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 Federal authorities are taking a keen interest in
Illinois-style government. And they don’t seem to like what they see.
This year alone, Illinoisans have witnessed:
A criminal indictment of 50-year Chicago Ald. Ed. Burke, a prison sentence for
former Ald. Willie Cochran, a federal grand jury investigation into alderman and
Cook County Democratic Party Vice Chairwoman Carrie Austin, and three federal
raids at the homes of members of Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s inner
circle.
Just to name a few.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is taking advantage of the moment. She saw one of
her biggest wins yet on Wednesday.
Cashing in on her landslide victory at the ballot box and a mandate to clean up
city government, Lightfoot received unanimous approval from aldermen on a
package of ethics reforms that included empowering the Chicago inspector general
to audit City Council committees, limiting outside employment for aldermen and
more than doubling the maximum fine for ethics violations.
 It’s not enough. But it’s an encouraging start. And Lightfoot has been unafraid
to point a spotlight on the city’s culture of corruption every chance she gets.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has done the opposite.
“The governor has said previously there is an ongoing investigation and we need
to see how that plays out,” Pritzker’s administration told political blog
Capitol Fax in response to news of raids on some of Madigan’s closest allies.
Those include the speaker’s decadeslong confidant and former lobbyist Mike
McClain, former Ald. Michael Zalewski, who represented a ward that overlapped
with Madigan’s Southwest Side House district for 20 years, and former political
lieutenant Kevin Quinn, who served Madigan for nearly 20 years. In addition to
news of the May raids, the Chicago Tribune reported federal agents are now
investigating $10,000 in behind-the-scenes payments from prominent Illinois
lobbyists to Quinn after he was fired from Madigan’s political operation for
allegations of sexual harassment.
Illinoisans statewide saw few significant ethics reforms in Springfield this
spring.
When Chicago is beating you on anti-corruption efforts, something is wrong.
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Lightfoot ran on breaking the machine. But Pritzker has funneled
more than $10 million to two political committees chaired by Madigan
– the Democratic Party of Illinois and Democratic Majority. And as
of April, the governor himself was the subject of an active federal
investigation into property tax appeals on his Gold Coast mansion,
according to WBEZ.
Tackling Illinois corruption isn’t just a moral imperative. It’s a
financial necessity.
In an upcoming report, Illinois Policy Institute Chief Economist
Orphe Divounguy estimates public corruption cost Illinoisans more
than $550 million per year from 2000-2017, for a total of $9.9
billion. That’s nearly $800 per resident.
Lightfoot realizes that before uttering a word about tax hikes on
some of the most overburdened residents in the nation, she must show
progress in rooting out corruption.
But the governor does not yet seem to think there’s a problem worth
addressing.
Here are a few places to start:
First, push for democracy in the General Assembly. Madigan wields
the most autocratic House rules in the country, and can decide
single-handedly decide what bills even get a public hearing. This is
the same bottlenecking Lightfoot is trying to end in Chicago’s City
Council, where aldermen want to keep hold of total veto power over
all that happens in their wards.
Second, back a bipartisan fair maps amendment sitting in the
Illinois Senate. Too many lawmakers are protected from challengers
due to gerrymandering. Competition would be a disinfectant.
Third, commission an independent study comparing Illinois with the
rest of the nation on the rules governing outside employment and
“revolving door” provisions for Illinois lawmakers, solicit
recommendations, and make changes.
And fourth, stop letting Illinois politicians muzzle their own
watchdog. Former Illinois Legislative Inspector General Julie Porter
bashed state lawmakers in April.
“Unless and until the legislature changes the structure and rules
governing the LIG, it is a powerless role, and no LIG – no matter
how qualified, hardworking and persistent – can effectively serve
the public,” she wrote.
No governor – no matter how qualified, hardworking and persistent –
should be above pushing for these critical changes.
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