By Haley Kosik/WJEZ News
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois remains No. 3 in the nation when it comes to political corruption as the new standing are out.
This is according to a University of Illinois study of 2013 data. On a per capita basis, only Louisiana and the District of Columbia had more political and government corruption convictions in federal court than Illinois did.
Political science professor Dick Simpson says its part of the culture here, going back centuries, which he blames on political machines in many Illinois counties.
“They set up a system in which you as an individual taxpayer would expect to pay a bribe to get what you needed done by government, and I as a government official would expect to get a bribe if you were gonna get a zoning variance or a crooked contract,” Simpson said.
Simpson is the author of Corrupt Illinois: Patronage, Cronyism and Criminality.
The third-place ranking is unchanged from 2012.
The Northern District of Illinois, which includes Chicago, the suburbs, Elgin and Rockford, had 45 corruption convictions in 2013, more than any other federal court district in the country.
Simpson suggests reforms, including more inspectors general, especially in the Chicago suburbs, civics education, public financing of campaigns, term limits and election of better public officials.
