Dupage Policy Journal

Becky Rudolph, Lisle Township Republican Organization Chair, in an interview with DuPage Policy Journal said that “the complaints about Madigan were never just about the individual himself.”

Lisle said that Illinoisans who have been paying attention to state government would know that it was “about the systems and structures he put in place that heavily favored one political party over the other.”

With Madigan's resignation, she said, the political stage is now open for ethics reforms and not having just one man amass power and have the final say on public policy, with many lawmakers welcoming the coming changes.

“It remains to be seen whether the Democrats who hold all statewide offices and control both houses in Springfield will make the legislative process transparent and fair to all,” Rudolph added.

Illinois state Rep. Mike Madigan resigned from his seat in the Legislature in connection to a federal investigation of a Statehouse bribery scandal that implicated him. While he was not charged with misconduct and continues to maintain his innocence, the investigation had greatly tarnished his reputation.

The federal corruption investigations have indicted several of his close associates on a bribery scheme allegedly set up to benefit the former speaker.

Apart from his seat in the Legislature, he also resigned as the chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.