Chambana Sun

Vermillion activist Rich Berner is hoping to see House Speaker Mike Madigan’s persona undergo a drastic change around Springfield.

“He’s kind of famous for being this Teflon Don, a guy who’s been around forever and pretty much has it covered when it comes to protecting himself, no matter what," Berner said. "All we can do is hope maybe this time he didn’t quite cover all his tracks.”

Madigan, who easily reigns as the longest-tenured lawmaker in the state, now finds himself at the center of a still-evolving probe into ComEd, in which prosecutors are on record in asserting that the company engaged in a “years-long bribery scheme” involving jobs, contracts and payments that were steered to him in his role as house speaker and chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party.

While stopping short of formally levying any charges, prosecutors contend Commonwealth Edison attempted to “influence and reward” Madigan by providing financial benefits to those directly tied to him.

“I don’t think the prosecutor would have made the kind of statements he made if he couldn’t back it up,” Berner added. “I don’t think the government would have spent all this time and money if it wasn’t anything to this.”

In publicly announcing the case against ComEd public, U.S. Attorney John Lausch noted the investigation is ongoing. The Chicago Tribune reports federal investigators have moved to subpoena Madigan for information, including “possible job recommendations.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Madigan said he plans to cooperate with the probe, adding “The speaker has never helped someone find a job with the expectation that the person would not be asked to perform work by their employer, nor did he ever expect to provide anything to a prospective employer if it should choose to hire a person he recommended.”

Berner said all the denials are to be expected.

“I don’t think he’ll make it easy for anyone and just walk away,” he said. “This is the most corrupt state in the country, which means people are very entrenched in what they do.”