Reporting Corruption Easier In Illinois

Claiming to have “zero tolerance” for unethical behavior, the secretary of a Midwestern state infested with government corruption has created a new tool that makes it easier for residents to fight it in the future.

Illinois Secretary Jesse White has created a new web site www.ReportItNow.net specifically designed to facilitate the often tedious and complicated process of reporting government wrongdoing. White created the important tool in an effort to create a higher ethical standard and integrity in the wake of numerous scandals.

The most famous includes the man who once held White’s position and then went on to be the state’s governor-George Ryan. Earlier this year Ryan was convicted on multiple corruption charges for giving his friends and relatives lucrative state contracts through the years, leaving federal authorities to say that he sold his office while betraying the citizens of Illinois over a decade.

With that kind of negative publicity, state officials are making a very public effort to clean things up. First, they created a so-called corruption hotline and now the web site, which will accept anonymous complaints and keep all reports confidential.

Residents can either file the complaint online or download a form and send it in by mail. The state’s inspector general will review all the complaints and forward them to authorities in various departments.

Perhaps other state’s can follow Illinois’ example in creating efficient ways for the public to report government corruption, which can often be so complicated and intimidating that most people don’t bother.