With a flood of corruption scandals swirling around Springfield, Illinois state Rep. Grant Wehrli (D-Naperville) is slated to host an upcoming discussion about the state’s ethic laws with residents of his 41st District.
Wehrli, who was recently appointed to serve on the newly created Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform, has scheduled the gathering for Jan. 22 at the Naperville City Hall Council Chambers. An outspoken voice in the General Assembly against what he sees as the state’s insufficient, outdated ethics laws, Wehrli recently pointed an accusatory finger at longtime Democratic House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago).
“Speaker Madigan Inc. is rotten to the core,” Wehrli posted on Twitter. “Who would want to have anything to do with him or his associates?”
Illinois state Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville)
Several media outlets have reported that Madigan’s name continues to surface in a number of federal probes in Springfield, including two that have already forced the resignations of two veteran state lawmakers. In addition, City Club of Chicago President Jay Doherty has announced that he is stepping down after federal agents stormed the organization’s headquarters seeking information about its lobbying practices and asking about Madigan's involvement or knowledge thereof.
Doherty, who is also a lobbyist, has been credited with using his vast connections to help the City Club bring in high-profile elected officials as well as state and city department heads for various events, with some of the guests having direct ties to Madigan.
“Illinois can only be saved by first rooting out all the corruption, graft and ghost-payrolling,” Wehrli also posted. “Only then can we address the systemic failures of state government.”
As a member of the new ethics and lobbying reform task force, Wehrli is part of a 16-member panel commission required to a deliver a final report for legislative action by March 31, 2020.
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