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Day after IG announces probe, Madigan asks for investigation

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* House Speaker Michael Madigan has sent a letter to Legislative Inspector General Tom Homer and the bipartisan Legislative Ethics Commission asking it to investigate the Metra allegations. Madigan denied that he violated any “applicable law or ethical rule.”

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Inspector General Homer announced yesterday that he was already looking into the matter.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 1:10 pm

Comments

Does anyone think that your average (potentially cynical) taxpayer is going to beleive the results of either the Metra or the Legislative IG investiagtion? Especially if no wrong-doing is found? It doesn’t matter if someone has crossed a line or not, I think the damage has already been done.

Comment by Does it matter Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 1:16 pm
I’m not saying they shouldn’t look into it, I just don’t think it will make a difference. Maybe I’m too cynical.

Comment by Does it matter Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 1:17 pm
The man is not dumb.

Comment by Rufus Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 1:17 pm
My cursive was like that in third grade.

Comment by Darienite Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 1:17 pm
===Does anyone think that your average (potentially cynical) taxpayer is going to beleive===

So, before the results are even known you’re going to say the probes are meaningless? Yeah, that’s always a good idea.

Sheesh.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 1:20 pm
Nice touch calling the IG by his first name.

Comment by LincolnLounger Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 1:23 pm
I agree with the part of the letter that says nothing illegal happened, but I do not agree with the Speaker’s statement that nothing inappropriate happened.

This wasn’t a politician asking a government agency to consider and/or interview someone, this was taking it to another level.

Comment by Just Me Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 1:30 pm
“Nice touch calling the IG by his first name.”
-Will Tom send an apple back with the report?

Comment by Not so average cynical taxpayer Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 1:33 pm
oh, how convenient. different entities interviewing the same people. and interested parties looking for inconsistencies. time to turn it up a notch. which prosecutor has the legal will to take this on?

Comment by Amalia Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 1:47 pm
I am with Rich. A lot of smoke here but no fire. A state rep sending a letter trying to help a colleague and albeit small time political donor seems sounds kinda like the definition of constituent service. This is a distraction from pension reform and political posturing by people wanting their 60 seconds of fame.

Comment by woodchuck Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 1:51 pm
I am paid to find the worst thing one could plausibly say about any event, and I do not see what one can say about this “controversy” that is remotely bad.

The CEO was mad about a patronage letter. Okay, that is customarily why CEOs are hired, to deal with nonsense so the board doesn’t have to vote on it and/or put it in writing. He got mad about it, and the board fired him in a clumsy fashion.

Even assuming the least charitable version of events, the board has every right, indeed, mandate to request that its chief executive not pointlessly antagonize any legislative leader. They were sort of dumb about how they went about that but that is not a crime, or unethical. It’s simply poor management.

Comment by Will Caskey Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 1:52 pm
If a representative, alderman or other elected official who asks for something is guilty of something wrong than it should be made illegal to help constituents.

Since it is something they all do, whether its recommend for a job, some sort of placement or other assistance than this whole issue is bogus.

Comment by Cassiopeia Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 2:02 pm
Do I have the timing right? IG announces investigation and THEN Madigan asks for an investigation? There isn’t any date on the letter.

Comment by law abiding citizen Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 2:03 pm
===There isn’t any date on the letter.==

It’s dated today. Look again.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 2:26 pm
Will Caskey, you used a lot of words essentially saying that “everybody does it” and “nothing to see here”. I don’t think anything illegal was done, but the Speaker’s intervention was what was “clumsy”, in my opinion. I’m surprised he would give people that kind of ammunition.

In any case, the end result is a $700,000+ buyout waste of taxpayer dollars soon after a huge fare increase. That seems “remotely bad” to me.

Comment by LincolnLounger Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 2:36 pm
This is exactly why us peons are required to have annual ethics training. “If there’s any doubt, don’t do it”. IOW, don’t create any smoke.

Comment by pfft~ Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 3:04 pm
Okay, Madigan’s letter may be a day late, but I’ll bet they don’t find anything illegal. I still believe that Madigan will never be found guilty of anything other than iron-fistd control of the Illinois House…

Comment by downstate commissioner Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 3:12 pm
Where is the public benefit? Are we to believe that METRA would benefit or the greater good is being served by hiring or promoting this person versus any other?

The disposition of this kind of wealth and power smacks of royal servitude and a quid pro quo that is far from good governance. Shame on those who would seek the favor and shame on those who wield the public trust with such disdain.

Comment by Sinequanon Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 4:16 pm
The problem with Madigan’s request is the threat, real or perceived, that there would be retaliation if the request were not fulfilled given the enormous power he wields. I’m sure Madigan knows this. Though he may not have violated any laws or legislative ethics rules Madigan should know better than to get involved in Metra personnel matters.

Comment by Independent Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 4:34 pm
–The problem with Madigan’s request is the threat, real or perceived, that there would be retaliation if the request were not fulfilled given the enormous power he wields. –

I thought the request was bigfooting, but let’s get real.

Metra’s budget is about half fares, half RTA sales tax.

Unless you thought MJM was going to the mattresses to alter the RTA sale tax formula to get a raise for some precinct captian, none of it really holds water.

The alleged Bigfoots in Chicago journalism are pretty lazy and don’t take the time to chase anything down. They’re brand names, making money over a number of media platforms.

They don’t analyze budgets. They don’t drill deep into contracts. They report what “sources” told them.

They wouldn’t know a real scandal if it hit them in the face, unless Pat Fitz told them it happened.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 4:53 pm
That he needs to ask is symptomatic of how metastatic the cancer of kleptocracy has become.

Comment by Master Yoda Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 4:58 pm
There’s very little Madigan could actually do to the RTA in supposed “retribution” for them turning down a recommendation of his, and there’s little likelihood he would use what power he does have on such trivia.

This is the downside of the myth of his overarching power, that has been trumpeted and bemoaned by those who don’t know — suspicion and overreaction.

Comment by walkinfool Friday, Jul 19, 13 @ 5:14 pm