Former House Speaker Michael Madigan has been found guilty on federal corruption charges. It’s an important milestone in establishing accountability for the powerful. But it’s nowhere near enough to restore public trust and strengthen our democracy. Our laws and our politicians enabled Madigan’s decades-long reign, and this…
Read MoreOn Monday, President Trump pardoned former Governor Rod Blagojevich, while the Justice Department told federal prosecutors to drop the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. These moves were shocking in their brazen disregard of the costs of public corruption, and they could portend a retreat from such…
Read MoreReform for Illinois (RFI) will appeal a recent court decision limiting the power of Illinois municipalities to adopt ranked-choice voting – and potentially other reforms – for their local elections. RFI, which advocates for empowering voters with fair, accessible…
Read MoreCook County Clerk Cedric Giles: Phone: 312-603-0931, Email: cedric.giles@cookcountyil.gov Please CC Clerk Giles’ presumptive successor following November’s election: Monica.Gordon2@cookcountyil.gov Evanston’s Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita: District Phone: 847-864-1209, Email: Josina.Morita@cookcountyil.gov Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle: Phone: 312-603-4600, Email: info@tonipreckwinkle.org…
Read MoreAfter months of political maneuvering, yesterday the Chicago City Council approved a measure banning lobbyists from making campaign contributions to the mayor and mayoral candidates. The ordinance was the ultimate no-brainer: its purpose was just to codify a similar 2011…
Read MoreFormer Ald. Edward Burke’s sentencing on corruption charges represents a clarion call for Mayor Johnson and the City Council to take action on ethics reform. The longtime Finance Committee chair, who also chaired the Cook County Democratic Party’s judicial slating…
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The legislature also failed to address election threats from AI-generated “deepfakes” At a time when we are increasingly alarmed by the concentration of money and power in the hands of a few, Reform for Illinois is disappointed that the Illinois…
Read MoreRead our analysis of the Democratic primaries for the 20th state senate district, Cook County Board of Review, Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court, and Cook County State’s Attorney. Check out who’s funding – and influencing – candidates for…
Read MoreCrain’s reporter John Pletz interviewed RFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan about the guilty verdict in the Ed Burke case. While the verdict “sends a strong message,” “We need to see more proactive reform instead of just reactive.” she said. “We…
Read MoreCrain’s Chicago reporter Judith Crown interviewed Reform for Illinois’ Executive Director Alisa Kaplan about ranked-choice voting (RCV). Reform for Illinois spearheaded the movement to get RCV passed in Evanston, where it was approved by 82 percent of voters in a…
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