Chicago City Wire

David Krupa argues he knows all too well about the way House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) operates.

“I believe he’s been taking bribes for years and I know rules don’t mean anything to him,” Krupa, who ran against Madigan-backed Chicago Alderman Marty Quinn in 2019 and later sued both men for election fraud, told Chicago City Wire. “His abuse of power knows no end.”

Madigan, who easily reigns as the longest-tenured lawmaker in the state, now finds himself at the center of a still-evolving probe into ComEd, in which prosecutors are on record in asserting that the company engaged in a “years-long bribery scheme” involving jobs, contracts and payments that were steered to him in his role as house speaker and chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party.

While stopping short of formally levying any charges, prosecutors contend Commonwealth Edison attempted to “influence and reward” Madigan by providing financial benefits to those directly tied to him.

“We really should consider freezing all campaign funds associated with him because it’s really hard to know which of them aren’t dirty,” Krupa added. “I wasn’t surprised to hear any of this. I really think a lot worse has happened and it’s been going on for decades.”

In publicly announcing the case against ComEd public, U.S. Attorney John Lausch noted the investigation is ongoing. The Chicago Tribune reports federal investigators have moved to subpoena Madigan for information, including “possible job recommendations.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Madigan said he plans to cooperate with the probe, adding “The speaker has never helped someone find a job with the expectation that the person would not be asked to perform work by their employer, nor did he ever expect to provide anything to a prospective employer if it should choose to hire a person he recommended.”

Prosecutors suspect the scheme goes back to 2011 with many of the unanswered questions revolving around longtime Madigan confidante Michael McClain. Federal agents raided McClain’s Quincy home last year and at one point authorities secretly taped his phone calls.

“He probably won’t resign, but I think it’s important that we call for it because it shows we’re not going along with this anymore,” Krupa said. “In the end, I think ridding Springfield of corruption needs to start with Madigan Madigan in handcuffs. With that you’ll see a lot of this stuff start to fall apart.”