Severin: Madigan Heads to Prison, Ethics Reforms Needed to Stop Corruption

SPRINGFIELD, IL - State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) issued the following statement in response to former long-time House Speaker and now convicted felon Michael J. Madigan reporting to prison on Monday.

"Speaker Madigan is in jail because the rule of law prevailed. His guilty verdict and prison sentence are proof that, indeed, no one is above the law. In Illinois, we have an unfortunate culture and reputation for public corruption. But it doesn't have to be this way. My colleagues in the House Republican Caucus and I have introduced multiple bills to address ethics reform and to stamp out corruption."

"The anti-corruption measures that I support include ending the practice of legislators making laws one day and becoming lobbyists the next day. We must stop the revolving door that keeps the same players playing the same corrupt game year after year. I also support ending the practice of legislators working as lobbyists for county and municipal governments. This practice has inherent conflicts of interest and opens the door to public corruption. I also support banning lawmakers and other politicians from using their campaign funds to mount their legal defense in public corruption cases. It is wrong that someone accused of betraying the public's trust can use the campaign money they amassed during their time in office while they were committing the crimes they are accused of."

"With Mike Madigan finally behind bars, and with legislators back in Springfield for the next two weeks, we can take meaningful action on these items to begin to restore the public's trust in a state government that has built a long, embarrassing, and shameful record of public corruption. It's time to act."