"We have waited for the federal government to come in and to clean up here, when we really should be taking care of our own back yard" - Lisa Madigan, October 2, 2002

Who Am I?
I am the Attorney General of Illiniois

What have I done about Rod Blagojevich?
Nothing... exactly what he wanted me to do

When I first ran for Attorney General in 2002, I made reform a major issue in my campaign.
I claimed to be a reformer David Schaper, spokesman for Madigan, said later that she has long stressed the goal of fighting public corruption.

"Senator Madigan has been one of the leading advocates of reforming Illinois politics and government since being elected to the Senate" in 1998, Schaper said. - (State Journal-Register, Birkett proposes corruption hot line, June 19, 2002)

I deplored public corruption "It seems like every day we open up the paper, or listen to the radio or watch TV we hear about a new scandal," Lisa Madigan said. "These scandals are not acceptable." (Chicago Tribune, Lisa Madigan sees need for probe of dad, August 13, 2002)

I complained the previous corruption investigations had taken too long "We have waited for the federal government to come in and to clean up here, when we really should be taking care of our own back yard" (Associated Press, Birkett, Madigan vie for state's top lawyer job, October 2, 2002)

I vowed to make public integrity a priority "as a candidate, absolutely. And as somebody who wants to make sure that we root out corruption in the state, the application of investigations and prosecutions is going to take place across the board on a nonpartisan basis."...

..."It doesn't matter if it's Republicans that are alleged of wrongdoing, Democrats or even my father. Those allegations have got to be investigated and if there's evidence of wrongdoing, we need to do prosecutions." (Copley News Service, Lisa Madigan defends father, August 14, 2002)

I even had a "Public Integrity Plan" "All too often in recent years we have seen our current attorney general sit on the sidelines in the face of mounting evidence of government corruption.

This is why I have proposed a Public Integrity Plan, which includes creating and fully staffing a Public Integrity Division within the attorney general's office; establishing an independent, bipartisan State Ethics Commission; and providing comprehensive ethics education and training for state employees." (Chicago Tribune, Madigan's plan, August 29, 2002)

But once I got elected I forgot all those pesky promises.

I told Rod Blagojevich to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests, but did nothing when he ignored me.

I dropped my probe of Rod Blagojevich, even though I criticized Jim Ryan for doing the same thing with George Ryan Madigan points out that she did start an investigation into the administration's activities, stopping only when federal investigators asked her. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Democrats could sweep state offices Wide-open race for treasurer could be pivotal, October 25, 2006)

I repeatedly declined to intervene with Speaker Mike Madigan...

...Not when he co-chaired Blagojevich's re-election campaign: According to a Madigan spokesman, the speaker "focused on his overall record. He's done a great job in light of some difficult circumstances. It seems like the obvious thing to do, to support the governor should he choose to run for re-election." (Daily Herald, Governor gets support from key leaders, August 13, 2005)

...Not when he killed special election legislation in December of 2008, which allowed Blagojevich to appoint Roland Burris: Illinois Senate President Emil Jones and House Speaker Michael Madigan promised that the legislature would promptly pass a bill to set an election. No doubt, no question, they would do it...But then Democratic leaders had a revelation: They could lose that election!...Whoa! Trust the voters? That would be dangerous." (Chicago Tribune, Trust the People? Nah, December 17, 2008)

...Not when he recently killed special election legislation again, ensuring the people of Illinois are stuck with Roland Burris: Illinois Republicans, the prime supporters of a special-election law, contended Quinn had caved in to pressure from the state's top Democratic legislative leaders, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton.

Madigan, the father of the attorney general and the state's Democratic chairman, has maintained his members are concerned about the multimillion-dollar costs of a special election. Republicans contend Democrats fear that in a climate of scandal, a Republican could win the seat. (Chicago Tribune, Ill. governor retreats from resolution to replace Burris, March 2, 2009)

I've hidden from giving my views on tax increases - As the debate rages over Quinn's tax increase, IL Dems are getting squishy. AG Lisa Madigan(D) "won't take a firm position." Madigan spokesperson Robyn Ziegler said she "can't offer specific suggestions." Ziegler: "She's not in that process. She doesn't have access to that level of detail." (Hotline, Turn to the dark side, Pat, June 10, 2009)