Illinois Freedom Caucus Criticizes Democrats Over Ethics as Ammons Investigation Begins (Springfield, IL) – Members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus accused Democratic leadership of failing to address ethics issues in the General Assembly during a special House committee meeting examining the federal charges facing State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana.
Speaking Thursday in Springfield, Republican lawmakers argued that recent ethics controversies demonstrate the need for stronger government accountability and reforms.
“We are here because of years and years of unchecked one-party rule,” said State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville. “Sending the most powerful speaker of the House in the country to prison apparently was not enough of a wakeup call for Illinois Democrats who are continuing the same abuse of power that got Madigan into trouble in the first place.”
Former House Speaker Michael Madigan was convicted earlier this year on federal corruption charges. The Freedom Caucus said the ongoing investigation involving Ammons and other recent controversies show Illinois lawmakers should strengthen ethics laws and oversight.
State Rep. Chris Miller, R-Hindsboro, questioned whether the legislature’s current ethics training requirements are effective.
“Carol Ammons took the same ethics training – a video slideshow – we all took,” Miller said. “Clearly, it did not work in her case. Conversely, Harry Benton took sexual harassment training – another video slideshow – and that did not work either. The reality we face is that decades of scandal have destroyed the public’s trust in state government. This must end.”
While acknowledging that ethics concerns are not inherently partisan, Halbrook argued that Democrats, who control both chambers of the General Assembly and the governor’s office, bear responsibility for advancing ethics reforms.
“At some point, we have to be honest about who it is that is refusing to make the government more transparent, more ethical, and more accountable,” Halbrook said. “The reason we do not have ethics reforms with real teeth is because Democrats refuse to pass them. We can disagree about policy, politics, issues, but all 118 members of the House should conduct themselves ethically and morally. The people of Illinois deserve reform in their government. Those who refuse to do better should resign.”
The Freedom Caucus called for stronger ethics measures and greater transparency as the House committee continues its review of the allegations involving Ammons.
Illinois Freedom Caucus Criticizes Democrats Over Ethics as Ammons Investigation Begins
