Thread: Illinois elected officials

Convicted officials by the numbers


By Scott Fornek
Sun-Times news group


More than two a year.

That's how many past or present elected officials have been convicted of crimes in Illinois each year on average since 1972 — at least.

It's tough to be sure. No one really keeps a comprehensive list.

But scrutiny of news reports and other sources over past decades shows that at least 79 current or former Illinois, Chicago or Cook County elected officials have been found guilty by judges, juries or their own pleas.

Some fit in multiple categories, but we only counted them once, in the highest office they achieved.

We didn't include suburban politicians, appointed officials or purely political types in an effort to keep it to a manageable list.

Despite the numbers, George Ryan is in a somewhat exclusive group. He's one of only three former governors on the list. Most are aldermen and judges.

So many aldermen have gone off to jail that, when 1991 passed with none being indicted or convicted, the Chicago Sun-Times ran a front-page story.

Here are the sorry statistics:

Governors: 3

Other statewide officials: 2

State legislators: 15

Congressmen: 2

Mayors: 1

Other citywide officials: 3

Aldermen: 27

Cook County judges: 19

Other Cook County officials: 7


09/07/06http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/top/2_1_AU07_CORRUPT_S10907.htm

I grew up in Chicago and for as long as I can remember, Cook County is particularly notorious for its criminal and racially divisive officials. It has the highest taxes in Illinois, and the corruption knows no bounds. Mayor Daley (a democrat who is friends with Bush) is as dumb and crooked as his friend and is currently on the hot seat.

He is also an avid supporter of the illegals and their communities here.

I tell ya preachingtothechoir......I have never seen anything so corrupt and they just keep getting away with it! Or at best a cushioned slap on the wrist. Nobody wants these people in but they somehow always keep getting voted in! You'd think Capone was still here......I guess the spirit is still alive.