* Sun-Times…

Illinois Republicans plan to send three delegates to their party’s presidential nominating convention next week, but there will be no delegation brunches, news conferences — or just about anything else beyond nominating Donald Trump, apparently.

“No other media advised events organized by the ILGOP are taking place next week,” state GOP spokesman Joe Hackler said in an email to reporters.

The state GOP’s move is the complete opposite of their Democratic counterparts, who were told to stay home, but have streamed state caucus meetings and news conferences for the media and others to follow along. […]

Republicans plan to have 336 delegates at the Charlotte Convention Center, six from each state and territory, according the convention website.

So, the state GOP is sending half its allotted delegates?

* So far, media coverage on Illinois Democrats during their convention week has focused mainly on Speaker Madigan…

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has kept a low profile at the virtual Democratic National Convention underway this week, but he was more vocal Wednesday evening.

As Illinois’ Chairman of the Democratic Party Michael Madigan leads Illinois’ delegation to the convention, but is somewhat implicated in an alleged bribery scheme with Commonwealth Edison, he has avoided the spotlight recently. But Wednesday night at an online delegation discussion on racial and economic justice, Speaker Madigan gave more than a welcome.

He said Democrats this week have laid out the case for removing Donald Trump from office, including his assault on the rights of women and workers.

“Among the worst of Donald Trump’s actions is his deliberate efforts to fan the flames of hatred and racial and ethnic division for his own political purposes,” Madigan said.

* And…

Pinning down Democratic congressional nominee Marie Newman’s position on state House Speaker Mike Madigan during the Democratic National Convention is not quite as difficult as tracking down the powerful party leader himself — but it’s close.

Two years ago, Newman said the powerful speaker should immediately step down as state party chief because he failed in his handling of sexual harassment complaints in his political organization.

“Anything less would put the Democrats’ political prospects at risk in November,” the La Grange businesswoman said then, before she lost her 2018 primary bid against Madigan ally Dan Lipinski.

But after vanquishing Lipinski in a bitter rematch earlier this year — and after Madigan was implicated in federal investigation — Newman on Wednesday sidestepped a question on whether she would join the growing list of Democrats calling for Madigan’s immediate resignation over the ComEd criminal case, calling it a distraction ahead of a critical election.

* And…

Meanwhile, the leader of the Democratic Party in Illinois, House Speaker Michael Madigan, is embroiled in controversy amid alleged ties to a ComEd bribery scheme.

“I’m not going to sit here right now and say that we should decide that someone is guilty for political reasons,” Casten said. “The allegations are extremely concerning. We should make sure we go through, find out what the truth is.”

If the allegations are true, Casten said Madigan should resign. Kelly agrees.

“If he is guilty I think that he should resign, and that’s my bottom line,” Kelly said. “But right now, to be honest, the number one thing I’m focused on is getting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris elected, flipping the Senate and helping the down ballot races.”