“If we’re serious about fixing the corruption problem in Illinois, we have to go to its root—the money that feeds it.” Reform for Illinois Executive Director Alisa Kaplan wrote a Chicago Tribune op-ed outlining what keeps leaders like Mike Madigan in power…
Read MoreOn July 17, the Justice Department announced its deferred prosecution agreement with ComEd, implicating Speaker Madigan as the recipient of ComEd’s bribes. Being at the center of a scandal, however, has not led to any noticeable change in Speaker Madigan’s…
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Ethics and equity are “inextricably intertwined,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told a packed room at Reform for Illinois’ annual luncheon last Friday. “The issues can’t be separated from each other.” The newly elected mayor joined moderator Natalie Moore from WBEZ…
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Lori Lightfoot cruised to a commanding victory in the Chicago mayoral runoff on April 2, garnering a nearly 50 point lead over Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Her victory was fueled in part by deep-pocketed contributors who had backed…
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With votes set to be tallied Tuesday night in Chicago’s heated mayoral race, a close look at who’s funding the campaigns shows the city’s various – and sometimes competing – sectors have a lot riding on certain candidates. In all,…
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Chicago Mayoral Race 2019 | OpaVote Reform for Illinois is exploring ways we might change the way we vote to make it more democratic and accessible. Read more about Ranked Choice Voting, how it could help avoid the “strategic voting”,…
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As we reported earlier this week, many Chicago mayoral candidates have been tapping wealthy donors to fill their campaign coffers. But several have another important income source – themselves. Willie Wilson, Jerry Joyce, and Bill Daley top the list of…
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An analysis of contributions in the 2019 Chicago mayoral race shows that small donors – those who give $150 or less* to their favored candidate – make up a minuscule percentage of most candidates’ fundraising rosters. The numbers highlight the…
Read MoreFourth Quarter Campaign Finance Report: A Cash Divide in Mayoral Race Follows Rich Battle Over Governor’s Seat Illinois is known nationally for its political corruption. Now it’s earning another dubious distinction – the high cost to win public office. Recently released campaign…
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Summary State legislative leaders have been using Illinois’ self-funding campaign finance provision to get around contribution caps and funnel millions into party and candidate committees. October saw a flurry of last-minute megadonor activity capping a record-breaking election season. This election cycle…
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