Metro East Sun

Republican House hopeful Amy Elik is adamant about the people of Illinois deserving answers from House Speaker Mike Madigan.

“The House Special Investigative Committee looking into the ComEd bribery scandal must be allowed to operate to its fullest extent,” Elik told the Metro East Sun. “Speaker Madigan's refusal to cooperate is very telling, but not surprising, considering his colleagues' rejection of republican attempts to subpoena the Speaker to appear before the committee.”

With a bipartisan Special House committee now convened to look into some of the speaker’s more questionable behavior related to the ongoing ComEd federal corruption probe, Madigan recently let it be known he has no intention of answering questions about his suspected involvement before the bipartisan panel. The state’s longest-tenured lawmaker made his feelings clear in a three-page letter he sent to committee members in which he also forcefully defended his widely known practice of patronage hiring as not “ethically improper.”

Running against incumbent state Rep. Monica Bristow (D-Alton) in the 111th District, Elik argues she thinks voters have had enough of all the double standards.

“Due to the Democrats' continued stonewalling, the people of Illinois may not get the answers they deserve about the conduct of their speaker,” she said. “I find this disappointing and a perfect example of why I am running for state representative of the 111th District.”

Through it all, Elik said she finds it alarming beyond words that Bristow has remained so quiet.

“While many other Democrats are denouncing Madigan's corruption, Bristow has remained silent and continues to take his campaign dollars,” she said. “We need to demand change in leadership in Illinois. Once that happens, we can begin to root out the corruption that plagues this state.”