Republican state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi isn’t sure House Special Investigative Committee colleague state Rep. Chris Welch is even sure why he’s holding up the process in the panel’s probe of House Speaker Mike Madigan.
“It varies and is largely self-contradictory,” Mazzochi told the DuPage Policy Journal of the reason she’s gotten from Welch. “Unless his goal is to stonewall, in which case his actions make perfect sense.”
The work of the bipartisan committee convened to look into some of the longtime speaker’s most questionable actions has been slowed by Madigan flat out refusing to appear before the panel to answer questions about his involvement in an ongoing federal corruption probe centered on utility giant ComEd. Madigan now stands at the center of a federal investigation in which prosecutors have pointed to a years-long, pay-for-play scheme with all the perks steered to the head of the state Democratic Party in exchange for his support on certain legislation or favorable appointments and hirings.
Mazzochi insists she’s still trying to make sense of all the contradictions and inconsistencies so far uncovered.
“Madigan has stated that he is not exercising his Fifth Amendment rights as an excuse to not appear before the Committee,” she said. "Thus, there should be no impediment to him providing testimony. Madigan’s next excuse for non-appearance is, essentially, that he believes this entire process to be a ‘political stunt.’ It is a truth hunt.”
Mazzochi points out that even Gov. J.B. Pritzker has indicated he thinks Madigan owes an accounting for his actions.
“If Madigan wants to dispute the charge or the ComEd admissions with his own recitation of how he understood various facts, his statements must be provided to the committee in person and under oath,” she added.
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