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HDems still resisting HGOP calls to restart investigative committee

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Illinois

* This happened today…

MEDIA ADVISORY: Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, House Republican Members of the Special Investigating Committee to Address U.S. Attorney’s Office Indictments Against Madigan’s Allies

WHAT: Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) and State Representatives Tom Demmer (R-Dixon), Deanne Mazzochi (R- Elmhurst), Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville) will address the U.S Attorney’s announcement of indictments against key Madigan allies including Mike McClain, Anne Pramaggiore, John Hooker and Jay Doherty.

Click here for the video.

* The HGOPs want Madigan to quit and the Special Investigating Committee hearings restarted…

"This is far from over." Durkin says everyone knows Madigan was fully aware of the bribery scheme with Commonwealth Edison. He calls on @RepChrisWelch to continue the legislative investigation into Madigan. The committee has only met twice.

— Mike Miletich (@MikeMiletichTV) November 19, 2020

* From the committee’s chairman and Democratic members…

State Reps. Emanuel Chris Welch, Elizabeth Hernandez and Natalie Manley released the following statement Thursday:

“The federal prosecutor’s indictments against former ComEd associates elaborate on the company’s pattern of behavior as was previously detailed in the deferred prosecution agreement. They do not, however, give members of this committee carte blanche to substitute partisan grandstanding for deliberate consideration.

“Leader Durkin and his colleagues know as well as we do that this committee will soon be receiving evidentiary documents from ComEd – including documents requested by Republican members. Both Republican and Democratic counsel have been working with ComEd’s representatives to be certain that these documents would be provided to the members and the public before the next meeting was scheduled, specifically so there would be information to consider. So Republicans’ repeated insistence that this committee rush forward is nothing more than political theater, as is their public campaign to smear anyone insisting on an honest, transparent and sober process instead of a show trial. We believe it would be more prudent for a Special Investigating Committee to actually receive and review these documents rather than following the pronouncements of those who reached their conclusions long before the committee was created.”

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 1:35 pm

Comments

If Madigan quits as a member, there’s nothing for the special committee to consider. Someone should have asked Durkin why there’s the dissonance and what it says about him that he apparently doesn’t know that. Yikes!

Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 1:48 pm
Don’t the Raunerites need to replace Wehrli by now?

They don’t wanna make Demmer look any sillier than he already looks… do they?

To the post,

This seems to be a classic “yoo-hoo, over here please don’t ignore us, we wanna yell and scream some more”

Yeah, The Speaker is seemingly finished, be it before January, or in January.

This need to have Wehrli seem relevant when he’s no longer part of anything going forward seems like a waste.

It’s a political move to make Raunerites appear to be driving the bus when they can’t even schedule the bus to arrive.

Dems decided today… “We’ll take it from here”… abd unless the Arroyo Rule is in effect, which it’s not, this is an embarrassing attempt to insert a super minority political want into what is now a caucus moving on and moving forward without the leader they have lost confidence in for their future.

Wehrli can tweet. Demmer can seem busy. They don’t need a committee to do either.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 1:50 pm
CW: “I am who I am. I protect who I protect. What can I say?”

Comment by Free Market Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 1:53 pm
Given the entire situation, hearings are totally useless at this point, and should not be held because they will affect and change nothing. It’s time to let the Feds handle Illinois corruption, since our Legislature has been shown to be incapable and unwilling of doing it.

Comment by thisjustinagain Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 2:06 pm
didn’t the Blago impeachment occur after the Fed indictment?

Comment by Amalia Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 2:08 pm
To me Durkin represents an approach that is a “good”government approach to a very serious ethical problem and Welch represents what is wrong with the way the General Assembly operates.
Playing games on ethical issues like Welch is doing is just plain embarrassing.

Comment by Back to the Future Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 2:12 pm
Democrats are about to vote Madigan very gently off the island, but they’re still not gonna make a public spectacle of it.

Comment by Nick Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 2:22 pm
If I were being asked to attend a committee meeting with some of the House GOP caucus I would want independent verification that they spent two weeks in self isolation a recent COVID-19 antibody test result, and at least two negative COVID-19 tests from the last 4 days.

I do not trust an elected official who has mistaken stupidity and irresponsibility as virtue.

Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 2:27 pm
Someone needs to explain to Welch that you don’t have to swing at every pitch. This was a day where he’d have been much better off keeping quiet

Comment by ILPundit Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 2:38 pm
Back to the Future - Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 2:12 pm:

Could you please detail what is good about Durkin’s approach? The allegations were all known in the summer of 2019. Durkin waited over a year to push for a special committee. Durkin issued a press release before the committee formed. Durkin didn’t name three people who could devote their time and energy to tye committee, he appointed one who could. The other two were campaigning everyday. Lastly, Durkin has also materially misstated things from the US Attorney’s office. None of that screams good.

Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 2:52 pm
Ethics.
They should be able to address the ethical issues that the ComEd case raises and get their house cleaned up.
On ethics Durkin is trying to something. Welsh is just stonewalling.

Comment by Back to the Future Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 2:59 pm
World record for most water carried has to go to Welch here holy crow

Comment by TaxTheMemes Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 3:09 pm
The unfortunate thing about this is that Welch is the best candidate to be the new speaker and this delay is not helping that cause

Comment by Marquee Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 3:19 pm
Durkin is playing politics.

If the Fed and the Dem caucus take down the Speaker then it means nothing for Durkin except, he spent millions and millions of dollars over the last 8 years to actually lose 2 more seats in the House, since Tom Cross left, plus every statewide elected officer. Not a good record.

Durkin needs the committee to take credit for the takedown, without it he’s got nothing but yelling and screaming.

Comment by Frank talks Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 3:52 pm
…he spent millions and millions of dollars over the last 8 years …

In fairness, most of those millions were Rauner’s.

Comment by don the legend Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 4:22 pm
When are the House Dems going to acknowledge their leader is done and they need to move on?

Comment by Overlord Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 4:56 pm
=On ethics Durkin is trying to something. =

Where was Durkin and the ILGOP during the George Ryan disaster?

These are politicians not missionaries, no one holds the moral or ethical high ground here.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Nov 19, 20 @ 6:13 pm