Dave McKinney

Patrick Ward, one of the central figures in the Metra patronage scandal, wasn’t the only political foot soldier for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to land on a public-sector payroll.

Late-great Pittsburgh Pirate and Latino sports icon Roberto Clemente was known for a strong arm. Was an Illinois legislator using strong-arm tactics to get Metra to re-name a train stop after Clemente?

Prosecutors look into state Rep. Dan Burke after a BGA/Sun-Times investigation raises questions about how he awarded taxpayer-subsidized college tuition waivers.

Former Oak Brook Police Chief Tom Sheahan’s taxpayer-funded retirement benefits soared thanks to a law that appeared to be quietly crafted several years ago just for him. Now, following a BGA/Sun-Times expose, the Illinois Senate has voted to reverse the sweetheart deal.

In the latest controversy surrounding a lucrative political perk, the daughter of Chicago Ald. Anthony Beale—who has endorsed state Rep. Robert Rita for re-election in the past—ended up with a “legislative scholarship” from Rita.

As a result of a BGA/Sun-Times investigation, the State Board of Education sends records to the FBI and the General Assembly’s ethics watchdog about a questionable legislative scholarship awarded by state Rep. Dan Burke.

A joint investigation by the BGA and the Chicago Sun-Times has raised unanswered questions about how state Rep. Dan Burke’s ex-secretary’s daughter received a legislative scholarship.