Kane County Reporter

State Representative Dan Ugaste from Geneva has responded to the verdict in the federal corruption trial of former House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. Madigan was found guilty on charges including bribery, conspiracy, and wire fraud.

"The verdict is in, and the jury has confirmed that former House Speaker Madigan maintained his power that allowed the Democrats to control the state of Illinois through illegal means. This violation of the public trust demonstrates that the voters of Illinois have not had their say in their government for quite some time," Rep. Ugaste stated.

Ugaste emphasized the importance of action by the Illinois Supreme Court regarding legislative maps. "It is now imperative for the Illinois Supreme Court to accept the House Republicans’ complaint which requests they invalidate the current maps and order a special master to draft maps compliant with the Illinois Constitution. The evidence in the House Republicans’ expert report shows that voters in as many as 52 of 118 districts are having their voices silenced. That overwhelming control over the Illinois lawmaking process is due to how those legislative maps are drawn. It also shows the need to pass my bills for the public to be able to recall all elected officials," Ugaste concluded.