Corruption in Illinois has been a problem from the earliest history of the state. [1] Electoral fraud in Illinois pre-dates the territory's admission to the Union in 1818. [2] Illinois had the third most federal criminal convictions for public corruption between 1976 and 2012, behind New York and California. A study published by the University of Illinois Chicago in 2022 ranked Illinois as the second most corrupt state in the nation, with 4 out of the last 11 governors serving time in prison. [3]
Several members of Illinois's delegation to the United States Congress have been convicted of crimes.
According to The Economist's profile of Edward Burke, "Criminality among the city's 50 aldermen is also astonishingly common." [82] Dozens of Chicago aldermen (city council members) have been convicted of corruption-related crimes. [2] [83] [84] [85] [86]
John Dennis Hastert is an American former politician, educator, convicted felon and child sex offender who represented Illinois's 14th congressional district from 1987 to 2007 and served as the 51st Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007. Hastert was the longest-serving Republican Speaker of the House in history. After Democrats gained a majority in the House in 2007, Hastert resigned and began work as a lobbyist. In 2016, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for financial offenses related to the sexual abuse of teenage boys.
George Homer Ryan is an American former politician who served as the 39th governor of Illinois from 1999 to 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as secretary of State of Illinois from 1991 to 1999 and as lieutenant governor from 1983 to 1991. He was later convicted of federal racketeering, bribery, extortion, money laundering and tax fraud stemming from his time in office.
Melvin Reynolds is an American politician from Illinois. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1995. He resigned in October 1995 after a jury convicted him of sexual assault charges related to sex with an underage campaign worker.
Edward Robert Vrdolyak, also known as "Fast Eddie", is a former American politician and lawyer. He was a longtime Chicago alderman and the head of the Cook County Democratic Party until 1987 when he ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Chicago on the Illinois Solidarity Party ticket. He subsequently ran again in 1989 on the Republican Party ticket. He was a prominent opponent of Harold Washington and the de facto leader of the so-called "Vrdolyak 29" that opposed and blocked many of Washington's measures.
Arenda Iris Troutman is an American former politician who ran as a member of the Democratic Party. Troutman served as alderman of Chicago, Illinois 20th Ward from April 1990 until February 2007. Troutman was appointed to her position by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, to fill the ward's vacancy after the death of alderman Ernest Jones. Troutman was subsequently re-elected in 1991, 1995, 1999, and 2003.
Ricardo Muñoz is a former member of the Chicago City Council, having served as alderman for the 22nd ward, which includes Little Village and Archer Heights. Muñoz was appointed to this position by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1993 and served until 2019. He was the longest tenured Latino and fourth longest tenured member of the Chicago City Council.
Isaac "Ike" Sims Carothers is a former alderman of the 29th Ward on the far west side of the City of Chicago. He was first elected in 1999. He resigned in 2010 after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges.
Edwin Everett Pawlowski is an American politician and convicted felon who served as the 41st Mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania. He held the office from 2006 until his resignation in 2018, following his election to a fourth term in 2017. He resigned after being convicted on 47 federal charges related to corruption as mayor of Allentown.
Martin A. Sandoval was an American Democratic politician and senator for Illinois who admitted guilt to corruption charges in 2020. He sat in the Illinois Senate from 2003 to 2020.
Barbara Louise Byrd–Bennett is an American educator, education administrator, former school superintendent and convicted felon. Byrd-Bennett is the former chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Cleveland Municipal School District. She was CEO of the Cleveland schools from 1998 to 2006. From 2009 to 2011, she was the academic and accountability officer for the Detroit Public Schools system. She was hired as the chief education advisor for CPS in April 2012 and then named CEO by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel six months later.
Tyrone Clarence "Ty" Fahner is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Republican Party he served as Illinois Attorney General from 1980 until 1983. He was appointed to the position by Governor James R. Thompson after the incumbent, William Scott, had been disqualified from office after being convicted of a tax crime.
Willie B. Cochran is an American politician and former Chicago Police Department officer. Cochran served as alderman of Chicago, Illinois' 20th Ward from 2007 until 2019.
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