Chicago alderman Willie Cochran received news of his impending federal indictment on corruption charges while attending a City Council meeting. You can’t say he skips out on work. You can […]
Tag: Corrupt Illinois
200 Years of Illinois: Hodge Dodge
On August 20, 1956, former state auditor Orville Hodge astonished colleagues in the Republican Party and political observers across the state by pleading guilty to embezzlement. A perennial on listicles […]
“Serious crimes” keep Corrupt Illinois figure in prison
Inmate No. 40892-424, better known as former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, had hoped to he would be able to return home early. Those hopes were dashed by a the federal […]
Digging out of Corrupt Illinois
Some might say it is just a drop in a very deep and very full bucket but lawmakers in Illinois state government have taken at least one measure to amend […]
The ‘face of Illinois corruption’ gets a new day in court
A federal appeals court has overturned some of former Governor Rod Blagojevich’s convictions On Tuesday, July 21st, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out convictions on five of […]
A familiar face from Corrupt Illinois back in the headlines
It’s Friday, so it must (again) be time for the Illinois Congressional indictment story of the week. The news of June 26, 2015 brings a familiar face back into the ignominious […]
A lot of rocks to look under in Illinois
Scandal and indictment have kept Corrupt Illinois authors Thomas J. Gradel and Dick Simpson busy. The investigation of Rep. Aaron Schock and indictment of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert have […]
The revolving door in Corrupt Illinois
Jesse Jackson Jr. gained his Congressional seat by winning a special election to replace Rep. Mel Reynolds. Reynolds resigned after being convicted of sexual misconduct. Jackson himself resigned as the […]
Corrupt Illinois authors: Schock is not unique
When Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock announced he’d be resigning from the U.S. Congress it was seen by many as yet another example of the state’s seamy political underbelly. As detailed in […]
Campaign cash and Corrupt Illinois
Political corruption isn’t just about under-the-table dealings. A major factor that contributes to a system that many see as broken in the state of Illinois and throughout the country is […]
800 thousand dollars in shoe boxes
Authors Thomas J. Gradel and Dick Simpson document many colorful and dubious characters in their book Corrupt Illinois. An example (on page 1 of the book, even) would be former […]
Chicago is ‘undoubtedly the most corrupt city in our nation’
In recent history 4 governors and 33 Chicago aldermen have been jailed in Illinois. No wonder the authors of Corrupt Illinois, Patronage, Cronyism, and Criminality make the dire claims as […]