Corrupt Illinois Politicians: Indicted Elected Officials Through The Years (PHOTOS)

On Thursday, Cook County Commissioner William Beavers was indicted Thursday on allegations of tax fraud. While the news made a few front pages the following day, the city -- and state -- responded overall with a collective sigh.

Just last week, Chicago was named the most corrupt city in America according to a study by the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Illinois' Institute of Government and Public Affairs.

The report cites federal data showing that, between 1976 and 2010, there were 1,531 convictions for public corruption in "the federal district dominated by Chicago," according to the Associated Press.

U.S Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, the man who announced charges against former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich in 2008, has publicly said he plans to stop corrupt politicians from thriving in the state.

On Friday, Beavers told reporters he did not "give a f**k" about Fitzgerald, adding "F**k him."

Beavers is not the first local politician to proclaim innocence after an indictment -- and will sadly not be the last. We rounded up some other local politicians who have been charged with corruption in Chicago, Cook County and Illinois. Since 1,531 slides seemed excessive, we stuck to some of the most recent corrupt officials. And since Beavers has yet to have his day in court, we left him out... for now.

Comments

[RahmCorpShill]

04:22 PM on 02/27/2012

Can't wait to see Madigan, Berrios, Daley, Burke, Mell, Rahm and the Goldman Sachs banksters on the list. Oh happy day that will be.

[Ed Hammer]

12:14 PM on 02/27/2012

http://www.amazon.com/One-Hundred-Percent-Guilty-Convicted/dp/1439260672/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294071989&sr=8-1Read about the Illinois walk of shame in my book ONE HUNDRED PERCENT GUILTY available from

[Aldyth]

09:09 AM on 02/27/2012

Illlinois has corruption issues going back to when the state capitol was in Kaskaskia. Nothing will change until we have term limits so that we can keep politicians from making this a lifetime career.

[Iccarus]

10:39 AM on 02/26/2012

During 1946, Milton Friedman accepted an offer to teach economic theory at the University of Chicago (a position opened by departure of his former professor Jacob Viner to Princeton University). Friedman would work for the University of Chicago for the next 30 years. There he helped build an intellectual community that produced a number of Nobel Prize winners, known collectively as the Chicago School of Economics.

Milton Friedman and his economic theories are in large part to blame for our one bubble after another economy.
Nothing to this article. How did other cities fare? Only Chicago gets mentioned? OH I see, as all the sheep are posting, this is where Obama learned politics. News flash, Obama was never active in Chicago politics.

[demand transparency]

10:19 AM on 02/26/2012

Yes and I'm sure Obama, who rose to power fast in Chicago, is completely free of corruption.

[Iccarus]

10:41 AM on 02/26/2012

He never held any political position in Chicago. Try reading before posting BS.

[lurkinman]

11:47 AM on 02/26/2012

He "rose to power" in the Illinois 13th District as State Senator. At the time, no one outside of the 13th District ever heard of Obama.

[Mailman]

09:23 AM on 02/26/2012

This is normal in Chicago.

[b knob]

03:49 AM on 02/26/2012

And we all know where Obama learned his politics from (Chicago) HELLO people need I say more

[b knob]

03:47 AM on 02/26/2012

This is exactly my point, where is the freedom of speech. This WILL work against you

[pear2284]

01:07 AM on 02/26/2012

Oh god, This is way I'm looking to move to Indiana or Wisconsin. Raise the taxes. More no bid contracts. Keep adding to the deficit in the teachers pension. Won't be my problem much longer. So long stink town

[StephenJK]

06:41 AM on 02/26/2012

Also playing into our reason for moving away to Arizona. From the weather to pollution to corruption to the rent's too DAMN high! All of it and we're done with it. Although, I've been gainfully employed here for more than 15 years, pfft, I don't have a penny to show for it. Well, that's not entirely true. I will have a nice bit coming from 401k savings. We just want to completely start fresh somewhere else. I'm done with "sweet home" Chicago.

[ConservativeChampion]

10:29 PM on 02/25/2012

Almost all Democrats.

Any wonder why ILL-ANNOY is an economic and social outcast state?

[Iccarus]

10:12 AM on 02/26/2012

Actually we pay in to the Federal Gov. more than we get back, unlike most of the red state welfare queens.

[Chivas]

07:54 PM on 02/25/2012

Sweet Home, Chicago!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlou_2lMLAc

[Judy Kempf]

07:01 PM on 02/25/2012

It's criminals like this that is taking the money that is needed to keep W.G.Murray Development Center for the disabled open..All of these crooks and the money spent on trials for them. Look at the millions spent to send them to jail..........