Blagojevich comes home to America’s most corrupt city

By Ben Szalinski
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

Illinois home to more public corruption convictions than any other state since 2000

By Ben Szalinski
02/20/2020
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s release from federal prison may be making room behind bars for other Illinois politicians. Illinois is the top state for corruption, and federal agents are busy looking for more.

TAGS: conflict of interest, corruption, ethics, federal investigation, Legislative Inspector General, lobbying, Martin Sandoval, red light cameras, revolving door, Rod Blagojevich, watchdog

Illinois watchdog’s report of ‘serious misconduct’ was ‘squashed’ by panel of lawmakers

By Joe Tabor
02/07/2020
Illinois’ legislative inspector general investigates complaints against state lawmakers, but a commission of their peers can – and did – bury those findings, the former inspector said. A new bill would change that.

TAGS: corruption, ethics, ethics violation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform, Jonathan Carroll, Julie Porter, Legislative Ethics Commission, Legislative Inspector General, OEIG: Office of the Executive Inspector General, sexual harrassment, Springfield, transparency, watchdog

Feds indict champion of Illinois gas tax hike, ‘fair tax’ on tax fraud and bribery

By Vincent Caruso
01/27/2020
The former chair of the influential Senate Transportation Committee is the fourth Illinois politician indicted on federal charges amid a sweeping FBI probe.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, conflict of interest, corruption, Ed Burke, embezzlement, ethics, fair maps, fair tax, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal, federal government, federal investigation, fraud, gas tax, graduated income tax, graduation rate, house rules, IDOT: Illinois Department of Transportation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, JB Pritzker, Legislative Inspector General, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, Mike Madigan, pork barrel spending, progressive income tax, red light cameras, redistricting, revolving door, SafeSpeed, Senate Transportation Committee, Smart Scale, Springfield, tax fraud, transparency, waste, watchdog

Bill would stop Pritzker from paying state workers on the side

By Brad Weisenstein
01/12/2020
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has used his private fortune to pay $3 million in state expenses, including boosting salaries of 16 top staffers. Some lawmakers want the ‘unethical’ practice to stop.

TAGS: bipartisan, conflict of interest, corruption, fair maps, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, independent maps, JB Pritzker, lawmaker pay, lawmakers, Legislative Inspector General, legislative map, lobbying, revolving door, Smart Scale, Springfield, watchdog

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

FBI asking about Madigan money, political clout in corruption investigation

By Austin Berg
12/06/2019
There is little doubt the FBI is targeting the longtime House speaker and Democratic political boss in their sweeping investigation of Illinois corruption.

TAGS: ComEd, Commonwealth Edison, corruption, Democratic Party, ethics, fair maps, fair tax, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, gerrymandering, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, independent maps, lawmakers, Mike Madigan, revolving door, rules committee, Springfield, watchdog

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Competitive elections raise voter participation, uncontested elections hinder democracy

On average, more than 4.7 million voting-age Illinoisans live in districts where there was only one option for the state House on the ballot, undermining their representation. Roughly half of all Illinois House races were uncontested under Illinois’ gerrymandered 2011 district map.

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Derrick Crenshaw

Policy lessons from Illinois’ exodus of people and money

By J. Scott Moody, Wendy Warcholik
07/07/2014

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

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016