Ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan resigns seat

[JimGinPA]

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/illinois/ex-illinois-house-speaker-michael-madigan-resigns-seat/article_9a585c4c-0340-598b-b0dd-6d9958682768.html#utm_source=stltoday.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletter-templates%2Fbreaking&utm_medium=PostUp&utm_content=0f32bf5d0fa59b8db19cc26252412a354d9d03f0

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois state Rep. Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat who virtually set Illinois’ political agenda as House speaker before he was ousted last month, announced Thursday that he is resigning his seat in the Legislature.

Madigan, who was elected speaker in 1983 and served 36 of the next 38 years at the helm, was tarnished by a federal investigation of Statehouse bribery announced last summer that implicated him. He has not been charged with wrongdoing and maintains his innocence. But he lost his bid for a 19th term as speaker to Hillside Democrat Emanuel “Chris” Welch.

In a statement Thursday, Madigan, 78, said he was resigning as state representative at the end of the month. He didn’t say explicitly why he was resigning the post he has held for 50 years, but blamed a whispering campaign for the loss of trust in him.

~more at link

[frazzled]

1. Buh bye

50 years is enough. 78 is probably time to retire.

[murielm99]

2. He kept our coalition together through thick and thin.

There were times I despised him, but I respected his strength and his ruthlessness. We need Democrats to be tough. He was.

He did not let Rauner ruin our state. It could have happened. Madigan was firm.

[Thekaspervote]

3. Exactly! The qgop have been after him for years because he held things together

They will try more shitty shenanigans with him out. I hope the new speaker proves to be as good of leader as Madigan was

[live love laugh]

5. Yup we'll be like TX and CA if the Republicans have their way.

This is their victory. They’ve chipped away at him for years. I’m pissed.

[live love laugh]

4. ++1

[raising2moredems]

6. He's not going away...

He'll still be heavily involved in state politics. And my spouse and I wonder if we'll be seeing Lisa back in politics here soon.

[murielm99]

7. I have wondered about Lisa, too.

I think she made a decision to stay out of politics as long as her father was active.