McLean County Times

In the eyes of McClean County Board member Chuck Erickson, Democrats should be leading the charge in the movement to finally oust longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan from power.

“He’s been a black stain on them since the day he took over,” Erickson told the McClean County Times. “If anybody should want him out, it should be members of his own party.”

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.

“Democratic lawmakers are going to have to step up,” Erickson added. “The public has no power to remove him; it’s going to have to come from his peers.”

Erickson stresses that’s not to say he doesn’t think voters have a role to play in finally ridding Springfield of all its corruption.

“People are going to have to care more about who they send to Springfield,” he said. “We’ve got to get away from just voting along party lines instead of for the best candidates.”

In the meantime, Erickson laments the state continues to become known for all the wrong reasons, such as Illinois now being home of a state where Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the House speaker are both under federal investigation.

“This is the state that gave us George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, so I don’t know if anyone can really be surprised,” he said. “It’s just a really a sad, sad commentary on the state.”