Madigan says he warned Cohen things would get worse
SPRINGFIELD - House Speaker Michael Madigan said Tuesday that in his recent conversations with Scott Lee Cohen, he repeatedly suggested the Chicago pawnbroker abandon his bid for lieutenant governor as the heat he faced was sure to intensify.
"I told him I would not give him political advice. I would only give him personal advice," Madigan told a gathering of reporters at the Capitol. "And the personal advice was that the anguish that he was experiencing at the time would not get better. It would probably get worse. On maybe 10 occasions, without equivocation, I recommended that he drop out."
Cohen came out of nowhere, spending $2 million of his own money in winning the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor last week. As such he would have been paired with Gov. Pat Quinn on the November ballot.
But within hours of his victory, stories began trickling out about allegations of domestic abuse in Cohen's past. Soon the details included a 2005 arrest for holding a knife to his girlfriend's throat. Charges were later dropped. Then came allegations of steroid abuse from his divorce record, something he acknowledged.
Cohen initially balked at recommendations he resign the nomination to avoid dragging down Quinn and the rest of the ticket. His announcement on Sunday followed his conversation with Madigan, the influential House speaker who also serves as Illinois Democratic Party chairman. A spokesman for Cohen said his boss planned to file official paperwork Tuesday in Chicago regarding leaving the ballot.
Madigan has been criticized for not vetting candidates and allowing someone like Cohen to be in a position to win.
"I'm not going to engage in finger pointing or recriminations. I think we ought to be happy that Mr. Cohen has dropped out," Madigan said. "Now we ought to focus on replacing him."
The Capitol was abuzz Tuesday with lawmakers explaining either why they were or were not interested in the job. Several of those who lost to Cohen - including Chicago state Rep. Art Turner and Waukegan state Sen. Terry Link - have expressed their interest. Ultimately picking a replacement nominee falls to the Illinois Democratic Party's central committee.
The list of names being batted around in the media included Iraq war veteran and former congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates, whom Madigan said has "an outstanding record in government."
Duckworth could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but a leading government watchdog group noted that under federal law, in order to run, she'd have to leave her assistant secretary post at the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.
Madigan said he planned to work with Quinn, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton and other party leaders in finding a replacement for Cohen.
"I've committed to no one," he said.
Asked if he would do background checks on potential candidates, Madigan noted the media similarly had let Cohen skate with little scrutiny.
"I think that this time around that you people will be helpful in that regard," he said.