Following former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s indictment on racketeering and bribery charges, State Rep. Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) filed legislation intended to suspend taxpayer-funded pension benefits for politicians charged with corruption.
“Under current law, Madigan will collect a taxpayer-paid pension until a guilty verdict is reached,” Elik stated. “This means Madigan could go on to collect his elected official pension for several years before it’s taken away. Corrupt lawmakers should not receive a taxpayer-funded pension if they defrauded the taxpayers while serving themselves in state government. Suspending pension payments while awaiting the resolution of a case will send a strong message to corrupt politicians that if you break the law, the consequences will be costly.”
The Illinois Policy Institute reports that Madigan is projected to receive more than $2.9 million in pension benefits after contributing only $351,000. His pension payments are expected to jump to $12,600 per month in July.
The anti-corruption bill, or House Bill 5737, states “that benefit or annuity payments to a member or participant shall be suspended if the member or participant is indicted or charged by information with a felony and the board of the retirement system or pension fund determines that the felony relates to or arises out of or in connection with his or her service as a member or participant of the retirement system or pension fund.”
If the lawmaker facing corruption charges is not convicted, benefit payments shall resume and the pension fund shall reimburse the amount of the suspended payments with interest, the bill states.
The current law requires the retirement system board to remove a pension benefit paid to politicians charged with corruption following a guilty plea or verdict. However, Elik’s bill would remove a loophole that allows politicians to continue receiving their pension payments while awaiting the outcome of their case.
Since 2019, five lawmakers have been indicted for corruption while serving in the House or Senate, according to a press release.
“Former Illinois Governors Rod Blajojevich and George Ryan lost their taxpayer-funded pension following their corruption convictions, however, they received payments while awaiting their guilty verdict,” Elik stated. “My bill will take away the pension while awaiting the outcome of the case so that no perks are offered to a politician when they are found guilty in a court of law for corruption.”