Illinois has some of the worst public corruption in the nation. Attorney General Lisa Madigan pledged to combat it, but critics say she’s fallen short. Her aides say state law restricts what she can do.
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Posted inLegal
Better Government Association Sues Harvey Over Transparency
BGA accuses Mayor Eric Kellogg’s administration of willfully violating Open Meetings Act, Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation, Newsroom
IDOT Secretary Talks About BGA’s Clout Hiring Investigation
For nearly a year after the Better Government Association exposed widespread issues with clout hiring at the Illinois Department of Transportation, agency secretary Ann Schneider stayed quiet. She refused to grant an interview to the BGA on the topic.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation, Newsroom
Pension Free-For-All
Public pension systems in the Chicago area have little or no oversight when it comes to trustees and staff members accepting gifts and other freebies from vendors or prospective vendors.
Posted inAnalysis, Perspective, Policy
Christie “Bridgegate” Reporter Epitomizes Value of Watchdog Work
Boburg shares the back story in an email: “Although I had an inkling from the start that this was more than a ‘traffic study,’ it was tough getting any information at all during the two months before Christie’s election in November.
Posted inUncategorized
Not Sitting On Duffs, Controversial Family Resurfaces
The formal name of one Chicago-based labor group is a mouth full: Liquor & Wine Sales Representatives – Tire, Plastic, and Allied Workers Union Local 3.
Posted inLegal
Better Government Association Sues School District Over FOIA Flap
Schiller Park school district refuses to release “confidentiality agreements” under Illinois Freedom of Information Act, even though the law is clear and every other Cook County school district complied with request. So the BGA is headed to court.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation
Quinn Clout Hiring Faces Court Scrutiny
BGA investigation on clout hiring on Gov. Pat Quinn’s watch prompts motion for a court-appointed watchdog – similar to what exists in Chicago and Cook County governments.
Posted inAnalysis, Perspective, Policy
State’s “Diet Doctor” Has Rx For Obese Government
The Illinois legislature’s “diet doctor” is asking his fattest patients to swallow a bitter streamlining pill and, as you might expect, the Rx is meeting a lot of resistance.
Posted inFollow-Up, Investigation
The Stone Park Trifecta
A former mayor and two former police chiefs in Stone Park are drawing pensions from the village’s obscure little fund. What else do they have in common? All three are felons.