WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmen Darin LaHood (IL-18), John Shimkus (IL-15), Adam Kinzinger (IL-16), Rodney Davis (IL-13), and Mike Bost (IL-12) released the following statement regarding the unprecedented developments in the ongoing federal criminal investigations of Speaker Michael Madigan and Governor J.B. Pritzker:

“Illinoisans are sadly no strangers to corruption in our state’s politics, but simultaneous federal criminal investigations into both the Speaker of the House and the Governor are truly unprecedented. Today’s developments in the ongoing bribery investigation against Speaker Madigan and the property tax fraud investigation against Governor Pritzker are disturbing. We fully support U.S. Attorney John Lausch and other federal officials in their important work to bring those who violate the public’s trust to justice. The people of Illinois deserve better than Illinois Democrats’ embarrassing, systemic corruption.”  

Today, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that “Federal prosecutors implicated Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on Friday in a brazen, Chicago-style bribery scheme involving ComEd that allegedly went on for years and involved payments to Madigan associates exceeding $1.3 million.”

The Chicago Sun-Times also reported that “Federal prosecutors have made a series of requests to the Cook County assessor’s office over the past five months for records regarding the $330,000 property tax break that Gov. J.B. Pritzker got on a Gold Coast mansion — a break he got in part because the toilets were disconnected during a stalled remodeling job.”