A new bribery charge against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan announced on Friday moved Republican House candidate Jennifer Korte of Edwardsville to blast her opponent, District 112 incumbent Rept. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville),
"Katie Stuart has always been a strong Madigan ally, taking $1.5 million, supporting him for Speaker as recently as last year, and refusing to denounce the investigations, indictments, and arrests resulting from his corrupt tenure," Korte said.
"Rep. Stuart refuses to stand up to corruption in Springfield because she benefits while taxpayers pay the price. She is not fit to serve in the General Assembly.”
Stuart is seeking her fourth term. Her career was launched with financial support from Madigan, who once chaired the Democratic Party of Illinois and who had bankrolled candidates through his well-funded campaign committee.
Stuart's campaign committee started the year with $561,779.44 on hand. She added another $184,294 through June 30.
But since July 1, she has raised nearly $1.3 million - nearly $800,000 of which came from the Democratic Party of Illinois, chaired by Chicago area Rep. Lisa Hernandez, and Democrats for the Illinois House, chaired by current House Speaker Chris Welch.
Analysis of Stuart's campaign contributions from when she first ran for state representative in 2016 through the end of 2021, showed that she raised 94 percent of her itemized revenue - $4.28 million - from outside the Metro East counties.
Korte's campaign committee has raised close to $150,000, including a loan of $15,000 from Korte.
Trouble mounting for Madigan
On Oct. 14, federal prosecutors in Chicago unveiled a new count in their criminal indictment against both Madigan and his close friend and political ally Michael McClain, accusing them of official misconduct in a bribery conspiracy with AT&T.
AT&T agreed to pay $23 million under a deal with federal prosecutors, under which the Department of Justice agreed to drop charges against the company.
Prosecutors also announced charges against former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza for his alleged role in the alleged conspiracy with Madigan.
According to the indictments, La Schiazza worked with McClain to allegedly arrange for $22,500 to be paid to a member of Madigan’s Democratic political organization. The complaints don’t identify the individual who benefited from the payment by name. However, that person is identified as Individual FR-1, who the complaint said formerly served in the Illinois House of Representatives along with Madigan, and who is a political ally of the former Speaker.
The Chicago Tribune has identified Individual FR-1 as former Illinois State Rep. Ed Acevedo, a Chicago Democrat and Madigan loyalist.
Madigan and McClain have both been criminally indicted on similar charges stemming from an investigation of bribes allegedly paid to Madigan political associates by electrical utility ComEd to secure Madigan’s favor in guiding new laws beneficial to ComEd through the Democrat-dominated Illinois General Assembly.
Madigan had served as Speaker of the Illinois House for nearly all of four decades, until criminal indictments of his political associates, and looming indictments against him personally, at last persuaded enough of his fellow Democrats to remove him from the Speaker’s chair in early 2021.
Republicans had for years called for Madigan to be ousted, pointing out the Speaker’s alleged corruption and iron grip on Illinois’ political process.
That grip was strengthened by a massive army of political workers and a huge campaign war chest, fueled by millions of dollars in donations from labor unions, trial lawyers and businesses and other individuals seeking to curry favor with the powerful Madigan, who could influence outcomes in both Springfield and Chicago.
(Editor's note: Jonathan Bilyk contributed to this report).