Madigan's Hand-Picked Replacement Resigns After 2 Days On The Job

CHICAGO — Mike Madigan's choice to succeed him in the Illinois House resigned two days after being appointed amid at least one allegation of unspecified inappropriate conduct.

Edward Kodatt was sworn in Saturday as 22nd District state representative with the support of Madigan and 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn. Kodatt is a staff assistant in their ward office, where he has worked since 2017, according to city data.

“After learning of alleged questionable conduct by Mr. Kodatt, it was suggested that he resign as state representative for the 22nd District,” Madigan and Quinn said late Tuesday in a joint statement. “We are committed to a zero tolerance policy in the workplace.”

No details of any allegations were disclosed. Kodatt, 26, who has worked for the city since 2017 and taken part in the political campaigns of several Madigan-backed candidates, has not commented on the statement.

But by Wednesday morning his name had been removed from the list of sitting lawmakers on the Illinois General Assembly's website.

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Madigan, who was deposed as the longest-serving legislative leader in U.S. history by his fellow Democrats last month, resigned Thursday from the Southwest Side state house seat he had held for 50 years — 35 of them spent as speaker.

About 72 hours later, Madigan and the party leaders who control minority shares of the weighted vote used to determine appointees to vacant seats convened a meeting in the ballroom of the Balzekas Museum, located in the same building as the Madigan-Quinn office at 6500 S. Pulaski Road.

Ten candidates made their pitch to the assembled committeepeople before Madigan, who had a 56-percent share of the vote, selected his ward staffer.

"We had a very robust discussion, I'm very pleased there are so many qualified candidates that offered themselves, and I'm very pleased at the background of those that offered themselves," Madigan said at the time.

Derrick Curtis, alderman and commiteeperson for the 18th Ward, and Stickney Township Committeeperson Vincent Cainkar backed Madigan's pick. But State Rep. Aaron Ortiz, the 14th Ward committeeperson, and 23rd Ward committeeperson and Ald. Silvana Tabares nominated other candidates.

The day after the meeting, Madigan resigned from his chairmanship of the Democratic Party of Illinois. But he remained on as ward committeeperson, meaning he still controls who will succeed him.

Congratulations to the new State Representative of the 22nd District, Edward Guerra Kodatt. History has been made as he is the first new person to represent the district in 50 years, and the first Latino. Welcome to the General Assembly Rep. Kodatt! pic.twitter.com/6whb4pwiC5
— Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (@RepChrisWelch) February 21, 2021

Related:
Michael Madigan Resigns As Illinois Democratic Party Chairman
Madigan Names Own Successor With 56% Of Weighted Vote
Former House Speaker Resigns His State Rep Seat
Madigan Suspends Campaign For House Speaker

Madigan responded to Kodatt's resignation Wednesday morning in a statement announcing plans to swear in another replacement Thursday.

He described the appointment process as "fair and robust" and said the successor to his successor would be chosen from among the candidates who made presentations.

"I believe the most equitable way to proceed is to nominate the candidate who received the second-highest vote count," he said. "It is my intention to nominate Angelica Guerrero Cuellar."

Guerrero Cuellar, manager of operations at a community services nonprofit, was backed by Tabaras last weekend.

According to Comptroller Susana Mendoza, state law entitles Kodatt to a full month's salary of $5,788.66 for his two days on the job.

“In the spirit of good governance, I ask Mr. Kodatt to decline the month’s salary he is entitled to under this arcane law,” Mendoza said in a statement after his resignation.

She noted that taxpayers could be on the hook for three full salaries for this month — Madigan's, Kodatt's and whoever is sworn in Thursday to succeed him. Mendoza asked that the person who is sworn in pledge to support a bill to close what she described as a loophole in state law.

“Taxpayers don’t get a month’s pay for one or two days’ work, and taxpayers should not have to fund that undeserved gift for elected officials,” Mendoza said. “It’s time to throw the General Assembly’s ‘Exit Bonus’ on the trash heap of bad traditions.”

Illinois is one of just a few states where lawmakers have empowered leaders of political parties to hand-pick who fills legislative vacancies when elected officials die, resign or are forcibly removed.