State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) vows to fight on as a member of the bipartisan Special House committee recently convened to probe some of the more suspect behavior of longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan.
“Republicans on the committee are not surrendering their rights to investigate and it’s disappointing that Democrats seem to want to inhibit our ability to investigate,” Mazzochi told the DuPage Policy Journal. “We are looking at all options, but certainly no vote has been taken to disband or end the committee’s work.”
Questions have arisen ever since Democrat Committee Chairman Chris Welch announced he was postponing all proceedings related to Madigan’s involvement in an ongoing federal corruption probe involving ComEd and a pay-for-play scheme in which the benefits were steered to the speaker in exchange for his support on pending legislation. Before Welch’s decision, ComEd officials had expressed they were willing to share additional documents with the committee, including e-mail communications.
“We will do everything we can to continue to investigate, but we feel the message being sent to voters is Democrats’ lack of interest in investigating the actions of Speaker Madigan, including through a subpoena,” Mazzochi added. “I think voters should find that very discouraging because it raises the question of when will Democrats ever hold of their members accountable.”
Mazzochi sees it all in the same light.
“Welch seems to be willing to say I think this is political and this an investigation of that,” Mazzochi said. “Given that, it’s surprising to me that the chairman of committee wants to spend so little time investigating.”
Mazzochi argues it’s all part of the way Democrats always stick together.
“Even some of those who have agreed the speaker should resign or have stated they don’t like the culture he has created in Springfield nevertheless declined to state that he should appear before the committee,” he said.
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