Few modern-day politicians have been as drenched in corruption as former long-time Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan. Madigan, the Nancy Pelosi of the Illinois legislature, was finally indicted yesterday by federal prosecutors on 22 counts of racketeering and extortion. The “eternal Madigan” served as Speaker of the Illinois House for 36 out of the 38 years between 1983 and 2021.

Madigan was behind most of the large-scale heists of public money in the Land of Lincoln. He finally left office in 2021 after being implicated in a federal investigation in which Commonwealth Edison agreed to pay a $200 million fine and cooperate with prosecutors for its involvement in a  bribery scheme to influence Madigan by offering contracts and jobs to his close allies.

Madigan avoided detection for many years by refusing to use emails or cell phones, but prosecutors say they nonetheless have compiled voluminous evidence of his criminal activities.

Here’s hoping the trial will so shock the conscience of Illinois voters that they throw out all the rest of the politicians who are fleecing them.