History

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2004 to Present

Shortly after Stewart's arrival, the BGA recruited new staff, hiring the first chief investigator in many years and moved to its current location at 11 East Adams Street. Grants were secured from the Richard H. Driehaus and Nathan Cummings Foundations, restoring the BGA's landmark investigative program, whose resources had diminished as the organization's policy and research work expanded.

Under the leadership of Dan Sprehe, the BGA's investigative program was quickly back on its feet, reestablishing valuable media partnerships and bringing important issues to the public's attention.

In the spring of 2005, the BGA participated in a joint investigation with the Residents Journal, revealing Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) contractors had contributed more than $250,000 to the 17th Ward Democratic Organization, a political committee in the ward where CHA CEO Terry Peterson formerly served as Alderman and Committeeman.

Not long after Peterson assumed leadership at the CHA, his 17th Ward successors and related campaign committees began receiving contributions from businesses with CHA contracts. The catch: there are no public housing developments in the 17th Ward. The story ran on the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times and was covered on Chicago Public Radio. In response to the investigation, Peterson says he'll reconsider his close involvement with the political committee in the future.

While investigating the campaign contributions to the 17th Ward Democratic Organization, the BGA discovered numerous donations from what appeared to be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. Upon further investigation, the BGA found that more than 400 political contributions from such organizations had been given in Illinois since 1999. Although there is no law preventing candidates and campaign committees from accepting these contributions, tax-exempt organizations (under IRS tax law) are prohibited from engaging in making campaign contributions to candidates or party campaign committees. As a result of the investigation, several campaign committees returned the contributions they received from tax-exempt groups and the Attorney General is working to remind non-profits to refrain from making contributions.

In addition to working with the Resident's Journal and the Chicago Sun-Times, the BGA recently partnered with CBS-2 reporter Pam Zekman in uncovering a disturbing pattern of inaction, poor communication, and mismanagement within the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation (IDPR). As a result, Executive Director Stewart has testified in front of the senate committee on the inefficiencies within the IDPR.

In the areas of policy work and promoting transparency the BGA has hit the ground running in 2004 and 2005. In an effort to ensure that the City of Chicago's Public Arts Program is run in an transparent and accountable fashion, the BGA and Scott Hodes, a Chicago attorney who is a founding member of Lawyers for the Creative Arts, filed a lawsuit against the City, alleging a history of gross mismanagement in the distribution and recording of funds for Chicago's capital projects. The suit was settled and the City agreed to comply with the Open Meetings Act, post more information regarding the Public Art Program on the Internet and improve its financial reports.

The BGA joined a coalition of reform groups to unveil a blueprint for reforming the Illinois campaign finance system. The groups have urged legislators, the Governor and all constitutional officers to work together on a comprehensive package of legislation that will reduce the influence of special interest lobbies and restore the confidence of citizens in all branches of state government.

After a number of City building inspectors were charged with falsifying work histories, the BGA demanded that the city, which had planned to issue the maximum administrative fine of $500, file a lawsuit under little know state law that would allow them to recoup three times the inspectors $49,548-a-year salaries. The City listened and has since filed the lawsuit.

In the fall of 2004, in an effort to recognize the vital work of investigative journalists and to pay homage to former BGA investigator George Bliss, the BGA, through the generous support of the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, established the George Bliss Award for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. The Award recognizes the best in government-related investigative reporting from across the Midwest region. The 2004 recipients of the award were Tim Novak and Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times for their outstanding series on the City's Hired Truck scandal.

Since that time, the BGA has been honored to have distinguished speakers at its annual awards receiption and benefit, including Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who in 2003 established the Public Access Bureau and appointed a Public Access Counselor to ensure compliance with transparency laws, such as the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Open Meetings Act.

Most recently, the BGA presented its 2007 Civic Achievement Award to United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Chicago Office. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and Special Agent in Charge Robert Grant were on hand to accept the awards on behalf of their respective offices, which have worked tirelessly to prosecute corruption at multiple levels of government in Illinois.

Today the BGA's investigative program still holds true to its original mission: to seek out and expose waste, fraud, corruption and inefficiency in government, and to promote transparency. In response to several denials to a FOIA request filed with the Office of the Governor, the BGA filed suit in early 2007 to gain access to the numerous subpoenas served upon the Blagojevich administration. In January 2008, the BGA was victorious in Sangamon County Circuit Court, and that ruling was upheld by Judge Patrick Kelley on March 3, 2008. Several days prior, the Governor's office released two subpoenas but refuses to disclose the remaining documents.

Pending appeal, the Governor's office has been ordered to disclose all subpoenas requested by the BGA. This will ensure Illinois taxpayers can freely view details relating to the very serious criminal investigations of activities taking place within the walls of their government.