Mike Madigan urges to resign his successor – two days after designing his appointment

Just two days after personally anointing his successor in the Illinois House, Mike Madigan on Tuesday suddenly asked the 13th Ward employee to resign due to ‘alleged questionable behavior’.

Madigan on Sunday played a key role in the appointment of state representative Edward Guerra Kodatt, 26, who gave him 56% of the weighted vote. But a little over 48 hours later, the former speaker of the Illinois House suddenly switches.

‘After learning of alleged dubious behavior by Mr. Kodatt, it was proposed that he resign as state representative for the 22^nd District, ”Madigan said in a joint statement with Ald late Tuesday. Marty Quinn (13th). “We are committed to a zero-tolerance policy in the workplace.”

The statement did not elaborate on the nature of the ‘questionable conduct’.

With the support of two other Democratic committees, Kodatt gained 63% of the weighted vote needed to replace Madigan during a meeting the Democrats held Sunday morning in the building that also houses Madigan’s Southwest Side headquarters.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times File

CapitolFax first reported Madigan’s heart change.

It was not immediately clear whether Kodatt would retire. He did not return requests for comment.

Madigan, 78, also serves as the 13th Ward Committee. He and four other members of the Cook County Democratic Party were in charge of appointing the seat that Madigan had held for half a century.

Kodatt has been working as an infrastructure manager for Quinn, Madigan’s hand-elected alderman, since July 2017. Data from Chicago calls him a staff assistant who earns $ 42,456 a year.

Quinn and Kodatt sat side by side at Sunday’s meeting. Kodatt’s mother and girlfriend were also in the room for the ulcer, which came directly after the vote.

(Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Chicago Sun-Times File

During that meeting, Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd), who is also the Democratic committee of her ward, asked Kodatt difficult questions during his presentation.

Tabares supports a rival candidate, Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar, for the post.

And after Kodatt won, Tabares said he “must reapply for his job with the people who matter, and that is our voters.”

“The voters, the residents, have to say,” Tabares said. ‘These are the ones who really matter in this process, so he’ll have to talk to them. He is responsible to them. ”

Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times File

Two other committees that also voted for Kodatt on Sunday were Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th) and Vincent Cainkar of Stickney, who gave his share of the weighted vote to Curtis. State Representative Aaron Ortiz, who also serves as the 14th Ward Committee, supported another candidate.

Madigan’s sudden turnaround is the latest twist in his downward political spiral – an embarrassment for a veteran politician with the reputation of being several opponents ahead of his rivals.

The former Southwest Side power station stepped down as chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party on Monday, less than a week after resigning from the Illinois House seat he has held since 1971 and six weeks since the beleagured lawmaker’s attempt to speaker to remain, has given up.

It all started last summer after federal prosecutors accused ComEd officials of bribing Madigan employees in exchange for his organization’s help enacting favorable legislation.

Madigan has not been charged with any crime and denies misconduct, but four members of his inner circle were charged in November in connection with the alleged bribery.