COMMENTARY: Republican legislators implicated as part of Madigan special interest donations

As if the whole corruption saga surrounding Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan wasn’t already interesting. However, it just got that much more interesting, based on recent developments that now implicate members of the Republican Party. Madigan, presumably “Public Official A” in recent ComEd legal filings, and some of his special interests may have something to do with contributions to some Republicans as well.

Davidsmeyer willingly admits to receiving ComEd money

State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) recently stated on local station WLDS/WEAI that he unashamedly accepts campaign contributions from the utility company. WLDS reported Saturday that Davidsmeyer has not only received campaign contributions from ComEd, but also Walgreens and AT&T previously. Walgreens and AT&T are also targeted in the ongoing FBI investigation on Madigan and lobbyist activities. Illinois Sunshine reports that Davidsmeyer’s campaign committee “Citizens for C.D. Davidsmeyer” received $5,400 from ComEd and parent company Exelon since February 2013. Additionally, there were contributions totaling $11,860.81 coming from AT&T, as well as $3,000 from Walgreens. In a recent radio interview, Davidsmeyer willing admits the contributions he’s received:

[ComEd] is supporting me as a candidate, and if they decide they don’t want to anymore, they’ll decrease [the contributions] or knock it off. I’m happy to say that there isn’t any group out there that I have a 100% voting record with besides pro-life, and I even voted against a cross bow bill that the NRA didn’t like. I thought conservation was more important in that instance.

ComEd is now under a three-year prosecution deferment for bribery, based on charges from the federal government. Should that not raise your concerns about his recent calls for ethics reform, this next bit should be incredibly alarming.

Several Republican politicians receive contributions from Chicagoland road construction union

A-1 filings at the Illinois State Board of Elections filed yesterday for the month of June reveal some damning evidence. Madigan’s candidate campaign committee Friends of Michael J. Madigan received $555,000 from Chicagoland Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC. Who are they? They just happen to be one of the largest road construction unions in the Land of Lincoln. Oddly, sounds like an excessively large contribution from a union amidst all the implications in relation to the largest bribery scheme in state history. Davidsmeyer, whose family operates a successful road construction business in west-central Illinois, has received over $18,000 from the PAC over the past seven years. His own business also actively contributes to his war chest. So, the underlying question: What does a Chicagoland construction union have to do with downstate Illinois? Three additional Republicans are receiving funds from this PAC as well, which is incredibly alarming. State Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) has received $13,000 from the group, with fellow Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) receiving $11,000. State Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) was also a target, receiving $20,000. It’s insane that elected officials in the Republican Party want to push for ethics reform in politics, but they’re also on the dole of special interests. After all, nothing is ever done in Springfield unless Madigan gives the say-so, regardless of party affiliation.