Chicago Called Most Corrupt City In Nation
A former Chicago alderman turned political science professor/corruption fighter has found that Chicago is the most corrupt city in the country. He cites data from the U.S. Department of Justice to prove his case.
University of Illinois at Chicago professor Dick Simpson, who served as alderman of the 44th Ward in Lakeview from 1971 to 1979, estimates the cost of corruption at $500 million a year. Since the 1970s, four of Illinois’ seven governors have been convicted (Otto Kerner, Dan Walker, George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich). In addition, dozens of Chicago alderman and other city and county public officials have been found guilty.
Corruption, Simpson said, is intertwined with city politics. Simpson found that about a third of sitting alderman since 1973 have been corrupt. “We have had machine politics since the Great Chicago Fire of 1871,” he said. “Machine politics breeds corruption inevitably.” Simpson is set to present his full report Wednesday morning, and testify before the new Chicago Ethics Task Force at City Hall Wednesday night.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/02/14/chicago-called-most-corrupt-city-in-nation/
And who can forget Operation Greylord?
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2004/march/greylord_031504
A very sad state of affairs.
