Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker sees no patronage problem in his administration – not that there’s no patronage, just that he apparently doesn’t see it as a problem.
Pritzker moves to scrap anti-patronage deal amid Illinois corruption, bribery probes
After nearly 50 years, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the Governor’s Office no longer needs federal oversight to halt patronage hiring. His request came three days before federal prosecutors said Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan turned public utilities into patronage havens.
Madigan’s office served with grand jury subpoena
America’s longest-serving politician is at the center of a federal corruption investigation into lobbying, bribery and using ComEd for political patronage jobs.
Patronage hires lead to federal oversight of Cook County Clerk’s office
An illegal patronage operation brought on federal oversight when Karen Yarbrough was Cook County’s recorder of deeds. It’s happened again to her as county clerk.
Madigan celebrates 35th anniversary as Illinois House speaker
Illinoisans will soon cast a vote on the biggest ballot question in the history of Madigan’s record-breaking speakership.
Architect of Illinois gas tax hike accused of ‘racketeering conspiracy’
The lawmaker who carried to the governor’s desk an infrastructure plan that doubled the state’s gas tax used his influence as a powerful state lawmaker to land his son a government job, a lawsuit alleges.
Watchdog: Cook County clerk illegally hired political connections
A watchdog has accused Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough of running an “illegal patronage” operation, and is calling for federal oversight of her office.
Illinois tollway chair resigns following patronage scandal
Robert Schillerstrom submitted his resignation after chairing the Illinois tollway for four years. An investigation revealed the outgoing chairman doled out hundreds of millions of dollars in patronage contracts.
Lawsuit seeks to end Burke’s ‘political army’ in Chicago workers’ comp system
Chicago’s longest-serving alderman runs the city’s workers’ comp program without any outside scrutiny. But a new lawsuit aims to change that.
Nepotistic hires highlight township government waste
Two McHenry County highway commissioners hired each other’s sons to township government positions in 2017. Despite concerns of nepotism, these practices are not uncommon in township government.