By Heart of Illinois ABC

BLOOMINGTON – Several elected officials in McLean County are among dozens of Illinois Democrats calling for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to step down from his two key leadership positions.

Madigan, who’s also the chair of the Illinois Democratic Party, is implicated in a federal bribery investigation, but does not face criminal charges.

A letter signed by 53 Illinois Democrats calls on Madigan to give up his job as speaker and party chair.

“We’re each brought to this point by different circumstances, but are united around a simple belief: Illinois Democrats are in dire need of new leadership,” the letter said.

“We’re not commenting here on guilt or innocence in the legal sense. This is about the ability to lead our party as we enter the most important election in living memory, and to lead the House as we encounter the most difficult challenges Illinois government has faced in decades,” the letter said.

Three Bloomington City Council members and five McLean County Board members signed the letter. They are council members Julie Emig, Jeff Crabill, and Jenn Carrillo, along with County Board members Laurie Wollrab, Shayna Watchinski, Logan Smith, Elizabeth Johnson, and Sharon Chung.

Two former candidates for governor, Chris Kennedy and Daniel Biss, also signed the letter in addition to former Illinois Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon, who’s the daughter of the late U.S. Senator Paul Simon.

The letter went on to say, “We survived the Rauner administration, we’re making our way through this pandemic, and our hope for rebuilding this state lies in the Fair Tax amendment and our candidates up and down the ballot. It has become clear due to the ongoing corruption scandal that Michael Madigan’s leadership is threatening Illinois Democrats’ ability to achieve these goals.”

Madigan said he’s done nothing wrong, and indicated he will not resign.

Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected].