Rod Blagojevich sues so he can again seek election

By Noah Shaar

08/04/2021

Rod Blagojevich is out of federal prison, and now wants to be back on the ballot. Illinois’ former governor sued Aug. 2 for the right to run for public office again despite his conviction for public corruption.

TAGS: corruption, Illinois, Rod Blagojevich

Blagojevich comes home to America’s most corrupt city

02/26/2020

Chicago and the state of Illinois are notorious around the country for high-profile corruption convictions. Rod Blagojevich settles back in after the former governor’s imprisonment for corruption.

TAGS: Chicago, conflict of interest, conviction, Cook County, cooling off period, corruption, ethics, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jeff Tobolski, lobbying, Martin Sandoval, Patrick Doherty, prison, red light cameras, revolving door, Rod Blagojevich, SafeSpeed, watchdog

Blagojevich returns to an Illinois as corrupt as he left it

By Austin Berg

02/20/2020

Illinois’ political leadership learned nothing from the Blagojevich nightmare. And now it may be coming back to bite them.

TAGS: Commonwealth Edison, commutation, corruption, Donald Trump, ethics task force, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, Mike Madigan, Rod Blagojevich

Trump commutes Blagojevich’s prison sentence

By Austin Berg

02/18/2020

The nation’s corruption capitol will see one of its most infamous political figures return home.

TAGS: commutation, corruption, Donald Trump, Rod Blagojevich

Illinois pensions 101: Paltry contributions yield million-dollar payouts

01/17/2020

Across all five state retirement systems, typical career workers pay for about 5% of the cost of their pension benefits. They receive an average of $1.7 million to $3.6 million.

TAGS: Edgar Ramp, firefighter pensions, GARS: General Assembly Retirement System, government employees, government services, government unions, government workers, IEA-NEA: Illinois Education Association, IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Jim Edgar, JRS: Judges’ Retirement System, municipal government, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, police pensions, public sector, retirement age, Rod Blagojevich, SERS: State Employee Retirement System, Social Security, social services, Springfield, SURS: State Universities Retirement System, tax hikes, tax increase, TRS: Teachers’ Retirement System

Illinois Tollway overcharged drivers $152K last year by not giving change

By Brad Weisenstein

01/10/2020

The Illinois Tollway is spending $33 million on toll machines, some of which can’t make change. The state agency’s legacy is broken promises, political patronage and overcharging Illinoisans.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, corruption, George Ryan, I-Pass, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois State Toll Highway Commission, Illinois Tollway, Jim Edgar, Jim Thompson, Rod Blagojevich, Springfield, tollway

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: conflict of interest, ethics, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, JB Pritzker, lawmakers, Legislative Inspector General, lobbying, Michael McClain, Mike Madigan, Mike McClain, Pat Quinn, redistricting, revolving door, Rod Blagojevich, sexual harrassment, Smart Scale, Springfield, Virginia, watchdog

Illinois ethics panel begins with small ethical lapse

12/23/2019

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker appointed a former state lawmaker to his panel on ethics and lobbying. Trouble was, the lawmaker had recently worked as a lobbyist.

TAGS: Christine Radogno, ComEd, ethics, ethics task force, federal investigation, Heather Steans, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, JB Pritzker, lawmakers, lobbying, Michael McClain, Mike Madigan, revolving door, Rod Blagojevich, Springfield

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

Look past the faces of Illinois corruption to see the larger problem

By Amy Korte

12/02/2019

Focus too much on single aspects of Illinois corruption and the big picture will be lost, along with chances to fix the problems.

TAGS: Chicago, ComEd, corruption, Danny Solis, Ed Burke, ethics, ethics task force, federal investigation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, lawmakers, leadership, Legislative Inspector General, lobbying, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, revolving door, Rod Blagojevich, watchdog