Joseph Duncan (D)

Governor, 1834-38

The federal government sued Duncan in 1841 for trying to help his brother-in-law, a receiver at a federal land office in Illinois. Duncan had signed a surety bond backing his brother-in-law and was forced to pay back the U.S. government after the brother-in-law defaulted on collections.

Joel Matteson (D)

Governor, 1853-57

A court ruled in 1863 that Matteson owed the state $253,000 for turning in blank or noncanceled scrips, which act like bonds, that were used to pay contractors. A grand jury in Springfield voted twice to indict him on criminal charges but eventually voted not to. It was later learned that Matteson attended the supposedly secret proceedings.

Lennington Small (R)

Governor, 1921-29

Small was indicted in 1921 on charges he ran a money-laundering scheme as state treasurer. The attorney general charged that Small deposited state funds in an inactive bank near Kankakee and then lent the money to Chicago meatpackers, collecting about 6 percent interest and refilling state coffers at about 3 percent interest. Small was acquitted; four of the jurors somehow ended up later on the state payroll. Small lost a civil case and was forced to pay the state treasury $650,000.

Orville Hodge (R)

State auditor, 1953-56

Hodge stole $ 1.5 million in state funds and served nearly 6 1/2 years in prison. The money financed a lavish lifestyle, including two planes, four cars and luxury homes in Chicago, Springfield and Fort Lauderdale.

William Stratton (R)

Governor, 1953-61

Four years after he left office, Stratton was indicted on charges of violating income tax laws. The charges revolved around allegations that Stratton had abused campaign contributions. Stratton was acquitted in 1965.

Paul Powell (D)

Secretary of state, 1965-70

Shoeboxes jammed with $800,000 were discovered in his Springfield hotel residence after his death in 1970. It is believed much of the money came from residents seeking license plates who wrote checks to "Paul Powell, Illinois Secretary of State." Powell lived by a simple motto: "There's only one thing worse than a defeated politician, and that's a broke one."

Otto Kerner (D)

Governor, 1961-68

Kerner was convicted in 1973 of bribery, conspiracy, income tax evasion, mail fraud and perjury. While governor, Kerner purchased stocks at low prices from Marjorie Lindheimer Everett, who ran the Arlington Park and Washington Park race tracks. Kerner then sold those same stocks back to Everett at higher prices. In exchange, Kerner made favorable decisions regarding racing matters. He was sentenced to three years and fined $50,000. He served 20 months before being released early in poor health.

Thomas Keane

Chicago alderman,

mid-1940s-1974

The late Mayor Richard J. Daley's floor leader, Keane was convicted in 1974 for using his insider's knowledge and influence in a scheme to buy nearly 1,900 tax-delinquent properties and sell them to various governmental agencies at hefty profits. He was sentenced to five years and served 21˝ months.

William Scott (R)

Attorney general, 1969-1980

Scott was convicted in 1980 of income tax evasion for using campaign contributions for personal expenses without paying taxes on the income. He served seven months of a 366-day sentence.

Daniel Walker (D)

Governor, 1973-77

Walker was convicted in 1987 of misusing funds from his failed First American Savings and Loan Association of Oak Brook after leaving office. Prosecutors alleged he had received $1.4 million in fraudulent loans. "I have broken the law," Walker said minutes after pleading guilty. "I have deep regrets and I offer no excuses." He served 17˝ months.

Daniel Rostenkowski (D)

U.S. Rep., 1959—1995

Rostenkowski was convicted in 1996 for mail fraud in connection with charges that he used public funds to buy favors for relatives and political associates and converted postal stamps bought out of his congressional budget into cash. He served 15 months in prison and was pardoned in 2000 by President Bill Clinton.

Edward Rosewell (D)

Cook County treasurer,

1974-98

Pleaded guilty in 1998 to putting on the treasurer's payroll two state legislators who earned thousands of dollars in pay and benefits even though they did little or no work. He was convicted but died before being sentenced.

Miriam Santos

Chicago city treasurer

1989-1999

After succeeding Walter Kozubowski, who was also convicted of crimes, Santos was found guilty in 1999 of using employees to work on her unsuccessful bid for attorney general.

Betty Loren-Maltese

Cicero town president,

1993-2002

Loren-Maltese was convicted in 2002 in a scam that swindled the suburb out of $12 million in insurance funds. She was sentenced to eight years in federal prison.

George Ryan (R)

Governor, 1999-2003

Ryan was convicted in 2006 on 18 felony counts, including racketeering conspiracy, tax and mail fraud and lying to the FBI. He's serving a 6˝-year federal sentence.


Sources: Chicago Tribune, "Mostly Good and Competent Men," by Robert Howard. Revised and updated by Peggy Boyer Long and Mike Lawrence