Kankakee Times

State Representative Jackie Haas, who serves Illinois' 79th House District, commented on the recent conviction of Michael Madigan on charges of bribery, corruption, and wire fraud. Haas expressed that while the verdict was welcome, Madigan's legacy continues to negatively impact the people of Illinois. She shared her thoughts in a Facebook post dated February 12.

"I applaud today's verdict as Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was found guilty on multiple counts of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud," said Haas, according to Facebook. "This verdict condemns the unethical, pay-to-play era of governance that Illinoisans have become all too familiar with. Not only were the actions of Former Speaker Madigan unethical and immoral, but his rule negatively affected Illinoisans through the unchecked and unbalanced power in our state government. While I am grateful that Former Speaker Madigan was found guilty of the crimes he committed while in power, his legacy of corrupt power and control continues to harm the people of Illinois through practices he instituted, such as gerrymandered maps and unfair house rules."

According to Haas' Facebook post, she hopes that the state's Democrats will be motivated to pursue ethics reform to prevent future abuses of power and corruption similar to those seen during Madigan's tenure. The post also mentioned that Republicans in the House remain focused on advocating for stronger ethics reform.

Screenshot of State Representative Jackie Haas' Feb. 12 post on Facebook | State Representative Jackie Haas' Facebook page

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Madigan's conviction in a news release on February 12. Although a sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled, Madigan could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and up to 10 years for each count of bribery. Additionally, he may receive a maximum sentence of five years for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. He was convicted on multiple counts including conspiracy, using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity, wire fraud, and bribery.

According to the Chicago Tribune, a jury found Madigan guilty of bribery conspiracy but deadlocked on other charges such as racketeering conspiracy. The jury also failed to reach a verdict on six charges against co-defendant Michael McClain. Out of 23 charges against Madigan, the jury deadlocked on 12. Over four months, more than 60 witnesses testified about nearly a decade’s worth of evidence against Madigan and McClain. This included testimony from a former alderman who provided information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation by wearing a wire. During his testimony, Madigan denied some schemes while explaining others.

Haas has represented Illinois' 79th House District since December 2020 and is currently CEO of the Helen Wheeler Center for Community Health. She has a background as a social worker at Riverside Medical Center and holds degrees from Valparaiso University and the University of Illinois-Chicago.