Quincy Reporter

Conservative activist Mecki Kosin doesn’t mince words when it comes to offering her opinion in the still unfolding ComEd scandal that finds longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan at its center.

“If you ask me, the noose is tightening around him,” Kosin told the Quincy Reporter. “I’m expecting more to come out and I’m convinced that it will all lead to Madigan. What you see now is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Federal authorities recently moved to charge Fidel Marquez, who formerly served as vice president of governmental affairs, with bribery and conspiracy stemming from his alleged part in a pay-for-play scheme in which indictments say jobs, contracts and payments were steered to associates known to be close to Madigan in exchange for his support on certain legislation.

Earlier this summer, federal investigators also announced that the utility giant had been charged with a years-long bribery scheme where at least $1.3 million in perks were steered to Madigan associates. At the same time, Madigan’s office was served with a grand jury subpoena seeking more information about their dealings with such companies as at AT&T, Walgreens and Rush University Medical Center.

“I think this is the only way to bring real reform in Springfield," added Kosin, a longtime community activist. “It’s been so long in order to have it now you have to have someone that’s going to uncover all sides of things. As long as we have people in Springfield willing to just dismiss it as business as usual, why would anyone feel the need to change?”

Kosin said she doesn’t believe a newly formed special bipartisan House committee convened to look into some of Madigan’s most questionable actions and determine if any punishment is warranted would really have the power to make a difference.

“Republicans don’t have any real power and in the end it would just wind up being whatever Democrats wanted to say,” she said. “All the power rests on the side of the Democrats because Madigan still holds the iron fist.”