PRITZKER JOINS DEMS’ CALLS FOR MADIGAN PROBE
He’s been called “the Velvet Hammer” for his quiet, forceful style of leadership, but on Tuesday, Mike Madigan was the one taking a pounding.
All three leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates joined a growing group of Democrats calling for an independent investigation into what one state legislator dubbed the “endless cycle of lather, rinse, repeat” of harassment allegations and “culture that appears to pervade the organizations led by SpeakerMadigan.”
And one of them — Rep. Scott Drury of Highwood — also called on Madigan to step down as House speaker. Drury is part of a small but growing chorus of Democrats demanding Madigan step down either as speaker, state Democratic Party leader or both.
“Something’s rotten in the 13th Ward,” Sharon Fairley wrote on her Facebook page, calling on Madigan to quit as speaker and party chairman. “Obviously, a culture exists that sanctions this kind of behavior and a code of silence that protects the abusers.”
Fairley and Drury are both running in the Democratic primary for attorney general.
Drury is a frequent Madigan critic, but even more telling was the call by J. B. Pritzker for an independent probe. The billionaire gubernatorial candidate has come under fire for being slow to take Madigan to task.
“It’s clear that not enough was done and there needs to be a completely independent investigation to get to the bottom of what took place and hold the right people accountable,” Pritzker said in a statement. “I agree with Rep. Kelly Cassidy and believe the people investigating Speaker Madigan’s operation should have no political or other ties to the Speaker.”
Pritzker was referring to Cassidy’s interpretation of the way Madigan has dealt with the latest round of harassment claims — as the Chicago state representative offered up some of the strongest criticism thus far from within the powerful Southwest Side Democrat’s own caucus.
It prompted a response from the speaker.
“I spoke with Kelly Cassidy today. I told her I will cooperate fully and I will ask independent counsel Kelly Smith- Haley to assist,” Madigan said in a statement. Smith- Haley is the attorney the speaker chose lastweek to “provide independent reviewof allegations, conduct investigations and provide recommendations.”
Cassidy said she spoke with Madigan on Tuesday: “He never mentioned the firm or this attorney, but he indicated he was willing to cooperate.”
The fact that Madigan has chosen the attorney deemed “independent” is raising some eyebrows. And with Madigan’s daughter, Lisa Madigan, serving as Illinois attorney general, a usually independent third party isn’t an option. The process is highlighting the many ties the country’s longest- serving state House speaker has to everyone from lobbyists to lawyers to legislators.
State Sen. Melinda Bush, DGrayslake, also called for an independent investigation.
“I still do have concerns,” Bush said in response to the speaker’s assertion that he’ll “cooperate fully” with Cassidy’s request for an independent investigation. “The problem is, who pays for an independent counsel?”
And the controversy even reached a congressional race. Marie Newman, a Democrat challenging U. S. Rep. Dan Lipinski in the 3rd Congressional District, in a statement said Madigan should resign as chairman of the state’s Democratic party while describing the latest allegations as “the product of a culture of sexism that pervades our political environment in Illinois.”
Lipinski, however, said Madigan has taken responsibility and admitted he must do better: “He appears to have taken a number of steps to ensure that women are better protected in the statehouse and on the campaign trail and that action will be taken against perpetrators,” Lipinski said.
In the governor’s race, Pritzker joins primary rivals Daniel Biss and Chris Kennedy in seeking an independent investigation. Unlike Pritzker, Biss and Kennedy have also called for Madigan to step down as party chairman,
Madigan has resisted calls to resign from either of his posts.
The fallout for Madigan comes a day after the speaker announced the firing of another aide for “inappropriate behavior” toward a candidate and staff during the 2016 election.
Shaw Decremer became the second Madigan operative to be dismissed this month. His exit came seven days after the firing of Madigan’s longtime aide Kevin Quinn, after a woman came forward to detail unwanted advances from Quinn, the brother of Ald. Marty Quinn ( 13th).
Cassidy, Bush, Drury, Kennedy, Biss and Pritzker are all calling for a more independent process to investigate such allegations.
That’s at odds with Madigan’s efforts last week to address the problem by creating a process in which victims of harassment could reach out to attorneys Madigan provided or be referred to outside resources. In a letter to Democratic caucus members, state and political staffers, Madigan last week also wrote that it’s time to “rethink the culture of politics.”
Cassidy said the investigator shouldn’t be an elected official or firms with ties to the speaker.
Reached by phone on Tuesday, Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, Madigan’s top female lieutenant, said she had “nothing to add,” about the latest calls for a special investigation.
Last week, Flynn Currie said the speaker acted “appropriately and in a timely manner” regarding Hampton’s allegations.