South Central Reporter

Madison County Board member Don Moore laments longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan being caught up in an ongoing federal corruption probe is just a case of Democrats being Democrats in Springfield.  

“It’s certainly more typical than not typical,” Moore, a Republican, told the South Central Reporter. “Just look at all the governors before that have gone to prison for malfeasance and wrongdoing. Chicago politics is a swamp that just continues to fester with Democrats in control and doing everything they can to stay in power.”  

After nearly four decades of being in control in Springfield, Madigan now finds himself at the center of an unfolding federal corruption probe involving ComEd. Federal prosecutors contend 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.

To date, no charges have been filed against the state’s longest-serving lawmaker, but prosecutors have not been shy in asserting that the utility giant sought to “influence and reward” Madigan by providing financial benefits to those directly tied to him.

Moore said he is waiting for the day voters take back their power by assuring themselves of the kind of government many of them insist they want to see.

“It starts with voters installing representatives that have integrity and are willing to do the right thing,” he said. “We’ve got to get the right people in office and we really need to enact term limits so people go into office to do what’s right for the people and not what’s just needed to get re-elected. Right now, we see too many times where lawmakers become addicted to power instead of working for the people.”

Moore said he’s shown a willingness to practice what he preaches when it comes to term limits.

“I’m serving no more than two terms or four years,” he said. “That’s calling leading by example and we’d be much better off as a state if we could get more of our lawmakers to do the same.”