Illinois Democrats Run for Cover as Mike Madigan Scandal Intensifies

After it was revealed that a longtime friend and ally of Michael Madigan rewarded state worker Forrest Ashby for remaining silent over an alleged rape, Madigan declined to conduct a House investigation. According to The McDonough County Voice, Illinois congressional representatives have responded by calling for a special prosecutor to be appointed.

The Chicago Tribune also revealed top Democrats in Illinois with ties to Mike McClain and Forrest Ashby are attempting to avoid potential political fallout:

“Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration has also tried to distance itself from the situation in light of the fact that his campaign paid Ashby $47,500 for political consulting from April through November 2018, according to state campaign finance records.”

Despite Madigan’s refusal to conduct a House investigation, the Illinois State Police confirmed they would work with the state inspector general to investigate allegations in the email. Early reports have indicated the alleged rape could be related to an inmate who was released from prison early through a controversial policy under former Democrat Governor Pat Quinn:

“On Saturday, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation told the Tribune that officials are looking into whether McClain’s “rape in Champaign” reference could involve the early release of prisoners under Quinn, who came under fire for the practice in 2010.”

Late last week, Michael McClain also confirmed that federal authorities asked him to cooperate in their investigation into Madigan:

“When WBEZ reporters asked if federal authorities had asked him to cooperate with the investigation, McClain confirmed. ‘They’ve asked,’ he said. When questioned as to whether he was entertaining the idea, he responded, ‘I’ll just say they asked.’”

When the WBEZ reporter suggested it would be ‘hard to betray someone like Mike Madigan,’ McClain said, ‘It’d be hard to betray myself,’ before ending the conversation.”

This development serves as further evidence that the feds are looking into Madigan himself, not just members of his inner circle.