Illinois state Rep. Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat who virtually set Illinois' political agenda as House speaker before he was ousted last month, announced Thursday that he is resigning his seat in the Legislature.
The 78-year-old Madigan, who was elected speaker in 1983 and served 36 of the next 38 years at the helm, was tarnished by a federal investigation of Statehouse bribery announced last summer that implicated him. He has not been charged with wrongdoing and maintains his innocence. But he lost his bid for a 19th term as speaker to Hillside Democrat Emanuel “Chris” Welch.
In a statement, Madigan said he was resigning as state representative at the end of the month. He didn't say explicitly why he was resigning the post he held for 50 years, but blamed a whispering campaign for the loss of trust in him.
“It’s no secret that I have been the target of vicious attacks by people who sought to diminish my many achievements lifting up the working people of Illinois," Madigan said. "The fact is, my motivation for holding elected office has never wavered. I have been resolute in my dedication to public service and integrity, always acting in the interest of the people of Illinois.”
Shortly after the Justice Department announced a deferred prosecution agreement with utility giant ComEd — which paid a $200 million fine in admitting to offering no-work jobs and contracts to allies of Madigan in exchange for favorable legislation — legislators began backpedaling from the speaker, saying they could not support him.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other prominent Illinois Democrats blamed him for Election Day reversals and sought his ouster as state Democratic Party Chairman.
