State Representative Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, issued the following statement after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced an indictment of former House Speaker Michael J. Madigan today on federal racketeering charges:
“Speaker Madigan’s indictment should be a wakeup call to all past, current, and future legislators who enabled him and supported him during his tenure. As leaders we must do what is right and stand up for the truth. We live in a world divided, and we need to make it whole again. Time and time again our political leaders of Illinois have shown lack of trust, commitment, and support in the citizens of Illinois. Putting trust and faith back into the State of Illinois government through accountability is one of my missions. That just last week I was stymied during our debate on the appointment of a new Legislative Inspector General reinforces that we must pass tough, meaningful ethics reform to root out corruption without further delay. Speaker Madigan evaded accountability for his actions for many years, but all of us who are serving in the General Assembly today must hold each other to a higher standard. Future generations must also hold each other to a high standard. We cannot begin to restore public trust in state government until we do. Today the people have started their journey back to good governance in the Land of Lincoln.”
Representative Keicher serves the 70th District, which includes portions of DeKalb, Kane and Boone Counties.