Michael Phillips of Tamaroa has found plenty to keep him busy in life, and politics isn’t one of them. However, he has paid close enough attention to believe that Gov. J.B. Pritzker and longtime Illinois Speaker of the House Mike Madigan have been up to no good.
Madigan, who was elected to the General Assembly an astounding half-century ago, has been House speaker for all but two years since 1983. He also serves as the chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party.
For years there have been reports and rumors of Madigan's influence over legislation. The curtain was pulled back earlier this month when Commonwealth Edison admitted to seeking Madigan’s favor by providing subcontracts, jobs and other inducements to gain his favor and ensure favorable legislation was passed.
ComEd agreed to a plea deal with federal prosecutors and a $200 million fine. It also pledged to cooperate and follow all laws for three years in order to have the count dismissed.
Last week reports broke that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago is investigating links between Madigan and AT&T lobbyists. As the investigation continues, calls for Madigan to step down are increasing.
Pritzker, meanwhile, is under scrutiny for a $330,000 property tax break he received in 2015 after removing five toilets from a Gold Coast mansion he owns next to his home. By removing the bathroom fixtures, the palatial home was declared vacant and the assessed value declined sharply.
Pritzker paid the disputed amount to the assessor as the 2018 campaign neared its finish.
U.S. Attorney John Lausch said there is a lot more dirt to move and answers to find, adding, “Our investigation is ongoing. It’s vibrant, and it will continue.”
Phillips, 58, said if it looks crooked and smells crooked, it probably is.
“As far as Pritzker and/or Madigan — they’re crooks,” he told SW Illinois News. “Anybody that has more money than God and runs for any office I have to question.”
Madigan has become wealthy while in office, operating a Chicago law firm that specializes in appealing property tax assessments. Although he has never revealed his income or its sources, he has said he has made at least $1 million in a single year.
Pritzker is the wealthiest politician in the nation, with an estimated worth of $3.4 billion. Phillips said he wonders why men with such fortunes want to serve in offices with modest paychecks.
“They do it for power or influence not because it pays good,” he said.
It’s only one of the questions for Phillips, who has lives in Tamaroa since 1975. His father was a career Navy man, and Phillips moved around when he was young.
Phillips has been married for 33 years. He and his wife have two kids. They have kept him busy, as has owning cows and pigs, doing repairs for friends and restoring cars.
He also is a private pilot with a seaplane rating and a master scuba diver. That is a lot of interests, and plenty of reasons not to follow politics too closely. But Phillips knows what he knows and he thinks Pritzker and Madigan are crooks.
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