Here is the statement of House Speaker Mike Madigan in response to his good buddy Mike McClain’s indictment:
The indictment returned Wednesday does not allege any criminal misconduct on my part.
I have not been accused of or charged with any wrongdoing.
After a lengthy investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged, but of course has not proven, that certain ComEd employees, consultants, and lobbyists allegedly conspired with one another in the hope of somehow influencing me in my official capacity.
Let me be clear: if that attempt ever happened, it was never made known to me.
If it had been known to me, it would have been profoundly unwelcome.
Nothing in either this indictment or in the earlier filings by the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges otherwise.
In addition, nothing in this indictment or in the earlier filings alleges that I did anything in my official capacity related to ComEd’s legislative agenda as a result of whatever internal decisions ComEd made or didn’t make.
Any such allegation would be false.
If there was an attempt to influence me in my official capacity, it failed, although knowing most of the people who were charged, I doubt there was any scheme as characterized by the government.
To the extent that anyone at ComEd or Exelon believed they could influence my conduct as a legislator by hiring someone I may have recommended, who worked for me, or who did political work for me, they were fundamentally mistaken.
If they even harbored the thought that they could bribe or influence me, they would have failed miserably.
I take offense at any notion otherwise.
To the extent anyone may have suggested to others that I could be influenced, then they, too, were wrong.
Had I known about it, I would have made every effort to put a stop to it.
The energy legislation cited by the U.S. Attorney’s Office had the broad support of Democratic and Republican members, other legislative leaders, labor supporters, consumer advocates, and environmentalists.
The bills could not have passed without such broad support, and they were the product of years of deliberation, negotiations, and consensus building.
House Democrats won significant concessions, much to the chagrin of ComEd and Exelon, likely costing the companies millions of dollars in profits, all while acting in the best interests of our constituents and the ratepayers.
It cannot be seriously said that my staff or I carried the banner for ComEd or Exelon on these bills.
The 2016 FEJA bill, for example, would not have moved but for the intense involvement of Representative Durkin and former Governor Rauner.
I believe a large part of my duty as an elected official is to help people, and I’ve made that a priority since the day I took the oath of office.
It has required drastic measures like taking on a billionaire governor bent on destroying unions and eliminating social services programs that our most vulnerable citizens rely on to survive day-to-day.
It has also required attention to detail like removing gang graffiti from buildings and garages, connecting residents with services that can help improve their lives, helping students find internships, and recommending qualified people who are seeking employment. Helping people find jobs is not a crime.
As I have stated before, I have never helped someone find a job with an expectation that the person would not be asked to perform work by his or her employer.
Anyone who has ever worked for or around me knows I value, above all else, hard work and dedication, whether it’s knocking on doors, collecting garbage, or representing a client.
I have also never promised, implicitly or explicitly, to take any action benefiting a prospective employer if it should choose to hire a person that I recommended.
Nor have I ever recommended someone for a job with an expectation or understanding that the prospective employer would hire that person to reward me for an action it believed I took.
I do not inquire into an employer’s rationale for making particular hiring decisions, nor do I treat that employer differently depending on those decisions.
This has been my practice for decades.
If there was credible evidence that I had engaged in criminal misconduct, which I most certainly did not, I would be charged with a crime.
But I have not, and with good reason because there is nothing wrong or illegal about making job recommendations, regardless of what people inside ComEd may have hoped to achieve from hiring some of the people who were recommended.
Nonetheless, even though I am not alleged to have done anything in my official capacity as Speaker of the House to assist ComEd and have not been accused of any wrongdoing, this investigation has been used as a political weapon by those who seek to have me step down.
I anticipate some will be disappointed that I was not a party to this indictment and find it difficult to swallow the fact that I have not been accused of or charged with any wrongdoing.
These same individuals will likely claim this indictment should end my tenure as a public official, even though it alleges no criminal conduct on my part, nor does it allege I had knowledge of any criminal conduct by others.
Some individuals have spent millions of dollars and worked diligently to establish a false narrative that I am corrupt and unethical.
I have publicly ignored their antics because those who know me and work with me know that this rhetoric is simply untrue.
The truth is that I have never engaged in any inappropriate or criminal conduct.
Despite baseless speculation alluding to the contrary, I have always gone to great lengths to ensure my conduct is legal and ethical, and any claim to the contrary is patently false.
I have always steadfastly worked to build a strong Democratic Party and House Democratic Caucus in an effort to help the hardworking people of Illinois.
I believe the honorable Mikey Madigan.
Rule Number One for never getting caught—you yourself are never the; contact, the go to guy, the bagman–but you reap all the benefits of each.
Mike’s got 50 years of practice.
Dude sounds almost believable.
Bullhocky from excrement mouth, but ignorant sheeple keep voting these democRATS in…..
His crooked buddy who is married to a Supreme Court Justice was ALLEGEDLY the bagman, why would King Tut be any different?
Various news reports say enough of the 73 Democrats in the next House in IL General Assembly have said they won’t vote for Madigan as Speaker and brings Madigan’s total vote count below the 60 magic number.
My guess, once the wheeling-dealing begins, including choice legislation and committee chair assignments, he’ll have his 60 votes for at least one last term, in order to control the redistricting for Congress and the General Assembly.
Two more years!
Mikey is all about plausible deniability.
This is why he doesn’t use a computer or own a cellphone.
If Mike Madigan is no longer speaker, the position should be bestowed on State Representative Mary Flowers (1985-present). 🤓
You people are so out of it. The only way Madigan gets indicted:
1.) Trump ultimately wins the election; AND,
2.) Trump fires the lame brain US atty for N. Ill. By Feb. 15, 2021.
[Why wasn’t Madigan indicted 3 yrs ago? US atty had all the Com Ed infor THEN!
Madigan and Burke will never be indicted.
If that should occur, they’ll wind up mysteriously sickly like Tony Laurino, Fred Roti and Ed Roswell. 😐😮
cx: Ed Roswell
The Daleys and Vaneckos will never be indicted either. ☹️
Burke was already indicted, but has yet to be tried,
I am sure his wife will make that slow and painless.
You must not keep up with the news, Eddie.
Burke was indicted an a bunch of federal charges almost two years ago.
Given his age, he will probably die in prison if he is convicted.
Madigan should be very worried if Burke has any good dirt on him.
Many years ago, I recall seeing guys with that facial expression. On used car lots, Maxwell Street, coming to front door and claiming they have some extra seal coat material on their truck from a job just finished down the block.
Little Eddie is our self appointed expert on all matters political and social,
therefore you must not point out the obvious or he will accuse you of working
in concert with the Devil. 😖
His wife is not on the Federal bench.
She is a State Supreme Court Justice.
Actually, Mary Flowers would make a good Speaker, but she has some Pro-Life votes that a lot of her female colleagues would not approve of.
I remember on pushed by liberal Republican women during the debate of which I walked up the aisle to go to the men’s room.
I heard one of my good friends, a socially liberal woman, say, “Too many black babies.”
After I told Mary that (not revealing the Republican’s name), she went to work and switched enough black Demcorats’ votes to kill the bill.
That was before Madigan instituted the pretty much instant vote tabulation which subsequently precluded debate while the vote was being taken.
There are photos of Madigan using a cell phone during the abbreviated spring session.
Take the ,Paul Powell investigation approach, on Madigan.
Look for money in his closet, storage locker or the trunk of his car.
Thanks for the correction, StormyD. 😁
If Burke is punished, it probably won’t be much anyway.
😐
BillyBob, Burke still hasn’t been tried and punished, so I must follow the news sometimes. 😁
DisHonestAbe1, you are the judge and jury here on all things social and political here, not me.
You discuss Satan, so you must personally know Him. 🤔😝
Ah Yes the perviable I don’t recall… deny deny deny….
The only reason Burke isn’t in non-extraditable Belgium, Brazil or Bolivia is: He’ll never be tried.