* Press release…

Following Wednesday’s indictment of former House Speaker Michael Madigan, “The 19” House Democrats who rejected his candidacy for leadership released the following statement:

“Thirteen months ago, we 19 Democrats made clear to our colleagues that we would not support Michael Madigan for speaker. We knew that our chamber, our state, and our party deserved better leadership and the unfolding corruption scandal would only continue to erode public confidence.

“This is a watershed moment for our state that reminds us of the work ahead as the former speaker’s case makes its way through the legal system. We remain grateful to the people who joined us in bringing historic change to our party and our chamber.

“The possibility that this day was coming and would distract us from our work on behalf of the people we serve was top of mind for many of us as we took this position, even as we faced intense pressure to maintain the status quo.

“Our stance eventually led to the historic election of our state’s first Black speaker, who has led our caucus through the process of passing transformative legislation on clean energy, affordable housing, and a truly balanced budget. We are committed to continuing the work of restoring our constituents’ faith in Illinois government.”

State Rep. Jonathan Carroll
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy
State Rep. Deb Conroy
State Rep. Terra Costa Howard
State Rep. Margaret Croke
State Rep. Eva Dina Delgado
State Rep. Daniel Didech
State Rep. Robyn Gabel
State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
State Rep. Will Guzzardi
State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit
State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe
State Rep. Anna Moeller
State Rep. Bob Morgan
State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray
State Rep. Maurice West
State Rep. Ann Williams
State Rep. Kathy Willis
State Rep. Sam Yingling

The group also held a press conference tonight. Click here to watch it.

* Statement from Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago), who was one of the 19 and ran for House Speaker…

In a far-reaching and expansive indictment, today former Speaker Michael Madigan has been indicted on 22 counts of racketeering, bribery and extortion.

In the fall of 2020, I joined 18 of my colleagues in calling on former Speaker Madigan to step down when it became clear he could no longer effectively lead our caucus in light of the unfolding corruption scandal. When he refused to step aside, I ran for Speaker against Mike Madigan - which ultimately served as a catalyst for change and ushered in new leadership for the first time in decades.

I did this despite strong pushback from colleagues and powerful entrenched interests. It was personally and professionally challenging but needed to happen to protect our Democratic values and the integrity of the Illinois House.

Accountability and integrity should be at the foundation of public service. Unfortunately, this was lost in the pursuit of personal gain and political power. Collaboration and inclusion took a back seat to a culture of cronyism and control.

Although the Illinois General Assembly has accomplished much for the people of the State of Illinois in recent years, the continued corruption scandal put our accomplishments in jeopardy and threatened to thwart continued progress.

The advancement of the priorities and policy goals which reflect Democratic values is why we serve - and must always remain at the forefront.

This post could be updated.

* Also, Illinois Democratic Party Chair Robin Kelly is calling for Madigan’s resignation from the state central committee, and the Cook County Democratic Party wants him to quit as ward committeeperson.

…Adding… Rep. Cassidy…

Following is a statement from State Rep. Kelly Cassidy in response to the indictment of former House Speaker Michael J. Madigan:

“For many years, questions of Speaker Madigan’s involvement in corruption have hung over the work of our chamber and our party. This news comes as we are trying to complete our work in the House on a compressed schedule and I can’t imagine what it would be like to try to do that if he was still the Speaker. This is a sad day, a reminder of a terrible abuse of power that undermined our constituent’s faith in our government. The former Speaker will have his day in court, and the people of the state of Illinois will have an opportunity to learn the full extent of his actions and determine his fate.

“When I first began to speak out, I faced harsh criticism from friends and colleagues alike. Over time, as the steady drip of subpoenas and indictments grew closer and closer to the former Speaker, the ranks of members unwilling to continue to pretend everything was fine grew until 19 members refused to be bullied into voting for him to continue in his role. The actions of the group that came to be known as ‘The 19’ resulted in historic change in our chamber and our party. These members reflect the best of public service and I will forever be thankful to them for taking that brave stance.”

* Rep. Bob Morgan…

“More than a year ago I said that ‘the pervasive culture of mistrust and corruption in Illinois rests at Mike Madigan’s feet’ when I announced my decision to oppose his reelection as Speaker of the House. Today the Department of Justice has announced that there will be accountability for this corruption.

“The challenges that face our country and state are enormous and we must have the people of Illinois strongly behind us to overcome them. The people of Illinois deserve a government they can trust. I will always do my best to live up to their expectations,” said Representative Bob Morgan.

* Rep. Kifowit…

Illinois State Representative Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) has released the following statement on the federal indictment of former House Speaker Michael Madigan:

The federal indictment of corruption charges against former House Speaker Michael Madigan is disturbing but proof that justice will be served if wrongdoing by elected officials is uncovered.

Now, the legal process will proceed and the courts will weigh the evidence as a trial ensues.

In June 2020, I was one of the first House Democrats to demand that then Speaker Madigan resign after he was implicated in the ComEd scandal as Public Official A.

it was clear to me that the former speaker did not hold the same values that I did, and still do, of what the public expects from a public official.

In October of 2020 I stepped up to be the only person to challenge the former Speaker for the Speakership of the Illinois House at that time. Following that announcement, I was honored to be joined by 18 additional House members who sought change in the Leadership of the Illinois House and in total 22 members voted for a change in leadership.

In calling for former Speaker Madigan’s resignation I said “there will never be another Mike Madigan.” Considering today’s news I believe that more than ever as we have seen that elected public officials have a hold themselves to a high standard.

Under the Speakership of Emmanuel “Chris” Welch, we have been able to restore the public trust in the Illinois General Assembly. I was proud to cast my vote for Speaker Welch.

I can say that things have changed for the better in Springfield. I am proud that I helped start the ball rolling for change by calling for the resignation of former Speaker Madigan and challenging him to give members in the Illinois House a choice for change. The atmosphere in the General Assembly has improved greatly and I am proud of the accomplishments we have achieved from comprehensive ethics reform, including term limits for the Speaker of the House, truly balanced budgets, a bill backlog reduced to normal operating levels, two credit upgrades which is the first in 20 years, in addition to comprehensive climate change legislation. I think the people of Illinois can be proud of their state and the future progress that can be achieved under the leadership of Speaker Welch.

* Rep. Costa Howard…

STATEMENT FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE TERRA COSTA HOWARD

Almost two years ago, I followed my conscience and led the call for Michael J. Madigan to resign as Speaker of the House and Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. At that time, he had not been charged with any crime, but I believed that the scandal surging around him demonstrated – at the very least – a massive failure of leadership.

Today’s indictment makes it clear that my concerns were fully justified, and I am deeply grateful that the Illinois House stood firm in removing Madigan as Speaker. Together, we are establishing more trustworthy leadership to assure that the work of the Illinois General Assembly is focused solely on improving the lives of the people who live in our state.

* Rep. Croke…

Today, State Representative Margaret Croke (IL-12) released the following statement in response to the indictment of Michael Madigan:

“Even before I took office, I supported new leadership in Springfield, and I was then proud to be one of the 19 members to force a vote for a new Speaker last year. Speaker Chris Welch has brought a new day to Illinois and a commitment to making our state a more fair, transparent, and honest place for those who call it home.”

* Rep. Didech…

Rep. Daniel Didech (D — Buffalo Grove) released the following statement upon today’s indictment of the former Speaker of the House:

Today’s news confirms that the 19 Democrats who paved the way for a new Speaker of the House made an historically wise decision for the people of Illinois. Our work in the House of Representatives to build a fair and prosperous state will continue without distraction.

* Rep. Maurice West…

“On October 22, 2020 I made a public statement informing my constituents that I would not support Michael J Madigan for Speaker of the House. I was met with extreme praise and criticism statewide and locally - but I held stedfast in my convictions because I knew it was the right thing to do. I ran for State Representative to be different from what is seen in Illinois politics. I am fighting to change the playbook. That is why I am honored to be a member of the Legislative Ethics Commission that works to restore public trust in State government. We are all innocent until proven guilty, so I encourage us all to allow the process to play out.”

* Rep. Gong-Gershowitz…

State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, responded to the news that former House Speaker Michael Madigan was indicted following a wide-ranging investigation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorney’s Office:

“The indictment of former Speaker Mike Madigan is a sobering moment but comes as no surprise. Over a year ago, I joined a small handful of my colleagues to call on the former Speaker to resign. Eventually that small handful grew to become 19 of us. We believed that restoring public trust far outweighed the political risk of calling on his resignation, and our unity gave us the strength to maintain that position despite enormous pressure to back down. Today is ultimately a vindication for the rule of law and validation of the principle that no one, no matter how powerful or influential, is above it.”