Abraham Lincoln was a man of virtue and integrity. We are proud to call ourselves the Land of Lincoln. In stark contrast, since the days of Al Capone politics in Illinois has been dominated by names and phrases less frequently associated with virtue and integrity and more akin to corruption and greed.

Take some time to educate yourself about Illinois' checkered past and equally slimy present.

"Researchers at the University of Illinois-Chicago tallied the price of corruption to state taxpayers: at least $500 million a year."
(Source: Corruption in Illinois Costs Each Family $109 as Reform Stalls
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aMdTNyK65y0k&refer=us)

Information and Links:

Reform Illinois Now Video
"If Illinois isn't the most corrupt state in the United States, it's one hell of a competitor." (Robert Grant, FBI Special Agent 12/9/08)

Illinois' History of Political Corruption
CBS News correspondent Jeff Greenfield takes a look back through Illinois' history of corruption in politics.

Is Illinois the Most Corrupt State?
Washington Post article By Ben Pershing and Paul Kane

The Cost of Corruption
Political Corruption in Illinois and what to do about it.

Curing Corruption in Illinois: Anti-Corruption Report Number 1, February 3, 2009 (PDF)
Authored By: Thomas J. Gradel, Dick Simpson and Andris Zimelis with Kirsten Byers, Chris Olson

Corruption in Cook County: Anti-Corruption Report Number 3 February 18, 2010
Authored By: Thomas J. Gradel, Dick Simpson And Tom Kelly With Andris Zimelis Kenneth Chow Alexandra Kathryn Curatolo Emily Gillot David Michelberger Marrell Stewart University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Political Science and the Better Government Association

Political Corruption in Illinois
A timeline from 1996 through Dec. 2008