Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's failed primary opponent is suing over what he says amounts to defamation.
Leading up to the March primary, Madigan made a campaign issue of Jason Gonzales's past criminal record -- crimes for which Gonzales had been pardoned.
Gonzales says in his federal complaint the ads caused emotional distress.
"This isn’t about me being a sore loser. It isn’t about me crying because I lost. It’s about justice. It’s about justice for me. It’s about justice for every candidate who has come before and will go ahead."
Gonzales is also complaining about two other "false" candidates with Hispanic surnames. He says they were recruited by Madigan and his affiliates to crowd the ballot and split the Latino vote.
In a recent interview with public radio ... Madigan accused Republican Governor Bruce Rauner of propping up Gonzales.
"In the last primary election, friends of Bruce Rauner spend over $1 mill in an Illinois House District on the Southwest side of Chicago attempting to remove me from office. The voters of that district recognized who the enemy was and voted to keep me in office."
In a statement ... Madigan says the lawsuit is "without merit."
Gonzales is seeking money in the civil lawsuit - but he wouldn’t say how much he’s hoping to win in court.