Investigative committee begins hearings into Madigan misconduct

09/11/2020

It’s the third time in 20 years a committee has been formed to investigate misconduct by a state lawmaker. Day 1 was brief.

TAGS: bribery, corruption, investigation, Mike Madigan

New Pritzker lockdowns driven by politics over science

By Brad Weisenstein

08/28/2020

Two areas of Illinois faced the same COVID-19 threat but received very different treatment from the governor. One is home to a political power base he needs to pass his progressive income tax in November.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, executive order, JB Pritzker

Madigan’s fiscal legacy: How the longest-serving state House speaker built Illinois’ mountain of debt

By Adam Schuster

08/26/2020

Decades of institutionalized financial mismanagement left Illinois with the nation’s worst fiscal health. Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan has been at the center of nearly every bad decision along the way.

Link in the chain of Illinois power, corruption, taxes

By Vincent Caruso

08/26/2020

With the "fair tax" campaign, lawmakers aim to sell voters a shovel to entrench the status quo by advertising it as a weapon with which to fight against it.

TAGS: corruption, fair tax, federal investigation, JB Pritzker, Mike Madigan, Terry Link

Corruption costs Illinois an estimated $556M per year

By Bryce Hill

08/25/2020

Illinois’ high levels of corruption damage the state’s economy, costing it $10.6 billion since 2000. States with higher levels of corruption average lower levels of economic growth.

TAGS: corruption, economic growth, ethics, JB Pritzker, Mike Madigan, tax burden

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

Democratic state lawmakers demand ethics reform in wake of Madigan scandal

08/17/2020

Pressure continues to build to repair Illinois’ broken ethics laws, as more Democrats demand reform and more lawmakers face corruption charges.

TAGS: corruption, Democratic Party, ethics, federal investigation, lobbying, Mike Madigan

Illinois teachers’ unions funnel nearly $3.9 million to Madigan

By Mailee Smith

08/17/2020

Teachers’ unions have provided lots of campaign cash to Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, who’s been implicated in a bribery scandal. Teachers who don’t want their money sent to a corrupt system can opt out of the union.

TAGS: AFT: American Federation of Teachers, ComEd, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers, Mike Madigan

53 more Illinois Democrats call for Madigan’s resignation

08/12/2020

Despite potential political repercussions, a growing list of Democrats are demanding Mike Madigan resign his leadership positions after he was implicated in a ComEd corruption scheme.

TAGS: corruption, Democratic Party, federal investigation, Mike Madigan, resignation

Pritzker gets OK to treat businesses as criminals for failing to enforce his COVID-19 mask order

By Brad Weisenstein

08/11/2020

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker again turned to criminal penalties to gain compliance with his coronavirus mandates. He is targeting business owners when customers and staff fail to wear masks.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, executive order, JB Pritzker, small business

Democratic Party

Investigative committee begins hearings into Madigan misconduct

New Pritzker lockdowns driven by politics over science

Madigan’s fiscal legacy: How the longest-serving state House speaker built Illinois’ mountain of debt

Link in the chain of Illinois power, corruption, taxes

Corruption costs Illinois an estimated $556M per year

Political patronage? Not in Illinois, Pritzker argues in court

Democratic state lawmakers demand ethics reform in wake of Madigan scandal

Illinois teachers’ unions funnel nearly $3.9 million to Madigan

53 more Illinois Democrats call for Madigan’s resignation

Pritzker gets OK to treat businesses as criminals for failing to enforce his COVID-19 mask order

4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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