Top Mike Madigan Ally Rewarded State Worker for Silence on Alleged Rape

Top Mike Madigan Ally Rewarded State Worker for Silence on Alleged Rape

Several members of Madigan’s inner circle have had their homes and offices raided by federal investigators, including McClain and Michael Zalewski.

January 9, 2020
Top Mike Madigan Ally Rewarded State Worker for Silence on Alleged Rape

While an ongoing federal probe continues to expose the culture of crime and corruption engineered by Michael Madigan, a new report from WBEZ is sending shockwaves through the State Capitol.

WBEZ: “A powerful former Springfield lobbyist and close friend of House Speaker Michael Madigan once sought leniency for a state worker in a disciplinary case by arguing that the worker ‘kept his mouth shut’ about an unspecified rape downstate.”

Michael McClain worked with Madigan for decades, serving as both an influential lobbyist in Springfield and one of Madigan’s top political advisers. In an e-mail to a former senior member of Madigan’s leadership team, McClain lobbied for leniency to be provided to a state worker who faced an upcoming disciplinary hearing.

McClain: “He has kept his mouth shut on Jones’ ghost workers, the rape in Champaign and other items,” McClain said of Ashby. “He is loyal to the Administration.”

Several members of Madigan’s inner circle have had their homes and offices raided by federal investigators, including McClain and Michael Zalewski. While Madigan has consistently claimed to not be a target of the probe, in December the Chicago Tribune reported that he was.

Other e-mails written by McClain clearly reference Michael Madigan, who he calls “Friend” with a capital F. The details revealed in this report offer a rare glimpse into Madigan’s decades of corrupt influence over Illinois politics, and those involved should immediately explain the extent of his involvement in this scandal.