Third-term U.S. Rep. Sean Casten called on indicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to resign his post as a Cook County Democratic committeeperson Friday following the convictions earlier this week of a top Madigan ally and three others on bribery conspiracy charges.

“Mr. Madigan will have his day in court, but the corruption has come too close to his office for him to claim ignorance. Public service is a sacred trust. For the good of our democracy and the Democratic Party, he should step down at once,” Casten said in a statement.

Casten, of Downers Grove, is the highest-ranking Democrat to call for Madigan to give up the 13th Ward Democratic committeeperson post. It’s the last position he has kept since his once powerful stature was diminished by a federal investigation in which Commonwealth Edison agreed to plead guilty and pay a $200 million fine for trying to curry influence with Madigan for legislation it backed.

Madigan gave up the speakership in January 2021 after facing a challenge from his caucus. He had held the post since 1983 with the exception of two years when Republicans held a House majority in the mid-1990s. A month later, Madigan gave up the House seat he had held since 1970 and days later resigned as chair of the Illinois Democratic Party, a post he took over in 1998.

On Tuesday, a federal jury convicted Madigan top confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd executive John Hooker and lobbyist Jay Doherty on charges of illegally using contracts and other favors to try to gain Madigan’s favor. The verdicts set the stage for the trial of Madigan on racketeering charges next year.

Casten said his primarily west and south suburban 6th Congressional District, redrawn after the 2020 federal census, “represents thousands of Illinoisans in the 13th Ward of Chicago.”

Records on file with the State Board of Elections show the 13th Ward Democratic Organization political fund, which Madigan controls, ended March with nearly $2.6 million in cash available.

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