderman Edward Burke, a member of the City Council for 54 years, was convicted of racketeering, bribery, and attempted extortion after an historic corruption trial that was over five years in the making.
Illinois House Republicans are taking action to address corruption and create stronger ethics reforms. Ethics proposals filed by Republicans include:
- House Bill 4119 – Prohibits elected officials from using political campaign donations to pay for criminal defense.
- House Bill 1277 – Benefit or annuity payments to a member or participant in a retirement system or pension fund shall be suspended if the member or participant is charged with a felony.
- House Bill 4286 – Provides for a three-year revolving door ban on lobbying.
- House Bill 4288 – Requires the Executive and Legislative Ethics Commissions to make reports available within 60 days of receipt.
- House Bill 4289 – Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act to expand the definition of “officials” to include more positions at the local level and expands the definition of “lobbying.”