Prairie State Wire

An opinion by the Illinois Supreme Court will allow indicted politicians like former Illinois house speaker Michael Madigan to use campaign cash for his criminal defense. 

“Until the General Assembly amends the statute to, for example, specifically prohibit payment from campaign funds for legal fees incurred in defense of criminal allegations against a public official or candidate, the issue requires the Board’s consideration on a case-by-case basis, applying the plain language of the applicable statutory provisions,” Illinois Supreme Court Justice Willam K. Overstreet said in the opinion he delivered. “In this case, despite the parties’ arguments regarding legal defense fees incurred as a result of public corruption allegations, the record here reveals that Solis had not been indicted on criminal charges but only that he had worked with federal investigators using his official capacity to expose public corruption.” 

The complaint was brought by Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, the alderman for Chicago’s 25th Ward. Sigcho-Lopez succeeded former Chicago alderman Danny Solis, the Prairie State Wire previously reported. The latter was noted in the indictment as well as Gov. J.B. Pritzker who was called the "future governor." According to the indictment, Pritzker appears to have taken orders from Madigan regarding politically connected job-seekers, including former Solis who sought a six-figure state appointment. 

According to a spokesman, the governor denies the allegations stating that  Pritzker "does not recall Michael Madigan ever asking him to consider Danny Solis for any position." 

WBEZ noted that via a relationship with Madigan enterprise, Gov. J.B. Pritzker hired 35 people via a relationship. Those jobs cost the state about $2.5 million per year.