Good morning, Chicago.
At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the importance of money in national politics was clear, from the appeals made at fancy fundraisers to the unrelenting streams of video ads and text messages.
But in Illinois, big money is inundating politics at a pace that virtually puts government offices in the Land of Lincoln up for sale.
Few states invite politicians to raise and spend so aggressively as Illinois, where large infusions of cash led by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and his billionaire Republican enemies are enabled by loose rules and feeble enforcement standards that tempt politicians to push the limits of campaign finance boundaries.
As part of the ongoing series “Culture of Corruption,” which explores how Illinois’ voracious politics, structural flaws and tepid oversight set the state apart, the lack of meaningful campaign finance reform has repeatedly been identified as a key factor.
Read the latest of the series from the Tribune’s Ray Long and Rick Pearson .