The lawyers who over 50 years ago started the fight against political patronage in Springfield and Chicago are arguing Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration is not ready to lose federal oversight of hiring. Efforts to hide hiring records prove that point, they said.

The federal court system has been watching Illinois for patronage hiring since 1972. There’s little evidence the problem is fixed.

Multiple officials in the southwest suburbs have been implicated on criminal charges in a federal investigation into red-light cameras.

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.

The Illinois House speaker was implicated in criminal charges filed against electrical company ComEd.

SafeSpeed has been involved in a federal investigation that has resulted in corruption charges against multiple Illinois politicians.