State Senator Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) issued the following statement in response to the sentencing of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on federal corruption charges:
“Michael Madigan did not just break the rules. He spent decades writing his own and using them to build a corrupt political system that drained our state, overlooked the needs of Illinoisans and betrayed public trust. His sentencing is long overdue, but it barely scratches the surface of the damage he caused to this state.
“Let’s be clear. This is not just about one man. Madigan may be gone, but the corrupt system he helped build is still alive and well. The Democrat supermajority continues to block real ethics reform and protect a system that rewards insiders and punishes transparency. Governor Pritzker and his allies are more interested in protecting their power than cleaning up their mess.
“The people of this state deserve better, and I will not stand silently as Democrats continue to perpetuate a broken, corrupt system that benefits the few and silences the many.”
