ILLINOIS POLICY
Center of Chicago Red-Light-Camera Scandal Ordered Donations to Madigan’s Political Organization
by Austin Berg
January 15, 2016

In Illinois, the right political connections command a premium. John Bills – the former Chicago transportation official indicted on corruption charges in August 2014 – knows this as well as anyone. Federal prosecutors allege Bills received hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and perks from Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. in exchange for bringing the company’s red-light cameras to Chicago. Now, the admitted bagman for Bills’ scheme with Redflex, Martin O’Malley, said Bills ordered him to cut checks totaling $5,500 to Illinois House of Representatives Speaker Mike Madigan’s 13^th Ward Democratic Organization, according to the Chicago Tribune. READ MORE