SPRINGFIELD — In a press release issued early Thursday morning, Angelica Guerro Cuellar, the next public official to fill former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s role, announced that she has preemptively resigned, pending an inevitable misconduct scandal.
Cuellar, who was only voted into the role hours before this announcement, cited Edward Guerra Kodatt’s ill-fated three-day term as the reason for the decision. Kodatt replaced Madigan after the former speaker resigned on February 18th amid corruption and harassment allegations, then resigned himself on February 24th after Madigan and Ald. Marty Quinn alleged he was guilty of “questionable conduct.”
Advertisement:
Cuellar took the press release as an opportunity to reinforce the “zero tolerance” policy maintained by the Speaker’s office, established by Madigan immediately following his $1.3 million bribery scandal. “We just missed the big one, unfortunately,” said Cuellar in her statement, “but we’re getting faster and better with every new replacement for this role. I can only hope that my resignation paves the way for another bright young leader to take my place, and then also immediately resign in disgrace.”
At press time, Madigan’s office has already called for hourly emergency press conferences tomorrow, during which the candidates for Cuellar’s position will be sworn in and simultaneously asked to step down.
