Chicago Republican Party leader David Krupa insists he wouldn’t want to be the man many consider to be the state’s most powerful right now.
“I think that the evidence is really starting to pile up against (House Speaker) Mike Madigan,” Krupa told Chicago City Wire. “You’ve got people all around that are being charged with the same thing he’s being investigated for. The way I see it, if you’re going to charge someone for bribing someone it only makes sense that the person being bribed is charged also.”
Federal authorities recently moved to charge Fidel Marquez, who formerly served as vice president of governmental affairs, with bribery and conspiracy stemming from his alleged part in a pay-for-play scheme in which indictments say jobs, contracts and payments were steered to associates known to be close to Madigan in exchange for his support on certain legislation.
Earlier this summer, federal investigators also announced that the utility giant had been charged with a years-long bribery scheme where at least $1.3 million in perks were steered to Madigan associates. At the same time, Madigan’s office was served with a grand jury subpoena seeking more information about their dealings with such companies as at AT&T, Walgreens and Rush University Medical Center.
Krupa, who formerly ran for Chicago alderman, added he’s glad to see federal authorities intervene in Springfield.
“It’s the only way they’re going to erase all the corruption,” he said. “At this point, nothing else is really going to work.”
Krupa said that includes the special House committee recently convened to look into Madigan’s conduct and determine if disciplinary action is warranted.
“That may sound good on paper, but the people put on the committee could have alliances with Madigan that make him untouchable,” he said. “Anything done in the House is pretty much a dog and pony show that will never be allowed to move forward in any real way.”
Alerts Sign-up