Editorial: Give Illinois legislative inspector general some teeth chicagotribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chicagotribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Illinoisans have only to look to the disturbingly long queue of former lawmakers charged with crimes or facing federal probes to know that ethics is not the Illinois General Assembly’s strong suit.
There’s former state Rep. Luis Arroyo, D-Chicago, who has pleaded not guilty to federal bribery charges, and was allegedly caught on tape trying to bribe another lawmaker while boasting, “This is, this is the jackpot.” Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval pleaded guilty to corruption charges before dying of COVID-19 complications last December. Or how about the cadre of allies of former House Speaker Michael Madigan including his former chief of staff, Tim Mapes whose alleged misconduct led to federal charges filed against them amid the ongoing ComEd corruption scandal? Mapes has also pleaded not guilty.