Jeff Leef said he thinks House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) handled the sexual harassment scandal plaguing his office in the same way he has every other issue that has threatened his nearly four-decade-long run of power.
“Speaker Madigan handled this situation like all others he has dealt with in his 40 years serving his constituents – with the utmost dishonesty and insincerity,” Leef, a River Forest Republican who is running for the the 7th Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, a Democrat, told the West Cook News. “Sexual harassment exists in Springfield for the same reason that all the other injustices and wrongdoings persist in our state; we live in a one-party state where our elected officials have no accountability.”
Alaina Hampton, a former Madigan political staffer, recently stepped forward to allege harassment by Kevin Quinn, one of Madigan’s operatives and her direct supervisor in his organization.
Hampton further alleged that her compliant was largely ignored by Madigan and other high-powered members of his organization, including Chicago Alderman Marty Quinn, the brother of her alleged tormentor and another longtime Madigan ally.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Hampton alleged her issues with Kevin Quinn date back to 2016, when he started sending her inappropriate text messages and asking her out on dates.
She said in February 2017, she filed a complaint with Marty Quinn.
By April of that year, Hampton had walked away from her job after coming to believe her persistent complaints were largely being ignored.
She said she feels there was a cover up because she sent a letter to Madigan’s home in late 2017, but again no action was taken against Kevin Quinn until a day after she went public with her story.
Hampton has also filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and she and her attorneys plan to file suit against the Illinois Democratic Party and Friends of Mike Madigan.
“As I've said before, in Illinois the majority of elected officials are nothing more than docile lapdogs serving their Master Michael Madigan,” Leef said. “Until the master is dethroned and Illinois becomes a true republic, we the people will suffer.”
The ruckus in Madigan’s office comes as legislative leaders in Springfield grapple with the fallout after having the office of the legislative inspector general going unfilled for roughly three years. The inspector general is responsible for investigating ethics complaints, including allegations of sexual harassment.
During the time the position went unfilled, at least 27 complaints alleging harassment were filed, including one against Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago), who has since been found to have engaged in behavior “unbecoming a legislator” in his dealings with local activist Denise Rotheimer.
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