Carbondale Reporter

Paul Jacobs, an Illinois State Representative, expressed his belief that lawmakers convicted of crimes should be mandated to repay pension payments received while under indictment. He shared this opinion on Facebook on February 18.

"Do you think lawmakers convicted of crimes should have to pay back pension payments they received while under indictment," said Jacobs, according to Facebook. "I do!"

According to a report from MyStateline.com, former House Speaker Michael Madigan's pension payments will cease following his conviction for corruption. Madigan had been receiving payments from the General Assembly Retirement System (GARS) since his retirement in 2021. Last year, he received $158,027, and between 2021 and 2024, he collected a total of $580,811. However, the report indicates that the retirement system will not be able to recover those funds.

Screenshot of State Representative Paul Jacobs' Feb. 18 Facebook post | State Representative Paul Jacobs' Facebook page

The Illinois Policy Institute has called for the suspension of Madigan’s pension payments following his conviction. In a letter to GARS, the think tank argued that his felony convictions—conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, bribery, and wire fraud—render him ineligible for pension benefits, including any funds he has already received. The institute further said that if the GARS board does not permanently halt Madigan’s benefits, taxpayers would be forced to pay an estimated $1.65 million over his lifetime, which would place an additional strain on an already overburdened system.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Madigan's conviction in a February 12 news release. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled; however, Madigan could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and up to 10 years for each bribery count. He could also face a maximum sentence of five years for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. In this trial, Madigan was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S., four counts of using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity, three counts of wire fraud, and two counts of bribery.

Jacobs was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 2020. Before joining the Illinois legislature, he was an optometrist and owner of Von Jakob Vineyard in Alto Pass. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1965 to 1971 according to his official biography. He and his wife have four grown children and ten grandchildren.