Kane County Reporter

Dundee Township Republican precinct committeewoman Linda Prestia argues that the recent FBI raid on the home of one of House Speaker Mike Madigan’s (D-Chicago) closest former associates is indicative of how deep political corruption runs in Illinois and how weary of it voters have grown.

“The folks in Illinois are so exhausted with hope for equal application of the law,” Prestia told the Kane County Reporter. “Many don’t believe these crooked and now wealthy Democrats will ever be held accountable for using their clout and power to line their pockets.”

FBI agents recently executed a secret raid on the far South Side home of Kevin Quinn, once a top Madigan aide and the brother of Chicago Ald. Marty Quinn. According to the Chicago Tribune, while investigators have been tight-lipped about what they uncovered in the search, agents are known to have focused on computers and electronic equipment in the home.

Dundee Township Republican precinct committeewoman Linda Prestia

Prestia thinks that should be just a start.  

“We know that Madigan as Speaker is basically the gatekeeper of a well-known tax-assessment racket previously executed by his buddy, former assessor Joe Berrios,” Prestia said. “People want to see accountability for the well-documented and well-reported assessor's scam that Madigan benefited from through his law firm in Chicago.”

The Quinn raid came around the same time that Ald. Ed Burke, the longest-serving member in Chicago city government, was slapped with a 14-count indictment on federal racketeering charges that include allegations of steering government business to his private law firm. Prestia said she now wants to see Madigan have to answer for his transgressions.

“If Quinn is held accountable, and Burke goes to jail . . . that still leaves the kingpin in charge,” Prestia said. “Folks are hoping that those being implicated will point their fingers at their racketeering master, Madigan. If Illinois sees him fall, we will have hope.”

Prestia concedes that change will not come easily, especially with billionaire Gov. J.B. Pritzker now in office largely to fund the Democratic Party machine out of his own pocket.  

“We have a new U.S. Attorney in Illinois appointed by the Trump administration under former A.G. Jeff Sessions,” Prestia said. John Lausch’s office conducted the raids on Burke and others, and we speculate that is why we see an attempt to get to the bottom of the corruption. It wasn’t happening before under the former U.S. Attorney in the northern district.”