11th District Senator Martin Sandoval is stepping down as Transportation Committee Chair effective immediately, according to a letter of resignation received by the Senate today.
Sandoval’s resignation comes amid a federal investigation into alleged bribery, theft of federal funds, and fraud, and just hours after the the Illinois Senate released an unredacted U.S. Attorney’s Office search warrant from raids the FBI conducted at both his home and government offices on September 24th.
The Associated Press reports that the warrant that federal authorities who raided the offices last month were seeking information on ComEd and its parent company Exelon, a Cook County commissioner, a red-light enforcement company as well as other interests.
The warrant sought items related to Cook County Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski and a staff member, SafeSpeed- which provides red-light enforcement cameras in the Chicago area, Gold Rush Amusements- a video gambling company, and an asphalt road contractor Michael Vondra and others.
The search warrant indicated that the U.S. Attorney in Springfield sought items related to several politicians, gambling and construction companies, and any “official action taken in exchange for a benefit”.
Sandoval will reportedly relinquish a $10,570 stipend he received as a committee chairman, and will continue to receive his $69,460 legislative salary.
Sandoval has received increasing pressure to step down from the position in recent weeks, with fellow Democrats, Governor J.B. Pritzker, and State Comptroller Susana Mendoza publicly calling for his resignation.
The resignation letter did not give a reason for his decision.