Political patronage? Not in Illinois, Pritzker argues in court

By Brad Weisenstein

08/20/2020

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.

TAGS: corruption, JB Pritzker, Mike Madigan, patronage, watchdog

Pritzker moves to scrap anti-patronage deal amid Illinois corruption, bribery probes

By Joe Tabor

07/29/2020

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.

TAGS: corruption, federal investigation, JB Pritzker, Mike Madigan, patronage

Madigan’s office served with grand jury subpoena

By Brad Weisenstein

07/17/2020

America’s longest-serving politician is at the center of a federal corruption investigation into lobbying, bribery and using ComEd for political patronage jobs.

TAGS: ComEd, corruption, Mike Madigan, patronage

Patronage hires lead to federal oversight of Cook County Clerk’s office

04/22/2020

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.

TAGS: Cook County Clerk, corruption, ethics violation, Mike Madigan, patronage

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: credit rating, Daley, debt, fair tax, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, graduated income tax, house rules, House Speaker, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, legislative map, lobbying, Mike Madigan, patronage, progressive income tax, property taxes, redistricting, Richard Daley, Springfield, tax burden, U.S. Census Bureau

Architect of Illinois gas tax hike accused of ‘racketeering conspiracy’

By Vincent Caruso

10/01/2019

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.

TAGS: FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Martin Sandoval, patronage, RTA: Regional Transportation Authority

Watchdog: Cook County clerk illegally hired political connections

09/14/2019

A watchdog has accused Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough of running an “illegal patronage” operation, and is calling for federal oversight of her office.

TAGS: Cook County, Cook County Clerk, corruption, Karen Yarbrough, patronage

Illinois tollway chair resigns following patronage scandal

By Vincent Caruso

01/30/2019

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.

TAGS: gas tax, Illinois Tollway, patronage, Robert Schillerstrom, taxes, tollway

Lawsuit seeks to end Burke’s ‘political army’ in Chicago workers’ comp system

By Austin Berg

08/07/2018

Chicago’s longest-serving alderman runs the city’s workers’ comp program without any outside scrutiny. But a new lawsuit aims to change that.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago City Council, Ed Burke, patronage, workers compensation

Nepotistic hires highlight township government waste

06/18/2018

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.

TAGS: Algonquin Township, Andrew Rosencrans, Bob Miller, consolidation, corruption, David McSweeney, Jim Condon, Leda Drain, local government consolidation, McHenry County, Mike Lesperance, municipal pensions, patronage, pensions