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.

Federal investigators are seeking records from a small village near Chicago. The subpoena names Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, his political lieutenants and former ComEd lobbyists.

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

Chicago is the most corrupt city, and Illinois the second-most corrupt state, in the nation, according to a recent report by the University of Illinois at Chicago. But corruption in Illinois is more than a buzzword. It comes with social and economic costs. Not only does corruption lessen residents’ faith in the government, it decreases...

In November, 13 of 53 Corruption Watch stories were related to policies and actions of criminal-justice authorities in Illinois.