Surprise! Chicago Again Most Corrupt City; Illinois Third Most Corrupt State

For the fourth year running, sweet home Chicago has been named the nation’s most corrupt city in an annual report by political scientists at the University of Illinois – Chicago.

The State of Illinois received the dubious distinction of being named the third most corrupt state.

The “Anti-Corruption Report” has been published annually by UIC political science professors and former Chicago Ald. Dick Simpson. This is the first year Simpson was not involved in its production. This year’s report was authored by PhD candidate Marco Rosaire Rossi and long-time political media consultant and researcher Thomas J. Gradel.

The most recent version, published earlier this month, covers 2021, the most recent reporting period.

“The Chicago City Council is well known for its legacy of corruption. Since 1972, thirty-eight Chicago alderpersons have been indicted, convicted, or pleaded guilty to corruption,” the report notes.

“Unfortunately, this dishonorable trend continued through 2021, with one alderperson being involved in a major bank scandal that led to the indictment of several business and political leaders.”

The new is not all bad, however. The report cites trends that suggest that corruption cases are in the midst of a long-term, albeit glacially slow, decline both in Chicago and across the country. Corruption cases in Illinois peaked in 1988, according to the report.

“What this means is that while corruption is begrudgingly declining in the state, it is doing so at a rate that is far too slow, with far too many victims on the way down,” the report concludes.

“Fundamental changes need to be made throughout the state—in politics, business, and culture—to rid Illinoisans of the perpetual yoke of corruption and its burden on victims, taxpayers, and the public trust.”

Read the full report here.