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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
A couple of days after the July 17th disclosures in ComEd’s deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan called individual House Democrats to reassure them that all would be well.
According to multiple legislators, the speaker told his members that he had done nothing wrong and that he never did things like recommend unqualified people for jobs, and fully expected that if they were hired, they would actually show up for work.
One object, I was told, was to prevent more House Democrats from releasing “if true, Madigan must resign” statements.
The gambit failed. By the day he had called, four House Democrats already had said he should resign if the allegations were true. Another, Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Naperville, had gone even further, saying Madigan ought to resign without an “if true” qualifier.
And then not long after the calls, two more House Democrats released “if true” statements, followed that evening by “if true” demands from 12 members of the House Progressive Caucus, eight of whom had not already issued similar statements.
That makes 15. And 74 House Democrats minus 15 equals 59, which is one vote shy of what Madigan will need to be reelected speaker in January, though it’s unclear what will happen that far down the road.
Just two House Democratic men have spoken up. As with the 2018 sexual harassment crisis in his chamber, Madigan once again faces serious problems with women legislators.
Madigan also informed his members that while he was cooperating fully with the feds, he would be fighting these claims because there was no quid pro quo. But fending off the full force and might of a federal prosecutor who appears more hell-bent on prosecuting the speaker than any of his predecessors will not be easy or cheap.
The Friends of Michael J. Madigan campaign committee began earnestly spending money on legal fees in late July of 2017 and has reported spending $2.66 million on lawyers since then. Some of that was spent on investigations that Madigan ordered into his own political operation regarding sexual harassment issues, but not all.
Madigan’s $2.66 million is more than one of every five dollars (21%) expended on legal and attorney fees since late July of 2017 by all state and local candidates and political committees in Illinois combined. Whew.
So I asked a Madigan campaign spokesperson if he would pledge to spend all the money he raises for the rest of this campaign cycle on campaigns and not on legal fees.
“Not going to have a comment,” the spokesperson emailed me back.
Madigan’s most vital job is electing and reelecting House Democrats, many of them suburban women, and that costs lots of money. But so does a vigorous legal defense.
Madigan was super-quick to oust others during the 2018 sexual harassment crisis. For example, Madigan immediately stripped Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang of his leadership position and his chairmanships after wild and ultimately disproved allegations were leveled against Lang, including a preposterous claim that Lang was involved in a $170 million “bribery” scheme.
Madigan’s actions appeared prudent at the time to many. But now the shoe is on his own foot.
As with the 2018 sexual harassment scandal, there is no doubt that Madigan created this current climate, either by design or by default.
How else can you explain the willingness of ComEd to allegedly hand over a vacant corporate board seat to the man? Why else would ComEd pay millions of dollars to a “consultant” so he could allegedly use that money to put Madigan’s captains (and others) on the payroll who did little to no work? The company’s internship program apparently had a direct pipeline to the 13th Ward, for crying out loud.
These things don’t happen out of thin air. You don’t throw one precious goodie after another at somebody unless you believe it works. And, hey, give Madigan the benefit of the doubt, maybe one thing didn’t specifically lead to another. But you cannot disagree that Madigan allowed that impression to persist.
Madigan ultimately had to admit in 2018 that he’d fostered a hostile climate for women. To his credit, he made things better.
Madigan also created a climate that allowed these ComEd favors to happen, whether he specifically ordered those favors or not. As before, perhaps, he didn’t want to know as long as everything got done.
And, as before, he should admit to this and disavow the practice and change the way things are done or he should seriously consider retirement. It’s time to fully bring Illinois into the 21st Century.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 9:18 am
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I’ve long held that he should retire for the good of the party, but that’s obviously it going to happen here. So how do dems move forward without him when he refuses to leave? JB apparently doesn’t have the spine to push Madigan into retirement, so what do these House candidates do? Duck and cover? Take party money while distancing themselves? I mean this is Illinois, it’s not like the dems are going to lose the majority - but it seems like it’s getting close to untenable for new candidates and targets. Maybe plead with JB for funding, so that you don’t have to rely on MJM and the ILDP?
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 9:35 am
It was true when I was a 22-year old butter bar — and it is equally true for the longest-serving leader of any legislative body in the history of the United States.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 9:40 am
The man is 78 years old. Obviously he should seriously consider retirement. Unfortunately that will especially not happen now because the perks of his office and his criminal legal defense are directly linked. Dems need to kick him out or he is never going away.
At both the national and local levels, Dems are stuck with calcified leadership that does not know when to get off the stage and make room for fresh blood.
I wish I knew why politicians born in the 1940s think they are so indispensable.
A gerontocracy is not a healthy way to rule a state or a country.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 9:47 am
==Dems are stuck with calcified leadership that does not know when to get off the stage and make room for fresh blood.==
I trace failures in succession planning to privilege and impunity — especially impunity, which appears to be addictive.
Comment by yinn Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 10:01 am
There is a lot of learned helplessness here. Almost every member of the caucus has been protected by the Speaker legislatively and provided campaign troops and funding for their whole careers. They don’t know how to renounce him even if they feel like they should.
Comment by SAP Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 10:09 am
=== They don’t know how to renounce him even if they feel like they should.===
… and yet…
===That makes 15. And 74 House Democrats minus 15 equals 59, which is one vote shy of what Madigan will need to be reelected speaker in January, though it’s unclear what will happen that far down the road.===
Everyone is in such a hurry to get to the “end of the story”
Reading the great work Rich has here… not one HDem sees an easy or perfunctory Speaker Madigan come January.
Respectfully
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 10:14 am
=== I wish I knew why politicians born in the 1940s think they are so indispensable. ===
What other member of the House has the political chops the Speaker has? What other member of the House has the fundraising ability that the Speaker has? How many other House members have the unrelenting work ethic that the Speaker has? How many other House members have the campaign troops and apparatus that the Speaker has?
Most importantly, name one other House member that has all of the things that I note above other than the Speaker. Ill help you - they don’t exist.
Comment by Powdered Whig Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 10:14 am
=== political chops … fundraising ability that the Speaker has? … campaign troops and apparatus===
And the downside is the climate he created to accomplish those things.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 10:21 am
Powdered Whig “What other member of the House has the political chops the Speaker has? What other member of the House has the fundraising ability that the Speaker has? How many other House members have the unrelenting work ethic that the Speaker has? How many other House members have the campaign troops and apparatus that the Speaker has?”
There is no oxygen left for any other democrat in the state because he has control of the purse strings and requires candidates to run campaigns his way to get funding.
We don’t know if any one can do all those things but then I don’t think all that should be with just one person.
Comment by Anon Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 10:23 am
Curious to see if there will be a deal to step down between MJM and the IL house similar to Pelosi in the congressional house after 2018.
Comment by 1st Ward Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 10:37 am
It seems likely that Madigan is going to retire.
It seems unlikely that Madigan is going to retire if it appears it was not his choice, ie He was pressured to retire, or if his retirement is perceived or portrayed as an admission of guilt.
Like everything Madigan does, he is going to want to retire in an orderly fashion. Succession planning and execution usually takes six months to a year.
He is not going to retire without completing the map.
Seems a reasonable idea he might announce in 2021 that it will be his last term as Speaker.
Unless of course people keep loudly demanding he step down.
Comment by Dread Pirate Roberts Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 10:39 am
I appreciate the “climate change” title, because at the end of the day, more hand wringing and planning went into making one guy happy than responding to an urgent need to decarbonize and fuel switch that effects every person on the planet, and it shows.
Comment by Biker Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 10:58 am
Himself just spread the wealth
Comment by Rabid Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 11:18 am
=== political chops … fundraising ability that the Speaker has? … campaign troops and apparatus===
Besides Rich’s point about MJM also creating the situation that the party now finds itself in……how would you ever know the answer to your questions if the man doesn’t leave (voluntarily or not)? Maybe Cassidy or one of the leadership reps is even better at this stuff than Madigan is - but you’d find out, because MJM treats them all like mushrooms.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 11:29 am
Agree that it is time for a climate change in the Dem Party.
In the Dem Primary for Governor a majority of Dem Primary voters voted against the candidate of the Madigan/Pritzker Team in spite of all the spending done by them - - which was well over 200 million dollars.
While everyone has an opinion, I think if the election were held next Tuesday a larger majority of Dems would reject the Madigan/Pritzker Team.
Comment by Back to the Future Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 11:31 am
Speaker job 1: re-election as speaker, with his rules.
Precursor: favorable map.
Favorable judges as a backup. Keep outdated judicial districts.
“If true”… 6 months to decide if speaker stays as speaker.
Doesn’t require proof beyond reasonable doubt.
“If true”… Decide if speaker should be the party leader.
Decide who gets legal fee$ paid, and who doesnt.
Decide if speaker cash helps or hurts.
Several opportunities for profiles in courage.
Comment by Langhorne Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 11:38 am
=== Maybe Cassidy or one of the leadership reps is even better at this stuff than Madigan is? ===
Cmon man. Has Cassidy so much as walked a precinct for a targeted House member let alone provide any substantial campaign assistance? I remember seeing a FB post from her posting pictures at several campaign offices in a single day simply posing with others with the candidates yard signs. Don’t think many voter contacts were made that day.
Comment by Powdered Whig Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 11:39 am
It will be interesting to note how long it takes for the House Dem caucus to understand just how much power they have. The 15 that are on the record now just need 5 more for a tipping point.
And whoever becomes the Speaker will be able to raise whatever they need. ‘Cuz they’ll be the Speaker. It is and has been for a while now, way past time for a coup. Power cedes nothing without demand. Never has, never will. Whoever believes they can manage that ship needs to take it because it will never be given. And that will be the true mark of who can handle this.
Comment by Sideline Watcher Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 12:14 pm
With a history of using his inner circle to bully and bend others to his will, he’s hopefully run into a situation where that does not help. He has no play to run if people close to him cooperate with the feds. The way the ComEd thing was done betrayed the taxpayers of Illinois. We all knew it too, but it’s time for this to end and for accountability to kick in.
Comment by Lincoln Lad Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 12:19 pm
=== Has Cassidy so much as walked a precinct for a targeted House member===
Yes, and I’ll bet that she’s walked a whole lot more precincts than MJM has. Just sayin…
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 1:10 pm
To the Post,
Great read, puts the reality of numbers in focus for the real, and that real is 60… which Madigan doesn’t appear to have right now, and going forward.
The culture of “Chicago Ward Politics” served Madigan well, in the 80’s, 90’s even going into this new century, but the culture itself is long past it’s usefulness, and frankly outlived it’s own warped thoughts to correctness to people.
I remember Rich having “Let the Old Ways Die” be a song to mark a Friday and a week finished too.
In reality, it’s mileposts like that, and that song, that are more than reminding us a week is ending, a reminder of what’s happened… but how accepted things need to end too.
I dunno how this is going to end. That doesn’t mean I condone anything, or accept anything not yet happened. It does mean, like Madigan “himself”, it’s one unique situation we find the state, the Speaker, a party in, and there’s no map to the conclusion.
With $23 million, that pays for a lotta fight in court, and 74 souls now really “59” to Madigan, because unless you’re in, you’re out, and while the 15 or so may not need MJM, Madigan in court, on the legal defense, don’t need them either.
The $23 million is there for many reasons, but not there for those deciding the old ways need to die? We’ll see.
As I typed before, I *think* Madigan should resign, and the best politics say wait for indictment, then ask for resignation.
That’s a new way of thinking, an end to Madigan as Speaker, because no matter the outcome, in January, it looks like the old ways are going to die.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 2:17 pm
==not one HDem sees an easy or perfunctory Speaker Madigan come January.==
Agreed. The 15 have shown various levels of readiness to challenge the Speaker. I’m sure there are more cracks in the foundation. It is a new way of thinking, though, that will take time to learn. To put it into an old-timey cartoon context, no more bulldog to hide behind when the cat is chasing you.
Comment by SAP Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 2:34 pm
It’s not an up day for Speaker Madigan no matter how you look at it. At least if not criminal, it is just a demerit to his leadership ability. He let his lieutenants and associates shake down a major corporation. All Speaker Madigan had to do to rake in campaign money was continue to be the speaker and wield enormous influence over his members. He or his associates got greedy and sought to enrich themselves instead of the just hauling in the campaign cash.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 4:43 pm
Whether Madigan should step down is solely dependent on whether he hurts more than helps the Illinois Democratic Party…until he’s proven guilty or not guilty of the allegations.
Comment by PublicServant Monday, Jul 27, 20 @ 8:02 pm