Prairie State Wire

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said if the bribery allegations against House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) are true, he should immediately resign from the leadership positions he holds.

Pritzker, speaking during an appearance involving employing summer youth, said he presumes there is more information forthcoming regarding the allegations against Madigan.

ComEd allegedly arranged for jobs and subcontracts for high-level Illinois elected officials.

"The speaker has a lot to answer for," Pritzker said at the event. "There is an awful lot of information that he’s going to need to provide and I would expect him to do so. Public service is a high calling. The people of our state deserve to know all of the facts. They deserve to have people come forth and tell all that they know. There are an awful lot of questions that he needs to answer."

Pritzker said he hopes to have answers soon.

"As I say, we need to know the truth — we need answers," he said. "We have not gotten all the answers. This information that was provided by the U.S. attorney is only about the corporation that was convicted in that document and paid a large fine and, I might add, by the way that that corporation has a lot to answer for, and I think we are all going to be asking some very serious questions of them."

Pritzker said Illinoisans expected more out of ComEd.

"This is a utility that many people in Illinois rely upon and we expect that when people are lobbying there is an honesty to it and that is why one of the reasons that I have gone after ethics legislation," Pritzker said, adding that ethics reform is needed in Illinois.

"I have pushed for lobbyist disclosure and much more information from lobbyists and making sure there isn’t a revolving door for people who serve in the legislature serving as lobbyists immediately," Pritzker said. "These are all things that need to be in a comprehensive ethics package."

ComEd recently agreed to pay $200 million to resolve a federal criminal investigation into an alleged bribery scheme involving Madigan in which the utility alleged it arranged for jobs and subcontracts for high-level elected officials in the state, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Pritzker said there is much information still needed about the accusations against Madigan.

"We’re going to need an awful lot of information," Pritzker said. "Let me say about the other corporations the same thing I said about ComEd is true here. We need lobbying reform. One of the things that has become obvious over the last few days is that there apparently is something rotten in Denmark when it comes to certain lobbyists and the way they conduct their business. We need to nip that in the bud."

Pritzker said that was why he has called for much more transparency in ethics and lobbying.

"It’s why I got passed during the veto session last year when we had time to prepare and get something done some of the transparency that is necessary around lobbyists and it’s what I’m going to be pushing for going forward," Pritzker said.

"Again, if these allegations are true — the allegations implied in this information about ComEd then, as I said, the speaker will have to step down, and that applies to all leadership positions that he holds." 

Pritzker said the U.S. Attorney's Office is currently doing a comprehensive investigation.

"I think that’s evident in the information that came out [July 17]," Pritzker said. "I would expect they would continue to do that. I’ll rely upon that. So far they have come up with a lot of information and I expect they will continue to do that job and get the job done."

ComEd recently agreed to pay $200 million to resolve a federal criminal investigation into an alleged bribery scheme involving Madigan in which the utility claims it arranged for jobs and subcontracts for high-level elected officials in the state, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Several others, including Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and House Republican leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), have called for Madigan to resign if the allegations are true.