Kane County Reporter

Republican state House candidate Laura Curtis argues a vote for Democrat rival Maura Hirschauer in their 49th District race is a nod toward the same maddening level of corruption Springfield has become widely known for.

“My opponent refuses to demand (House Speaker Mike) Madigan’s resignation despite decades of corruption, mishandling of sexual harassment allegations and, most recently, being implicated by federal investigators in an alleged bribery scheme with ComEd,” Curtis said. 

In a year in which four Springfield Democrats have been indicted on corruption related charges, the committee was formed at the insistence of House Minority Leader Jim Durkin after Madigan was implicated in an ongoing federal probe involving utility giant ComEd and a pay-for-play scheme.

The six-member bipartisan committee is made up of three GOP lawmakers (state Reps. Tom Demmer of Dixon, Deanne Mazzochi of Elmhurst and Grant Wehrli of Naperville) and three Democrats (state Reps. Emanuel “Chris” Welch of Hillside, Elizabeth Hernandez of Cicero and Natalie Manley of Joliet). A majority vote is needed for the probe to proceed to the next stage – a new committee empowered to determine potential sanctions that would then be voted on by the entire House. A two-thirds majority would be required for any discipline to be taken against Madigan, which could include expulsion.

Curtis argues Hirschauer’s reaction to the scandal should also tell voters a lot about her brand of politics.

“She claims to be independent, yet accepts hundreds of thousands of dollars in tainted Madigan money,” she added. “With leaders like Madigan and Hischauer in charge, we will continue to see pay-to-play politics, higher taxes and more families leaving our state.”