On Tuesday, the “Com-Ed 4” were found guilty on all counts. In response to the verdicts, State Senator Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) issued the following statement:
“Justice was delivered today as key players in Illinois’ Com-Ed scandal were finally held accountable for crimes that have eroded the public’s trust in the utility giant and in their state government. There is a complicated and complex pay-to-play system in place at the Statehouse, and this verdict highlights how pervasive this culture of corruption is in Springfield. I applaud the jury for their decision to find all four defendants guilty on all counts related to their involvement in a multi-year conspiracy to bribe former House Speaker Mike Madigan in exchange for favorable votes on legislation that benefitted Com-Ed.
“With the arrival of these verdicts, I hope the majority party will finally recognize that Republican efforts at ethics reforms can no longer be swept under the rug and ignored. I believe Illinoisans will be outraged by the guilty verdicts and will demand action. With three weeks remaining in the legislative session, we still have time to pass meaningful reforms. We’ve seen huge legislation pushed through in a matter of hours, so there’s no excuse why we can’t approve sweeping ethics reforms prior to our May 19 adjournment.
“Government should be transparent. That means that major pieces of legislation should be developed and debated in the public eye rather than behind the scenes and in back rooms. By focusing on transparency, special interest groups and the politically connected cannot woo legislators into voting in favor of their legislative priorities.”
