Sangamon Sun

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan has unveiled an anti-corruption plan.  

Sullivan, 37, is a tech entrepreneur who was born and raised in Menard County. His 10-point plan to combat corruption includes fair maps, term limits, harsher punishment for corruption, and more power for the Legislative Inspector General among other items. 

"We have long known that corruption runs deep in Illinois politics. And that corruption transcends party lines. For decades, Democrats and Republicans have used their positions to curry favor and enrich themselves, and everyday Illinoisans suffer," Sullivan said in a press release. 

Sullivan’s comments come as former Illinois House Speaker Madigan pled not guilty after being indicted on charges of running a racketeering ring involved in a $150 million bribery scandal.

"We cannot trust political insiders to rid our state of patronage hiring and pay-to-play politics. Only a political outsider – who doesn’t see politics as a career pathway, but as a form of service, can deliver the type of governance, oversight, and accountability that our state so desperately needs."

The Fair Maps amendment would have granted powers to an independent commission to draw legislative boundaries rather than relying on politicians to draw maps that benefit their political parties. That amendment was rejected in an opinion written by State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride, a close ally of the indicted Madigan. Kilbride later became the first judge to lose retention in the court’s history. 

Sullivan has been critical of career politicians. That is what he called Richard Irvin when the mayor of Aurora announced his entrance into the GOP field for governor.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker was referred to in Madigan's indictment as the "future governor." Pritzker appears to have taken orders from Madigan regarding politically connected job-seekers, including former Chicago alderman Danny Solis, who sought a six-figure state appointment. 

Former Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope resigned from the position last year, citing its ineffectiveness. Pope resigned as the General Assembly enacted a law restricting the LIG's powers even more. Pope's resignation was interpreted by some as an indictment of the entire system.