Quincy Reporter

Quincy Republican activist Mecki Kosin reasons there’s a clear and apparent self-serving reason why Democrats have been silent in the midst of the growing scandal involving House Speaker Mike Madigan.

“I think they feel the more people speak out the more you call attention to yourself,” Kosin told the Quincy Reporter. “And for him to do all the things that he’s done, the reality is this thing goes a lot deeper than just Mike Madigan.”

After nearly four decades of being in control in Springfield, Madigan now finds himself at the center of an unfolding federal corruption probe involving ComEd. Federal prosecutors contend the company engaged in a “years-long bribery scheme” involving jobs, contracts and payments that were steered to him in his role as house speaker and chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party.

To date, no charges have been filed against the state’s longest-serving lawmaker, but prosecutors have not been shy in asserting that the utility giant sought to “influence and reward” Madigan by providing financial benefits to those directly tied to him.

Kosin argues that's just one more reason accounting for all the silence.

“Gov. (J.B.) Pritzker has been one of the few Democrats to speak out against Madigan, and even what he had to say wasn’t nearly strong enough,” Kosin added. “I think part of his motivation was he knows he could be next. I think he sees the handwriting on the wall and he decided to throw the speaker under the bus.”

No matter what, Kosin said she doesn’t expect to see Madigan go quietly.   

“I don’t think he’ll just walk away because he thinks he’s so powerful he can survive it,” she said. “I say if the FBI needs to be the one to remove him, that’s fine, because it’s the only way Springfield can reform itself.”