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* The Chicago Tribune launched a series on political corruption in Illinois…

Illinois nurtured the nation’s greatest president in Abraham Lincoln. It is the birthplace of iconic Republican President Ronald Reagan and the state where Democrat Barack Obama, the country’s first Black president, developed his political chops.

But Illinois is far better known for a more notorious political legacy: constant and persistent corruption. Four of its last 11 governors went to prison. Chicago, its largest city, is home to sweeping federal sting operations that put busloads of judges, aldermen, state lawmakers and other officials behind bars.

Even the state auditor — Illinois government’s financial watchdog — was once caught looting and squandering $2.5 million in public funds. One secretary of state famously amassed more than $750,000, including a shoebox stuffed with cash, that was found stashed in a hotel room after his death. The largest municipal fraud in U.S. history is credited to a small-town treasurer in Illinois who embezzled $54 million. […]

In reporting a series we’re calling “Culture of Corruption,” the Tribune found numerous other factors contributing to Illinois’ shameful record: Loosely regulated big-money campaigns. Domineering mayors letting shifty aldermen run amok. Cozy interactions between lobbyists and public officials. A ballot process power brokers often use to exclude newcomers. The largest number of governmental bodies in the nation, offering endless opportunities for graft amid little oversight.

Of course, not all of the state’s politicians have been crooks, with many seeing government service as an honorable profession and a way to address society’s problems. But even they are tarnished by the misdeeds of those who view corruption as the end to their personal means.

Federal prosecutors have kept busy for decades putting Illinois officials on trial, sometimes after lengthy investigations with names like “Operation Haunted Hall,” “Operation Silver Shovel,” “Operation Board Games” and “Operation Greylord.” A federal prison in nearby Oxford, Wisconsin, has become such a regular destination for convicted Illinois politicians that, at one point, it housed four Chicago aldermen, a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District board member and a state representative. When they bumped into one another, the six men would jokingly yell “quorum call!”

Go read the rest.

Click here for the next story in the series and here for more information on the convicted, indicted or generally notorious public officials the Tribune compiled.

Thoughts?

posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 8:58 am

Comments

=== But even they are tarnished by the misdeeds of those who view corruption as the end to their personal means. ===

i’m getting tired of center-right legacy media newspapers making very out of context and unfounded claims like this. You could perhaps claim that the corruption creates a perception among the public that most or all politicians are corrupt, but to just say that the corruption of few tarnishes all is … well I wonder if they think the same about the police.

Comment by Incandenza Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 9:10 am
Great reporting by the Trbune.
We do have a serious problem with corruption and the Tribune did a good going over some cases.
Are things better now?
In terms of dollar’s stolen looking at the total 5.3 Billion theft the auditor found, the Pritzker Administration hit an all time high in terms of dollars stolen that should stand forever.
In terms of employees taking advantage of the PPP program, again the Pritzker Administration had hundreds and hundreds of people involved in the theft. That has to also be a record number of state employees involved in a corruption problem.
Things are not getting better.

Comment by Back to the Future Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 9:37 am
While I understand compiling a list of convicted politicians, the Tribune series includes many individuals who were accused of corruption, but never charged or prosecuted.

Comment by Gravitas Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 9:41 am
Okay, I confess I haven’t read the story. But a) is there a trend that things are getting worse, or is the Trib just rehashing stories from decades ago? And b) how does this compare with other states?

Comment by Benjamin Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 9:53 am
Of all the corruption investigations, Operation Greylord stands out to me as the worst. 17 judges arrested including Thomas Maloney who let murderers walk free for bags of cash.

Comment by Chicagonk Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 9:57 am
== the Tribune series includes many individuals who were accused of corruption, but never charged or prosecuted. ==

They also include charges against former elected officials whose misdeeds occurred after they left office — Governor Walker among the most prominent. I’m splitting hairs. Pretty good series overall.

Comment by Telly Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 9:58 am
I’m not sure anything can be done about big money campaigns. Didn’t the Supremes rule that money was speech? Also I don’t see how that necessarily contributes to this, after all, I doubt that the campaign for SoS was all that expensive when Paul was filling his shoe boxes. Domineering mayors are a given if there is a strong mayor system chosen at incorporation. By the ballot process I take it they are referring to petitions. But you have to get so many valid signatures to show your candidacy is viable. IF people are engaging in funny business by not checking their signatures, or indeed by having friends and family sign fake names, then they deserve to be booted.

Comment by cermak_rd Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 10:03 am
=In terms of employees taking advantage of the PPP program,=

Please correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t PPP a federal program? The people breaking the law may have been state, county, and local employees but if it was a federal program I am not sure how Pritzker owns that? Not excusing the crimes by any stretch, I hope everyone is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

I think a big part of ending corruption, or at least reducing it, is to stop making it a partisan issue. Or only focusing on the other parties offenders as some seem to do. Many D’s and R’s have been convicted, there is no “party” monopoly on criminal behavior.

Comment by JS Mill Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 10:28 am
Very good with some gaping hole(s) - nothing about Sangamon County? Just before the Voting Rights Lawsuit ended up abolishing elected city-wide commissioners in 1987, a commissioner went to prison for mail fraud. And apparently before they consulted John Kass’ files and notes, they were “organized” by Winston Smith - not a word about Bill Cellini.

Comment by Anyone Remember Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 11:04 am
Coming from a viewpoint that we have a culture of corruption in Springfield that goes beyond being an R or a D.
These criminals were state employees that worked under the Pritzker Administration.
Hopefully the Tribune will continue to investigate our State Government for corruption. Pritzker and the GA are not going to change things without a lot of public pressure.
Great job by the Trib on this problem.

Comment by Back to the Future Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 11:07 am
It’s not very subtle of the Trib to start a series about government corruption two months out from the election. They support the GOP and depressing voter turnout by shaking their faith in the system with editorial choices seems pretty transparent. They are laying the groundwork to make readers think any elected officials are corrupt by default so why even support the government in any endeavor. It’s the same kind of public relations campaign they carried out against JB’s proposed tax hike on the rich. In this case it’s an attempt to undermine a Dem victory in November. Expect the drumbeat to increase over the next ten weeks.

Comment by Give Us Barabbas Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 11:11 am
Is this one of those situations where we should be looking at a best-practices state (well run, low corruption) and put the same guardrails in place? And streamline our byzantine layers of government. Not an easy fix, but also not one for which we have to generate 100% of our own solutions. There are places where public service is public service. Let’s do more of what they do.

Comment by Scott Knitter Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 11:23 am
Haven’t read the article, but find it interesting that the Trib calls out corruption when their own billing practices are the most corrupt of all. Check them out on BBB and there is a class action suit against them for bait and switch billing

Comment by Vader Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 11:26 am
Ohio and NY State also have their own tawdry history of corruption, as does Texas.

Comment by Ares Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 11:38 am
State Rep. Patricia Bailey was convicted of lying about her home address on her nominating papers, gets perp-walked along side Rod Blagojevich.

Comment by Juvenal Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 12:03 pm
I remember being told after I think the Greylord case that the Evanston Golf Club had to amend their by-laws to cover member/judges who were serving their sentences in Wisconsin.

Comment by Nitemayor Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 12:18 pm
=These criminals were state employees that worked under the Pritzker Administration.=

So..federal crimes. Check.

Tell me you are partisan and only acknowledge crimes of one party without telling me.

Comment by JS Mill Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 12:20 pm
===Is this one of those situations where we should be looking at a best-practices state (well run, low corruption) and put the same guardrails in place?===

Eliminate townships.

Follow NV & FL and have 1 school district per county (same boundaries, different governmental body). That would eliminate approx. 750 IL school districts. If superintendent pay & benefits is $200K (remember, pension contribution rate is 50+% of salary), just getting rid of 750 superintendents is $150 million.

CA’s state constitution provision which mandates all local government is non-partisan.

Stronger FOIA law(s).

Comment by Anyone Remember Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 12:25 pm
== i’m getting tired of center-right legacy media newspapers making very out of context and unfounded claims like this. You could perhaps claim that the corruption creates a perception among the public that most or all politicians are corrupt, but to just say that the corruption of few tarnishes all is … well I wonder if they think the same about the police. ==

I think you made your own point.

“You could perhaps claim that the corruption creates a perception among the public that most or all politicians are corrupt”
Which is what the Tribune just said more or less.

“but to just say that the corruption of few tarnishes all is.. well I wonder if they think the same about the police. ”

As for the second one, I will put this out there, Spotify happens to have old Dragnet radio shows and I listen to them sometimes while I am driving. There are multiple episodes where both Sgt. Friday and his boss complain about how there is a perception that all cops are ‘on the take’.

As for the PPP stuff, Jim Thompson once commented something to the effect of ‘There are X number state employees and every day there is a risk they will do something that will get me on the front page’.

Finally, the number of Chicago aldermen who have ended up as defendants in criminal trials should make everyone wonder what the heck is going on there.

Comment by OneMan Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 12:35 pm
Given the inclusion of people acquitted of charges, I wonder if the Tribune were to do a culture of crime round up of notorious murderers would it include Rolando Cruz?

Comment by For the sake of argument Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 1:04 pm
= Ohio and NY State also have their own tawdry history of corruption, as does Texas. =

Let’s not forget Louisiana. When Edwin Edwards ran against KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, the slogan was, “Vote for the crook, it’s important”.

I recall being in New Orleans and seeing a crowd and police barriers around St. Louis Cathedral. I asked someone what was going on, and he said the city councilmen were praying before they “went out to do evil”.

Comment by JoanP Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 1:07 pm
The New York media is filled with these “why-are-we-so-corrupt?” pieces, too. As is Los Angeles media (a couple of select clips below.)

New York has hit the superfecta in recent years: a governor, lt. governor, and the leaders of both chambers of their legislature indicted on corruption charges. Hard to top that.

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/04/brian-benjamin-case-why-is-new-york-politics-so-corrupt.html

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-10-14/a-guide-to-los-angeles-city-council-scandals

Comment by Tony T. Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 1:43 pm
As Al Capone might have said: “There is no corruption in Illinois. Signed, convicted governors, mayors, aldermen, cops, judges, attorneys, etc.” We got NY beat by a few lengths, with 6 convicted Governors alone. And the convictions keep coming. And yes, they DO tarnish those who are not corrupt.

Comment by thisjustinagain Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 2:04 pm
===to just say that the corruption of few tarnishes all is … well I wonder if they think the same about the police===

Or guns.

To the post, do we have a corruption problem, or are we better at catching corruption?

Comment by thechampaignlife Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 2:36 pm
The photo of Burke and Madigan made me gag.

Entitled much?

Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 2:40 pm
I was a classmate of Judge LeFevours son.

Nobody sweated traffic court in high school
with him on the bench.

Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Aug 26, 24 @ 2:43 pm