‘Clearly crossed a line’: Suburban lawmakers react to Madigan verdict

State lawmakers praised the conviction of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on corruption charges Wednesday, but said more reforms are needed in Springfield.

“I feel numb in some ways — this should never have had to happen. A violation of public trust in such a manner is never excusable,” state Rep. Terra Costa Howard of Glen Ellyn said.

Costa Howard and state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit were among 19 House Democrats to publicly call for Madigan's ouster in 2020, after ComEd executives admitted to colluding with a state official later identified as the ex-speaker.

Speaking out initially against Madigan, who ruled the House with an iron hand, had repercussions.

“It was awful … the 19 of us received a great deal of pushback from colleagues, lobbyists, and certain organizations in ways we had not anticipated,” Costa Howard said.

Kifowit of Oswego took the unprecedented step of challenging Madigan for the speaker’s job in October 2020.

“I felt that the actions of Michael Madigan were unbecoming as leader of the party and as speaker,” Kifowit said. “I served in the Marines, I think even the act of being implicated as Public Official A in a federal indictment is enough to start eroding public faith and trust if you’re in leadership.”

Five years later, “I think the jury did an amazing job, I think the witnesses that were called were very brave to testify,” she said.

Republican state Sen. Don DeWitte of St. Charles called Madigan “a highly intelligent man.”

“I believe he thought he may have been smart enough to push the envelope of ethics regulations to get away with what he did for so long. But I think this jury — clearly based on the time and diligence they took in dealing with this — were able to see some of his actions clearly crossed a line,” DeWitte said.

Now, there’s “an opportunity for Democratic leaders in the legislature to put more stringent oversight and legislative authority into toughening the ethics laws in this state,” DeWitte added. “Unfortunately, like past convictions this will likely fall on deaf ears and the beat will roll on in Springfield.”

Elected in 2018, Terra Costa recalled oddities of the Madigan regime like being told she had to formally ask the speaker to release funds for local projects already approved in the budget.

“What do you mean I have to ask? Isn’t this a given?” she remembers thinking at the time.

Other Democrats who called for Madigan to step down as speaker back in 2020 included Reps. Anne Stava-Murray of Naperville and Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove, and former Sen. Melinda Bush of Grayslake.

“The justice system worked,” Didech said. “We are moving forward as a united House Democratic caucus to serve the people of Illinois.”

Bush called the verdict “an important lesson for anyone who serves in government today. Remember that you represent the people not yourself or special interests.”

Stava-Murray thanked the jury for doing its job and weeding through weeks of testimony.

“While they weren't all guilty verdicts, I trust the jury and the judicial process,” she said.

While some pundits and politicians see the Madigan case as yet another political stain on Illinois' reputation, Stava-Murray believes it shows Illinoisans are willing to convict crooked politicians.

She hopes lawmakers will be able to re-instill people's trust in state government.

But state Sen. Laura Murphy, a Des Plaines Democrat, said Madigan's actions further eroded the public trust in elected officials.

“As a legislator I will continue to fight to end pay-to-play politics and work to restore the public's trust in their government,” she said in an email.

Senate Republican Leader John Curran of Downers Grove said in a statement, “the jury has spoken, and the deeply entrenched culture of corruption that has dictated public policy at the expense of Illinois taxpayers must be addressed.

“Accountability and transparency in public policy decisions are nonnegotiable and reforming the legislative process must be a top priority in this legislative session,” the former prosecutor said.