House investigative committee calls for Madigan testimony in corruption scandal

By Joe Barnas

09/18/2020

Following initial hearings, a committee formed to investigate House Speaker Mike Madigan’s involvement in a ComEd corruption scandal requested testimony from key players.

TAGS: bribery, ComEd, corruption, federal investigation, Mike Madigan

Lawmaker who voted for ‘fair tax’ pleads guilty to tax fraud

By Vincent Caruso

09/16/2020

Five key supporters of the progressive tax in the Illinois General Assembly are facing corruption probes. Four have been charged. Three have resigned.

TAGS: bribery, corruption, fair tax, Terry Link

U.S. attorney gives go-ahead to Illinois House committee investigating Madigan

By Ben Szalinski

09/15/2020

House committee hearings were paused on the first day so lawmakers could ask whether their investigation would hinder a federal corruption probe.

TAGS: bribery, ComEd, corruption, Mike Madigan

Sen. Terry Link latest ‘fair tax’ supporter to resign amid corruption charge

By Ben Szalinski

09/14/2020

Five key supporters of the progressive tax in the Illinois General Assembly are facing corruption probes. Four have been charged. Three have resigned.

TAGS: bribery, corruption, fair tax, federal investigation, Mike Madigan, Terry Link

Investigative committee begins hearings into Madigan misconduct

By Ben Szalinski

09/11/2020

It’s the third time in 20 years a committee has been formed to investigate misconduct by a state lawmaker. Day 1 was brief.

TAGS: bribery, corruption, investigation, Mike Madigan

Feds charge former ComEd vice president with scheme to bribe Madigan

By Austin Berg

09/05/2020

The sweeping federal corruption investigation threatens to derail Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive tax hike amendment, which voters will decide Nov. 3.

TAGS: bribery, ComEd, corruption, federal investigation, Mike Madigan

Illinois House investigative committee to review Madigan’s role in ComEd scandal

By Joe Barnas

09/02/2020

The special investigative committee will determine whether Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan should be disciplined after being implicated in the ComEd bribery scandal.

TAGS: bribery, ComEd, corruption, federal investigation, Mike Madigan

Audit: Chicago saves $1 million after Ald. Burke quits finance committee

By Ben Szalinski

09/02/2020

Chicago’s longest-serving alderman used his power as chair of the City Council Finance Committee to pad staffs, give himself a security detail.

TAGS: Chicago, corruption, Ed Burke

Extortion conspiracy, tax evasion charges filed against former Cook County commissioner

By Joe Barnas

08/27/2020

Jeffrey Tobolski is the latest Illinois politician charged in a wide-ranging federal corruption probe into bribes, insider deals, cronyism and red-light cameras.

TAGS: corruption, extortion, federal investigation, tax fraud

Link in the chain of Illinois power, corruption, taxes

By Vincent Caruso

08/26/2020

With the "fair tax" campaign, lawmakers aim to sell voters a shovel to entrench the status quo by advertising it as a weapon with which to fight against it.

TAGS: corruption, fair tax, federal investigation, JB Pritzker, Mike Madigan, Terry Link

Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

Illinois’ pension crisis has been a growing problem for decades, and its negative effects on state residents are well documented.1 Economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and related government shutdown orders threaten to bring that long-running crisis closer to its breaking point. The state’s five pension systems collectively held nearly $139 billion of debt at...

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Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

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Joanne Troesch

Policy lessons from Illinois’ exodus of people and money

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students