Kane County Reporter

Heather Brown, a Republican who ran for Senate District 25 in both the 2024 and 2022 elections, is calling for an investigation into politicians who received donations from former House Speaker Michael Madigan. 

Brown specifically pointed to her former opponent, State Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), as one of those who should be scrutinized for accepting contributions linked to Madigan’s alleged corruption.

Madigan, who held the House’s top position for 36 years, was convicted on Feb. 12 on 10 counts of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud related to his influence over the state’s largest utility, ComEd. 

He was charged in relation to schemes where utility ratepayers were essentially funding the corruption that helped keep Madigan’s political machine in power.

"Madigan gave Karina Villa $1.44 million running against me in 2022,” Brown told the Kane County Reporter. “All the people he’s ‘donated’ corruption money to should be investigated as well, such as Villa, who gets large sums from politicians like Madigan and JB Pritzker.” 

Villa represents Illinois' 25th State Senate District, which includes all or parts of Aurora, North Aurora, Batavia, West Chicago, South Elgin, Wayne, and Bartlett.

Brown ran against Villa twice for Illinois State Senate District 25, losing both races in a political landscape many believe is still influenced by the remnants of Madigan’s machine politics. 

In 2024, Brown received 41.1% of the vote, while Villa won with 58.9%, and in the 2022 election, Villa defeated Brown with 58.7% to Brown’s 41.3%.

Madigan, who for decades controlled much of the legislative process, is now a convicted felon after extensive wiretap evidence tied him to corrupt schemes. 

His trial exposed how deeply embedded corruption had been in the state's political system for decades.

Madigan's ability to secure legislative support from utilities like ComEd – through both financial donations and job placements – speaks to the culture of political manipulation that continued until his downfall in 2021.

From 1983 to 2023, Illinois averaged more than one corruption conviction per week, coinciding with Madigan's leadership.

During that time, the state recorded 2,168 convictions. Even after Madigan's departure in 2021, Illinois saw a record 59 convictions in 2023, mostly from the Northern District, including Chicago.

Under Madigan’s rule, the state’s pension system spiraled into crisis, amassing one of the nation’s largest liabilities and contributing to Illinois' near-junk credit rating. Madigan was known for pushing for generous pension benefits for public employees, including lawmakers, without adequate funding plans, leading to a massive increase in pension debt.