Illinois Political Stench Wafts North to Wisconsin – Is Illinois-Style Political Corruption Taking Root in Wisconsin?

With all the Illinois politicians having summer homes in Wisconsin, it should be little wonder that they should get involved with Wisconsin politics.

Do the names Stuart Levine, Nicholas Hurtgen, Joe Cari and John Glennon have a bi-partisan ring to them?

They should.

Each has been indicted by Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald for alleged illegal activities in Illinois. Two have pleaded guilty.

All have made contributions to current candidates for governor in Wisconsin.

While the four mentioned above have contributed to Republicans, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign has listed what it calls “shady” contributions to incumbent Democratic Party Governor Jim Doyle, as well. Not all of contributors would make my “shady” contributor list, but they can be found on a link to McHenry County Blog as the Democracy Campaign listed them.

If you are a real glutton for detail, you can see all Illinoisians--probably some you know--who are dipping into the politics of Wisconsin's gubernatorial campaign from another link on McHenry County Blog. (Can you find the former statewide Republican office holder who contributed $1,000 to the current Wisconsin Democratic Party governor?)

"It's a bipartisan scandal," Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel yesterday. "It's one piece of evidence of how political corruption is taking root in this state."