As one sexual harassment horror tale after another emerges from Springfield, I’m coming face-to-face with the heretofore seemingly unthinkable: It’s only a matter of time before Michael Madigan is forced to step down from his positions of power.
Didn’t like the obvious conflict of interest between his profitable property tax appeal law firm—specializing in winning tax breaks for downtown property owners—and his influence in selecting the judges and assessors involved in the process.
On the other hand . . .
The Dems stood to lose a chance to win seats they needed to win Congress and therefore one check on President Trump’s power. Thus doing what Democrats do best—shoot themselves in the foot. Or feet, as the case may be.
And therein lies the problem for a lot of New Deal Democrats like myself as we face the prospect of life in Illinois without Madigan in charge.
I’m not the only one who feels this way. It partly explains why there’s been no open revolt against the speaker. Not even after one of his former political operatives, Alaina Hampton, went public with her account of how Madigan did nothing in response to her well-documented complaints of sexual harassment by Kevin Quinn, another political aide to the speaker.
