Michael Madigan

Chicago takes pole position in race for Obama library, no tax dollars required

By Jane McEnaney
09/16/2014
On Sept. 15, the Barack Obama Foundation announced four semifinalists in the battle to build Barack Obama’s presidential library and museum. The four potential host sites include the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Columbia University in New York City and the University of Hawaii. Holding two of the four slots, the...

TAGS: Barack Obama, library, Obama presidential library, taxes

Illinois corruption watch, August 2014

By Brian Costin
09/05/2014
At least 84 corruption-related stories have been reported from across the state of Illinois in August alone. Atop August headlines is the recent revelation that a federal grand jury subpoenaed the emails of Gov. Pat Quinn’s ex-chief of staff in relation to Quinn’s anti-violence grant program. The case, which has been referred to by some...

TAGS: Chicago, corruption, cronyism, transparency, waste

Illinois corruption watch, July 2014

By Brian Costin
08/09/2014
The bad news keeps piling up for Illinoisans. Illinois Policy’s “corruption watch” blog series hit a new high in the month of July with nearly 100 corruption-related stories. Chicago and Springfield are the two cities most synonymous with the state’s corruption woes. Unsurprisingly, both cities dominated headlines with the top two corruption stories of the...

More inspectors general necessary to fight Illinois’ corruption woes

By Brian Costin
07/12/2014
For far too long Illinois politicians haven’t done enough to address a public corruption epidemic that has wreaked havoc on the state’s image and the pocketbooks of its taxpayers. Illinois consistently ranks in the top five states for public corruption, and a recent study estimated the cost of corruption in Illinois at nearly $1.4 billion...

Illinois corruption watch, June 2014

By Brian Costin, Anthony Trania
07/09/2014
Unfortunately for taxpayers, June was a groundbreaking month for corruption in Illinois. In June alone, there were reports of 85 corruption-related stories in the state. Some of the record-breaking highlights include the following: For the first time in 33 years, the Illinois Legislative Audit Commission exercised its subpoena powers in the issuance of a subpoena...

It’s time to hold Illinois lawmakers accountable

By Donovan Griffith
07/05/2014
Illinois Policy Action is launching a campaign to hold Illinois legislators accountable to their promise of letting the 2011 income tax hike sunset on schedule. In the spring legislative session, politicians strongly stated their opposition to extending this massive income tax increase on Illinois families. Now, Illinois Policy Action will be asking legislators to sign...

Chart of the Week: What ObamaCare grant paid state’s Democrat insiders

By Naomi Lopez Bauman
06/18/2014
If you have any doubt that political cronyism isn’t alive and well in Illinois, look no further than an ObamaCare scandal that broke late last week. Investigations by the Associated Press and Crain’s found that a subcontractor to a $33 million ObamaCare grant was billing at $282 per hour. Turns out the subcontractor is owned...

TAGS: cronyism, Lisa Madigan, Mike Madigan, Pat Quinn, Richard Daley

Political insiders receive multi-million-dollar contract to promote ObamaCare in Illinois

By Naomi Lopez Bauman
06/13/2014
Get Covered Illinois has been hit by two scandals in as many days. A recent Associated Press (AP) investigation into a $33 million federal grant to promote ObamaCare in Illinois revealed that “More than 90 people, including executives from the firm and its subcontractors, billed at least $270 an hour for salary and overhead during...

State Rep. Derrick Smith, D-Chicago, convicted of taking $7,000 bribe

By Brian Costin
06/10/2014
A federal jury has found state Rep. Derrick Smith, D-Chicago, guilty of taking a $7,000 cash bribe in exchange for writing a state grant recommendation letter in 2012. Under state law, Smith automatically loses his office with the felony bribery conviction. This is the second time Smith has lost his office. Smith was originally expelled from...

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, corruption, Derrick Smith, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly