The nation’s longest-serving legislative speaker, a state senator and a former Cook County commissioner were on Illinois’ too-long list of corrupt politicians.
Local governments generated $500 million from red-light camera tickets since 2019, with Chicago alone collecting $223.8 million. Total since 2008: $1.56 billion.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is demanding resignations from two longtime Democratic state senators. One faces federal bribery charges in connection with red-light cameras. The other allegations of domestic abuse and harassment of a top staffer.
Illinois state Sen. Emil Jones III is the latest politician charged with bribery as well as lying to the FBI in a corruption probe involving red-light cameras.
Chicago’s mayor said speed cameras will enforce a lowered tolerance March 1 as a way to curb traffic fatalities. Critics see the $35 tickets as a money grab when residents are still reeling from the COVID-19 economic downturn.
Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and Chicago Ald. Ed Burke are among the politicians curbed by Chicago’s current U.S. Attorney. A bipartisan group is trying to keep him in place to continue public corruption prosecutions.
Jeffrey Tobolski is the latest Illinois politician charged in a wide-ranging federal corruption probe into bribes, insider deals, cronyism and red-light cameras.
An illegal patronage operation brought on federal oversight when Karen Yarbrough was Cook County’s recorder of deeds. It’s happened again to her as county clerk.
A Cook County commissioner quits as a former city administrator faces a bribery charge. Both played roles in the rise of red-light cameras and vendor SafeSpeed.