Dupage Policy Journal

State Rep. Amy Grant (R-Wheaton) worries House Speaker Mike Madigan’s quickly mounting troubles may not come to spell what many believe they signal.

“You’ve got plenty of people saying this ComEd scandal could be the end for Madigan, and it may well be,” Grant told the DuPage Policy Journal. “But after all the years of being in power, I’m warning people just how far his roots run. At this point, even with him not being in Springfield, you can’t be sure it will erase all the corruption.”

Grant adds all the uncertainty doesn't end there. With 18 Democrat lawmakers having now stepped forward to insist they have no intentions of supporting Madigan’s reelection effort, Grant warns there are no guarantees.

“I’m not sure you can take any of that at face value,” she said. “You just never know, and right now there’s an awful lot of jockeying going on."

At the same time that the longtime House speaker is vowing to seek another term, the latest shoe to drop includes the indictment of four individuals with ties to Madigan, including longtime associate and lobbyist Michael McClain, who now faces bribery charges stemming from a years-long, pay-to-play scheme in which perks were allegedly steered to Madigan in exchange for favorable legislation.

“A lot of everything is still up in the air and maybe that’s because Madigan still controls everything, especially all the money,” Grant added. “Right now, it may look like he doesn’t have the votes, but there are still a lot people saying they plan to stick by him. You just know there’s still a lot of deal making going on.”

With Democrats expected to have up to 73 members in the new House and 60 votes being needed for House speaker, Madigan is estimated to have in the neighborhood of 55 votes from Democrat members.