Good Government

State worker who allegedly kept ‘mouth shut’ about ‘rape in Champaign’ to receive $2.7M in pension payments

By Austin Berg
01/16/2020
House Speaker Mike Madigan has built a substantial political army through taxpayer-funded promises.

TAGS: amendment, Champaign, constitutional amendment, debt, Forrest Ashby, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, JB Pritzker, Michael McClain, Mike Madigan, Mike McClain, pension benefits, pension contributions, pension costs, pension crisis, pension debt, pension obligations, pension reform, pension spending, pensions, rape, Springfield

Bill would stop Pritzker from paying state workers on the side

By Brad Weisenstein
01/12/2020
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has used his private fortune to pay $3 million in state expenses, including boosting salaries of 16 top staffers. Some lawmakers want the ‘unethical’ practice to stop.

TAGS: bipartisan, clout, conflict of interest, corruption, fair maps, house rules, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, independent maps, JB Pritzker, lawmaker pay, lawmakers, Legislative Inspector General, legislative map, lobbying, lobbyists, mapmaking, revolving door, salary increase, Smart Scale, Springfield, watchdog

Madigan celebrates 35th anniversary as Illinois House speaker

By Austin Berg
01/12/2020
Illinoisans will soon cast a vote on the biggest ballot question in the history of Madigan’s record-breaking speakership.

TAGS: anniversary, credit rating, Daley, debt, fair tax, FBI, federal investigation, graduated income tax, house rules, House Speaker, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, junk credit rating, legislative map, lobbying, lobbyists, mapmaking, Mike Madigan, patronage, pension crisis, pension debt, population loss, progressive income tax, progressive tax, property taxes, redistricting, Richard Daley, Springfield, tax burden, U.S. Census Bureau

Madigan confidant used state worker’s silence on rape to prove political loyalty

By Brad Weisenstein
01/08/2020
Silence on a rape and about ghost workers were evidence of political loyalty that should save a state worker facing discipline, according to an email uncovered in an open records request.

TAGS: clout, conflict of interest, corrupt, corrupton, discipline, email, ethics, FBI, federal investigation, house rules, Illinois, Illinois General Assembly, JB Pritzker, lawmakers, Legislative Inspector General, lobbying, lobbyists, mapmaking, Michael McClain, Mike Madigan, Mike McClain, Pat Quinn, rape, redistricting, revolving door, Rod Blagojevich, sexual abuse, sexual harrassment, sexual violence, Smart Scale, Springfield, Virginia, watchdog

2019 laws in review, Illinois lawmakers passed both nice and naughty bills

By Mindy Ruckman
12/20/2019
The Illinois General Assembly passed over 600 new laws in 2019. Some helped taxpayers, but many more hurt as they spent $85 billion while doing little to fix the pension crisis.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, capital plan, consolidation, Cook County, corruption, expungement, free speech, gas tax, government unions, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, JB Pritzker, lawmakers, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, Open Illinois Checkbook, progressive income tax, public employee unions, record sealing, Springfield, tax hikes, taxes, transparency, vehicle registration, worker freedom

Chicago City Council votes to ban lobbying by elected leaders

By Ben Szalinski
12/20/2019
Chicago’s second round of anti-corruption rules restricts aldermen and city employees from working as lobbyists and stops other elected leaders from lobbying city government for private clients.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, Chicago City Council, ComEd, corruption, FBI, Illinois General Assembly, John Cullerton, Larry Suffredin, lawmakers, lobbying, lobbyists, Lori Lightfoot, Luis Arroyo, matt o'shea, Michael Zalewski, Michele Smith, Mike Madigan, ordinance, Springfield, Terry Link

Feds investigating former Cook County assessor, Madigan rainmaker Joe Berrios

By Austin Berg
12/17/2019
The probe potentially opens up a new front in authorities’ investigation of House Speaker Mike Madigan: the property tax appeals game from which he has made millions.

TAGS: appeal, assessor, capital project, Chicago, clout, conflict of interest, Cook County, Cook County assessor, Cook County Democratic Party, corruption, Ed Burke, extortion, federal investigation, house rules, Illinois, Illinois General Assembly, JB Pritzker, Joseph Berrios, law firm, Legislative Inspector General, legislative map, Madigan & Getzendanner, Mike Madigan, objective scoring, property taxes, redistricting, revolving door, Rod Blagojevich, Springfield

Sexual harassment case against Madigan campaign ends with $275K settlement

By Brad Weisenstein
12/09/2019
Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan settled a sexual harassment case involving his former political lieutenant, but the related corruption implications are far from over.

TAGS: #metoo, AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Alaina Hampton, ComEd, complaint, Democratic Party, FBI, federal investigation, federal lawsuit, house rules, Illinois, Illinois General Assembly, Illinois House of Representatives, Kevin Quinn, Legislative Inspector General, lobbying, lobbyists, Mike Madigan, raids, settlement, sexual harrassment, Springfield, Tim Mapes

FBI asking about Madigan money, political clout in corruption investigation

By Austin Berg
12/06/2019
There is little doubt the FBI is targeting the longtime House speaker and Democratic political boss in their sweeping investigation of Illinois corruption.

TAGS: blank check, ComEd, Commonwealth Edison, conflict of interests, corruption, Democratic Party, ethics, fair maps, fair tax, FBI, federal investigation, gerrymandering, house rules, Illinois, Illinois General Assembly, independent maps, lawmakers, Mike Madigan, revolving door, rules committee, Springfield, watchdog

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