University of Illinois Chicago

Blagojevich comes home to America’s most corrupt city

02/26/2020

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.

TAGS: Chicago, conflict of interest, conviction, Cook County, cooling off period, corruption, ethics, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jeff Tobolski, lobbying, Martin Sandoval, Patrick Doherty, prison, red light cameras, revolving door, Rod Blagojevich, SafeSpeed, watchdog

Illinois home to more public corruption convictions than any other state since 2000

02/20/2020

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s release from federal prison may be making room behind bars for other Illinois politicians. Illinois is the top state for corruption, and federal agents are busy looking for more.

TAGS: corruption, ethics, revolving door

Bipartisan bill would block ‘revolving door’ from lawmaker to lobbyist

02/10/2020

Illinois is one of the few states that lets lawmakers or state agency chiefs become a lobbyist the day after leaving office. A new ethics bill would stop that.

TAGS: cooling off period, corruption, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, ghost payroll, Heather Steans, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, lawmakers, lobbying, Michael McClain, Mike Madigan, Mike McClain, Paul Schimpf, revolving door, Scott Bennett, Springfield, Suzy Glowiak-Hilton

Chicago City Council votes to ban lobbying by elected leaders

12/20/2019

Chicago’s second round of anti-corruption rules restricts aldermen and city employees from working as lobbyists and stops other elected leaders from lobbying city government for private clients.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, Chicago City Council, ComEd, corruption, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, John Cullerton, Larry Suffredin, lawmakers, lobbying, Lori Lightfoot, Luis Arroyo, Michael Zalewski, Michele Smith, Mike Madigan, ordinance, Springfield, Terry Link

Outgoing Chicago FBI chief hints at more corruption indictments, calls for term limits

By Vincent Caruso

09/07/2019

Chicago’s top FBI officer offered term limits as one solution to Chicago’s culture of corruption, suggesting more revelations are on their way, as he moves into an executive role in Washington, D.C.

TAGS: Chicago, corruption, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Corruption costs Illinois taxpayers at least $550M per year

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

08/04/2019

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...

Pritzker signs good government bill to show taxpayers how much of their property taxes go to developers

07/31/2019

Illinoisans will soon see their property tax bills listing tax increment financing districts and the amounts the districts are absorbing. Debate about the cost versus benefit should follow.

Report: Chicago area most corrupt in nation

By Vincent Caruso

02/13/2019

Chicagoland and northern Illinois have seen more corrupt public officials put behind bars than any other part of the nation, an analysis found.

TAGS: Chicago, corruption, Danny Solis, Ed Burke

More than 19,000 Illinois government retirees receive pensions over $100K

By Janelle Cammenga

11/21/2018

The average six-figure retiree contributed just over $160,000 toward their own pension over the course of their career.

TAGS: GARS: General Assembly Retirement System, IMRF: Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, SERS: State Employee Retirement System, SURS: State Universities Retirement System, taxes, TRS: Teachers’ Retirement System

Who votes for Mike Madigan?

By Austin Berg

10/11/2018

The speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives remains a key campaign issue despite national headlines.

TAGS: House Speaker, Illinois House of Representatives, Mike Madigan

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Illinois students could soon benefit from scholarship money to help them find a tutor, attend ACT or SAT prep sessions, pay tuition, get special education services or assist with other academic needs. That will happen in Illinois only if Gov. J.B. Pritzker lets the state’s schoolchildren benefit from the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, established...

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