Our View: 'Reform' that we don't want
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan asked a fair question during the debate over a portion of state reform legislation regarding campaign contributions.
Madigan successfully persuaded a house committee this week not to limit campaign contributions from political parties or party leaders while placing caps on what individual candidates can accept.
“What is a political party supposed to do? Why is there this thing, a political party?” Madigan asked without a hint of irony. “My answer is, a political party exists to support its candidates.”
That’s what Madigan said, but the result of the legislation is that political parties would exist to support party leaders, such as Madigan. It will be up to him and his counterpart to decide which candidates can benefit unchecked from the cash flowing into his and his party’s coffers.
Pardon llinoisans, who’ve endured consecutive indictments of former governors, for growing weary of Illinois corruption and demanding reform.
The loophole Madigan left is large enough to drive a truckload of campaign dollars through. In fact, it’s worse than a loophole.
We assume at least someone intended to make it less likely that candidates are beholden to campaign donors, yet this farcical legislation allows a handful of party leaders to control dollars in a way that makes candidates beholden to the leaders themselves.
So now, donors who wish to buy influence have more convenient, one-stop shopping. They can get more bang for their buck by donating to the party and the party leaders, and what’s to stop them from letting Madigan know exactly what they want and who should get what with no way to follow the money as it pours from these giant funnels.
It's a brilliant money-laundering scheme in the guise of reform.
No thanks. This bill need go no further.
