Speaker Welch says Illinois’ financial disclosure forms are ‘worthless’

By Joe Tabor

03/02/2021

The new speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives referred to state lawmakers’ statements of economic interest forms as confusing and a ‘worthless piece of document.’ They can be fixed.

TAGS: Chris Welch, conflict of interest, financial disclosure

Illinois lawmakers miss deadline for corruption reforms

04/02/2020

State lawmakers putting together ethics reforms have not met since the first week of March, when the coronavirus ended gatherings.

TAGS: conflict of interest, corruption, ethics task force, lobbying, revolving door

Illinois House committee passes bill to ban red-light cameras statewide

03/12/2020

Red-light cameras have been the subject of multiple corruption investigations and have cost Illinois drivers over $1 billion.

TAGS: conflict of interest, corruption, David McSweeney, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, IDOT: Illinois Department of Transportation, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, Jeff Tobolski, Martin Sandoval, Oakbrook Terrace, red light cameras, SafeSpeed

Bribery charge, resignations hit prominent players in red-light camera scandal

03/09/2020

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.

TAGS: Chicago Department of Aviation, conflict of interest, Cook County, corruption, IDOT: Illinois Department of Transportation, Jeff Tobolski, Lyons, Martin Sandoval, McCook, Oak Brook, Patrick Doherty, red light cameras, SafeSpeed, Toni Preckwinkle

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

New bill would stop suspending Illinois driver’s licenses for unpaid red-light camera tickets

02/21/2020

Red-light cameras have been the subject of an ongoing federal investigation that has lead to the arrest of numerous public officials.

TAGS: bipartisan, Celina Villanueva, conflict of interest, corruption, David McSweeney, drivers license, lobbying, Martin Sandoval, Oakbrook Terrace, red light cameras, SafeSpeed, Susana Mendoza

Records involving Madigan sought by federal probe into southwest Chicago suburb

By Brad Weisenstein

02/21/2020

Federal investigators are seeking records from a small village near Chicago. The subpoena names Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, his political lieutenants and former ComEd lobbyists.

TAGS: Chicago, Commonwealth Edison, conflict of interest, corruption, ethics, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, Kevin Quinn, Marty Quinn, Michael McClain, Mike Madigan, red light cameras, revolving door, Timothy Mapes

Illinois lawmakers operate under honor system on conflicts of interest

By Joe Tabor

02/10/2020

Prairie State politicians are allowed to determine when they have a conflict of interest, and whether they should recuse themselves from voting or disclose a conflict. HB 4041 would change that.

TAGS: bribery, Carol Ammons, Chicago, Chicago City Council, conflict of interest, corruption, crime, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Luis Arroyo, Mike Madigan, Springfield

‘Fair tax’ backer pleads guilty to tax fraud

By Vincent Caruso

01/28/2020

Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval once headed the powerful Senate Transportation Committee. He now faces up to 13 years in prison on corruption charges involving a controversial red-light camera company.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, conflict of interest, corruption, Ed Burke, embezzlement, ethics, fair maps, fair tax, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, fraud, graduated income tax, house rules, IDOT: Illinois Department of Transportation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, JB Pritzker, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, pork barrel spending, progressive income tax, red light cameras, redistricting, revolving door, Springfield, tax fraud, Tom Cullerton

Feds indict champion of Illinois gas tax hike, ‘fair tax’ on tax fraud and bribery

By Vincent Caruso

01/27/2020

The former chair of the influential Senate Transportation Committee is the fourth Illinois politician indicted on federal charges amid a sweeping FBI probe.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, conflict of interest, corruption, Ed Burke, embezzlement, ethics, fair maps, fair tax, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal, federal government, federal investigation, fraud, gas tax, graduated income tax, graduation rate, house rules, IDOT: Illinois Department of Transportation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, JB Pritzker, Legislative Inspector General, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, Mike Madigan, pork barrel spending, progressive income tax, red light cameras, redistricting, revolving door, SafeSpeed, Senate Transportation Committee, Smart Scale, Springfield, tax fraud, transparency, waste, watchdog

Unlocking Opportunity: How Occupational Licensing Reform Would Promote Equitable Empowerment in Illinois

Illinois finds itself at a crossroads: will it empower minorities and poor people to unleash their potential, or will it perpetuate an inequitable status quo? For far too many Illinoisans, opportunity is unfairly and unnecessarily out of reach. Illinois ranks in the bottom ten among all states in social mobility and last among Midwest states...

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Unlocking Opportunity: How Occupational Licensing Reform Would Promote Equitable Empowerment in Illinois

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Martin Sahagun

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students