A Cook County revitalization program allows municipalities to take over tax-delinquent properties. Former Mayor of Ford Heights, Charles Griffin, used this program to seize 17 homes, 10 of which were then given to family and political supporters. “You would hope…
Read MoreCook County Inspector General Tirrell Paxton references past support from RFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan for increasing the budget of the Cook County Office of the Independent Inspector General in a recent letter to the editor. Read the article here.
Read MoreThe Chicago Tribune reported that two Democratic members of the Illinois State Board of Elections have ties to organizations that made above-limit contributions to Illinois Senate President Don Harmon. “These members had clear conflicts and should never have been involved…
Read MoreRFI Board Member Ricky Gandhi spoke to The Center Square about U.S. Rep. Chuy García’s unexpected retirement announcement. After initially filing for reelection, Rep. García announced his retirement the day after the filing deadline, leaving his chief of staff to…
Read MoreThe Evanston RoundTable reported that City of Evanston will join RFI’s refiled lawsuit to implement ranked-choice voting in Evanston. Read the article here.
Read MoreIn a recent letter to the editor published by the Chicago Tribune, RFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan argued that the failure of Democratic election board members to hold Illinois Sen. Pres. Harmon accountable is a “shameful abdication of their responsibility…
Read MoreLast week, four Democratic members of the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE) voted to rescue Democratic State Senate President Don Harmon from having to pay a nearly $10 million penalty for alleged campaign finance violations. The Board deadlocked along…
Read MoreIn an interview with the Hyde Park Herald, RFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan noted that the Cook County Inspector General has just one staffer per 1,000 county employees – far behind Chicago’s ratio of one to 300. She also warned…
Read MoreRFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan penned a joint op-ed in the Chicago Tribune with Professor Dick Simpson urging the Cook County Board of Commissioners to support a budget amendment allocating additional funds to the Office of the Independent Inspector General (OIIG). …
Read MoreIn an interview with Patch, RFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan weighed in on a situation involving an Argo Community High School board member who resigned and later accepted a job with the school. “[T]his type of situation is not uncommon…
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