Illinois’ Corruption Hall of Shame, April 2014
April was a very busy month for public corruption stories in Illinois. In total, there were 45 different public corruption-related news stories in just 30 days. A full list of those stories can be found here. Here are the April inductees to the Illinois Hall of Shame: 5. The city of Chicago spent more than...
April was a very busy month for public corruption stories in Illinois. In total, there were 45 different public corruption-related news stories in just 30 days. A full list of those stories can be found here.
Here are the April inductees to the Illinois Hall of Shame:
5. The city of Chicago spent more than $521 million on misconduct lawsuits over the past decade
A Better Government Association, or BGA, investigation called “Beyond Burge” tallied up the all of the police misconduct-related lawsuit settlements and legal fees in Chicago over the past decade, including $83.4 million in 2013 alone.
The highest profile cases are related to former Chicago Police Department Detective Jon Burge, who gained notoriety from torturing more than 200 criminal suspects forcing many to making false confessions.
A notable recent police misconduct payout was $22.5 million to, “a California woman who was raped and severely injured in May 2006 after Chicago police ignored signs that she had mental issues and released her from custody in a violent South Side neighborhood where she was subsequently attacked.”
Police misconduct cost to the taxpayers wasn’t just limited to Chicago. In a companion report, “Not Just a Chicago Thing,” documented how Chicago suburbs spent “more than $40 million expended on misconduct lawsuits over 5 years.”
4. Former Schaumburg police officer sentenced to 26 years for operating a drug ring
Former Schaumburg police officer Matthew Hudak is one of three former Schaumburg officers who have been arrested in relation to “stealing cocaine and marijuana from dealers and police seizures and then resold the drugs through an informant.” The other two officers are John Cichy and Terrance O’Brien.
Hudak accepted a plea agreement, in which he plead guilty to four of 17 charges he faced, in return for having the other charges dropped and being sentenced to 26 years in prison. He could be released in just 13 years.
3. Gov. Pat Quinn sued over patronage hiring at Illinois Department of Transportation
Michael Shakman, the plaintiff in a famous anti-corruption Illinois Supreme Court case, filed a motion filed in federal court regarding the hiring practices at the Illinois Department of Transportation, or IDOT, under Gov. Pat Quinn.
A Chicago Tribune article on Quinn’s IDOT hiring processes pointed to a Better Government Association report that showed, “as many as 200 positions within IDOT were ‘filled with employees based on political considerations rather than qualifications,’” according to Shakman’s motion, which was filed late Tuesday.
Shakman has asked the court to rescind the hires and appoint a monitor to investigate and recommend appropriate reforms.”
2. Gov. Pat Quinn’s accused of using $54 million program as a “political slush fund”
Quinn makes the list twice this month. A criminal grand jury has launched an investigation into the governor’s anti-violence program that was highly touted in the run up to the 2010 gubernatorial election, which Quinn won. Both Cook County and federal prosecutors are seeking records from state agencies regarding the program.
The investigation focuses primarily on $10 million in projects distributed by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, where two politically connected individuals received large sums of compensation from the program. Benton Cook, husband of Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, earned $146,401 in salary and benefits as the project’s local coordinator. Jaclin Davis, wife of state Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood, made more than $137,000 in salary and benefits from the program.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, “Republicans have contended the program was a thinly disguised, taxpayer-funded, get-out-the-vote effort designed to boost Quinn’s elections hopes when some polling had him running behind Brady.”
1. State Rep. Keith Farnham’s child porn charges; representative allegedly used state property
From the Chicago Tribune:
“Former Illinois State Rep. Keith Farnham was charged Monday with using both personal and state-owned computers to trade hundreds of images and videos depicting child pornography and engage in graphic online chats in which he allegedly bragged about sexually molesting a 6-year-old girl.”
Dishonorable mention: 85 new squad cars sitting in an Illinois State Fairgrounds parking lot since last summer
For a state that has billions of dollars in unpaid bills, it’s curious as to why Illinois can buy 85 new squad cars but not even use them.
From the Chicago Tribune:
“The cars, 85 model year 2013 Chevrolet Caprices that were delivered last summer, have never been used because they lack the police lights, two-way radios, computers and other electronics to be ready for patrol with the Illinois State Police.”
An additional 400 new cars are set to begin arriving in May, with no clear plan to get the cars on the road fully equipped.
