I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich gets a second Local politicians are responding to his pardon and what it means in the world of political corruption.

And a project aimed at keeping invasive heart out of the Great Lakes is the latest to get caught in the political crosshairs the Trump administration and the state of Illinois.

>> And now to some of today's top stories.

If you're heading into the office tomorrow, you might want to think about how you're getting home.

The National Weather Service, Chicago says and impactful winter storm is expected Wednesday making for hazardous travel conditions, especially during the evening commute.

Meteorologists are predicting between 4 and 8 inches in some areas.

It up to now.

Chicago hasn't had much of it.

Just 2.4 inches of snow in December and 4.6 in January.

Cook County is reminding residents to take extra precautions slow down and watch for snow plows.

For the first time 5 of the hundreds of people, mostly men are speaking out about the alleged physical and abuse they experienced in the state's juvenile detention facilities.

>> This is a picture of me in a Navy SEAL cadets before Harrisburg, I was a good kid in a situation in staff members that took advantage of me and my fear and played on me.

She gave me drugs and alcohol use their power to sexually abuse me too much is happening in these detention centers where no one at the state have known about the abuse triggered something in I felt so I feel so much so well.

I attempted to commit suicide.

Because of how it haunts But this is about this is so much bigger than me.

Now.

>> We have use tourney, say another 133 cases were filed against the state of Illinois yesterday alone, bringing the total to more than 800 people alleging they were abused by staff at the Illinois Youth Centers in Chicago, Saint Charles in Harrisburg, as well as the Cook County Temporary Juvenile Detention Center.

The first cases were filed in May 2024.

Claiming abuse that occurred between 1995 to 2022.

When the victims ranged from 9 to 17 years old.

Still no verdict in the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Today marked the 10th day of deliberations as jurors work their way toward a verdict after months of testimony and evidence, Madigan and his longtime friend and ally Michael McClain are facing racketeering, bribery and wire fraud charges.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to get caught up on the trial.

You can check out our Web site.

The family of Sonya Massey could be receiving a 10 million dollar settlement from saying I'm in county board.

Members are set to meet tonight to discuss and vote on the agreement.

Massie was 36 years old when she was shot and killed in her kitchen by a sheriff's deputy who responded to her 9-1-1.

Call about a possible prowler at her home.

Her family says she struggled with mental health issues.

The deputy Sean Grayson is charged with first-degree murder.

Up next with the pardon of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

We look at the public perception of political corruption.

>> Chicago tonight is made possible in part by the Alexander and John Nichols family.

The gym and K maybe family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> Illinois knows a thing or 2 about corrupt politicians.

As we just mentioned, the jury deliberating the corruption case of former House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Still hasn't reached a verdict, but some politicians despite charges or convictions can get a second chance on Monday.

President Trump granted a full pardon to former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and the U.S. Department of Justice has dropped fraud charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Here to talk more about this is David Melton, a board member for Reform, Illinois.

That's a nonpartisan research and advocacy organization for Public Participation in Government.

David, thanks for joining Thank you for having So as we mentioned, President Trump commuting Blagojevich's sentence and now has granted him a full pardon.

That commutation, of course, was about 5 years ago calling his sentence, quote, a terrible injustice.

What message does a pardon like this?

it sends a message to corrupt politicians all over the country that they're free to belly back up to the bar.

It's not only the the pardon Blagojevich.

You have to couple that with the Eric Adams dropping a prosecution with the firing of a inspector general and the government and with the assertion of a the terminal powers by President Trump.

And first executive orders issued.

>> What what does this say about about the Trump administration and health plans to do business?

>> it says Trump administration Open to the way business was In the middle of the 19th century.

When a political hires dominated government.

We had no civil service and bribes were way of life.

That was a lot of of all sorts it appears, unfortunately, that we're headed back towards era.

>> In Illinois, as we just said, as we know, has a long history of political corruption.

Does, you know, does granting clemency or pardons to to figures who have been convicted in U.S. were state court of law?

Is that challenge the public's trust?

>> I certainly do think up a challenge is a public trust.

I think it it actually is a little more destructive than that.

I would say that the blanket pardons for the January 6th.

Rioters sent the message to politicians, particularly in federal government that they crossed Trump.

He threaten them with with extra judicial violence and actions from my people like the people who rioted on January doesn't invalidate the work of the courts and the and the justice system.

Well, that remains to be seen as too harsh.

>> How strong the courts will be as a check on the president.

Ultimately how or and weeding out corruption.

But those cases have yet to go up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

And unfortunately, this court.

At least 4 members, if not a majority of this court of certain amount of sympathy for the view that the president is a king what official except a pardon cannot be challenged.

The president has the power to pardon whoever he chooses is what Trump is doing so different from what former other previous presidents have done.

>> I would say many presidents have engage in some abuses of the pardon power.

>> But what President Trump has done raises it to a new level.

And I think you're right that the Constitution does not place any limits on the pardon power courts and the legislature not seen fit to try and rein in that constitutional power in a way.

That's an issue that we will probably have to address if.

bringing that likely event that the rest of the government does not become irrelevant because we turn into a dictatorship or a So in New York City Mayor Eric Adams, he's been accused of accepting over $100,000 worth of gifts from Turkish citizens.

Our own Mayor Brandon Johnson has been >> criticized for accepting gifts.

Why is this such a concern?

Well, it's the when college small-scale That's what's been going on in all those cases.

That's why we have restrictions on the kinds of gifts that public elected officials generally can accept.

>> just below is global.

That's what the same kind of clear, no issues that we have with Justice Thomas on the Supreme Court.

>> Where if any other federal judges taking those kinds of gifts they would they would be off the bench.

>> President Trump has put a pause on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

First.

Explain for us what that is and why the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act was adopted in the 1970's in the wake of disclosures that many large U.S. companies had paid bribes to get business abroad.

There was a debate about whether we should allow U.S. companies to engage in bribery of government officials.

You know, the country's and the argument was, well, all right.

Bree is common in some countries and therefore, in order to effectively do business, we need to be able to bribe people.

That argument was rejected by Congress when it passed the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act which prohibits American companies from engaging in bribery in foreign countries.

And also there were also distortions in the financial statements.

But those public companies filed in the U.S. test result trying to cover up those parts.

>> What role should should state attorneys general, including Illinois Attorney General Carrera, will play in holding politicians accountable accountable when federal oversight is no longer enough.

>> I State attorney general should play a much heightened role.

And I think you're seeing that happen now with the 45 or so lawsuits have been filed many by coalitions of the Democratic attorney generals around the country challenging.

And Trump executive orders, I think that it would be good for.

Illinois attorney General's office Focus a little more on corruption.

And they have historically historically we've relied on the U.S. Attorney's office year in the Northern District of Illinois.

But that's now open to question as to how effective they will be.

Given the Trump administration's.

Willingness tolerate how high or levels of corruption at the same time, there may be a temptation to.

Abuse some of the powers of the attorney of the U.S. attorney here because the Trump administration does not like Illinois's Sanctuary City policies and is filed litigation challenging them.

>> Do think we're seeing any meaningful reforms is corruption so deeply embedded in the system.

>> I think we have seen meaningful.

if you look over the 250 year history of our country, we've seen meaningful improvements.

reducing level of corruption generally in our government, things like Civil Service things like the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and so on.

in the short term, I have confess that I'm not optimistic.

>> Okay.

All right.

Well, it's not the 19th century, as you said, but it sounds like there's room for more.

David Melton, thank you so much for joining us.

Central talk about this again.

Thank you for having me.

Up next, our Spotlight politics team with local reaction on the Blagojevich pardon and much more.

Stay with us.

As discussed in a state known for political corruption, many people are still trying to make sense of yesterday's presidential pardon.

Disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who Donald Trump says suffered, quote, a terrible injustice.

Meanwhile, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a G's across the country in another lawsuit against the Trump administration.

This time having to do with cutting medical research funding.

Governor JB Pritzker signed a law aimed at protecting domestic violence survivors.

Here with all that and more is our spotlight politics team Amanda Vicki Sharon and Nick Bloomberg.

Welcome backing.

So let's start by hearing what ex Governor Rod Blagojevich standing alongside his wife Patty, in front of their North side, Chicago home had to say last night.

>> Terrible thing that they did to me.

A Democrat governor, even worse what they did to a Republican President.

President Trump.

And his resilience.

He's trained his fortitude, his unwillingness to give in is an inspiration.

>> Okay.

and above all it.

But but showing no remorse.

Last night.

He says he broke no laws.

He places the blame squarely on prosecutors.

You've been talking to folks today about his pardon.

What are you hearing?

A lot for starters people have a lot of reaction to this not necessarily one of surprise given that this is something of a of it in his wife clearly been working toward.

He was, of course, the Democratic governor turned full-on mega after his commutation and working up really until this pardon, who knows what may come perhaps in a mess on our ship.

We don't know.

I but I think there is a lot of frustration on the part of legislators who were working with him at the time or at least watch them work because he didn't necessarily have a great relationship with the General Assembly when he was serving.

Is Illinois's governor.

And there is frustration that he never showed any sort of contrition for what they truly believe are his crimes.

They say that Trump got it wrong.

Even of Republican down state lawmaker that I spoke with.

says that likes a lot of what Trump is doing, says that he got it wrong here and that this as very much the wrong message about corruption.

She's frustrated that the General Assembly still, she says, hasn't done enough to try and become more ethical and really take steps there.

And I'll add as well that there is frustration among Democrats that say he a second.

Look at, for former Congressman Jesse Jackson junior who did serve his time, has apologized for his wrongdoing.

Still waiting for a pardon and sort of the opposite.

Did that got him again?

Still waiting, whereas Blagojevich sort kissing the Trump bring in getting a reward for it.

Despite never apologizing for the harm these people about that many critics throughout Illinois believe that he cause for residents.

So when the president signed the pardon, he told a roomful of reporters that Blagojevich is now quote, cleaner than anybody in this room.

Nic, what prompted that?

Well, the president was responding to a question about some reporting in recent days that as Amanda mentioned, former Governor Blagojevich might be in line for an ambassadorship to Serbia.

>> Blagojevich is famously of Serbian dissent he visited there last year meeting with the gentleman who refers to himself as Crown Prince Alexander.

Although Serbia's monarchy has not been around since the 1940's.

But so you know this there has been speculation Trump was was asked about that reporting, you know, at the at the signing and said, no, I haven't been thinking about that, but maybe I should.

So clearly this could be something that doesn't just completely, you know, disappear.

You know, there's a lot of investor ships to fill out.

And clearly this is someone who has spent a lot of his time, you know, now campaigning on Trump's behalf hit a service for Trump event that going tend to during the RNC.

So we will see where this goes.

No doubt we'll be seeing more of him.

But Heather has he indicated whether he will run for office again?

Can he run for office again?

Well, he was asked about that last night outside his house.

He sort of a load his wife and said she'll to force me if I do so I guess not.

>> But the fact of the matter is, is that he was impeached and removed from office before he was even charged with a crime or convicted of a crime, I should say.

And that means that he is ineligible under state law to hold office in Illinois.

So that governs state local county, the whole rigmarole.

Now he's always been eligible before the pardon.

I guess, after he got out of jail to run for federal office.

So if you want reclaim his seat in Congress, he can see about challenging my quickly for that seat or if you know, he try to run.

You know, for you know, president, maybe he wants to just take the whole thing.

But local office completely off limits.

The suggestion by serve Trump Act like that he was going to run for mayor of Chicago.

It's just simply not based, in fact, but there are others that we could see him running for if he chose to pursue that Illinois politicians, of course, you know, busy trying to stay on top of the latest executive orders, as we've mentioned by the White House attorney General.

>> Partner, I joining other agencies from around the country in lawsuits against the Trump administration.

Amanda, can you bring us up speed Yeah, I mean, I just think what's really notable here is that first of all, that the whole nation is watching to see whether the president is going to abide by these various court rulings because there's already moves by the Trump administration.

>> To not do so to continue with federal funding despite court order pauses, Illinois is now defending itself against one lawsuit.

And that, of course, is the suit brought by Trump's Department of Justice for and Sanctuary Cities and interfering with immigration.

Arrests is the allegation there.

And Illinois is party to force suits against the administration.

So that pretty rapid speed.

Of course, that's to the first was filed the day after Trump's inauguration.

for students as of January 21st, and that is can check my notes.

I don't forget me here.

The federal funding pause the birthright citizenship.

The all unauthorized disclosure of data to Elon Musk and these do with employees and then also now, of course, this latest one that would really some of Illinois's premier universities when it comes to university funding.

So those are the the 4 state A lot of it is really uniting with other Democratic attorneys general across the nation.

I have to imagine we may see more of them.

I imagine it and dating the the justice system and the courts.

Okay.

Let's go to city Hall because Heather, there is news about a top secret gift closet or gift room.

>> Ethics board though, now calling for gift guidelines unwrapped Well, apparently there's been an unwritten, informal agreement that allowed the mayor to accept gifts of more than $50 on behalf of the city.

As long as he or she reported the monologue and stored them in that gift room at City Hall.

>> Now that informal arrangement, which dates all the way back to late 19 meetings is now over revoked.

Dunn's oh, says the board, the chair of the Chicago Board of Ethics, which means that the mayor like every other city employee, an elected official, is now prohibited from accepting gifts worth more than $50 in a single calendar year from a single person.

And that if he accepted gifts on behalf of the city, he asked to reported not just to the board of Ethics, but the comptroller, again, like any other city employee.

Now last week, the Mayor's corporation counsel said that she was going to take a video of this gift closet and share it with us.

That video has yet to be published in the mayor had started holding weekly news conferences on Tuesday.

He did not hold one today.

There's certainly a lot going on.

But that meant we didn't get a chance to ask about this.

New guidance from the Board of Ethics.

Nick, let's talk about public transit a little Labor-backed coalition is filing a bill to reform transit.

What a what's going on Well, this is an attempt to head off the fiscal cliff facing CTA, Metra and pace next year when COVID-19 relief money from the federal government runs out.

>> Some estimates have the cliff now up to 770 million dollars.

I believe up from 7.50 >> So this is obviously a huge matter of concern.

They're going to be major layoffs.

Major service cuts if they can't come up with some sort of effects.

A lot of lawmakers have said they want to see reforms to the governance of these transit agencies before they come up with any extra cash.

And there was, of course, that proposal we've reported on a lot to merge.

You know, basically all the different transit operations into a new entity.

This is a little bit more modest.

This would basically create some some governance reforms and some changes to the way, you know, the finances work there.

For example, a big piece is how much of the revenue for their operating costs have to come from passenger fares versus how much can come from public support, all sorts of other stuff in there about better coordination, about improved safety and transit ambassador type efforts.

What we don't know is how much this would cost.

They do not have.

They're not saying whether this is going to get any extra funding if it's just going to be sort of a funding patch to tie these agencies over a lot of unanswered questions.

But this is drawing some support, these more modest reforms from folks who had previously talked about a whole so merger.

So this could be it is definitely going to be a conversation starter, shall we in Springfield of the certainly those conversations have been going on for many months.

Yes, they have.

All right.

That Spotlight Gang, thanks so And Vicki had a Sharon and Lynn Burg.

>> Up next, the latest on a project aimed at keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes.

But first, a look at weather.

A project designed to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes has become the latest political battle in the ongoing struggle between the Trump administration and the state of Illinois.

>> State officials say they can no longer count on the federal government to pony up the funds they committed to.

For the billion-dollar Brandon Road The Illinois Department of Natural Resources pressed pause on a groundbreaking that was set for today.

Patty, what Lee joins us now with more on this.

Patty, remind us what this project entails Yeah.

So a quick recap on invasive carp.

They've been slowly working their way up.

The Mississippi and right now the Chicago waterway system is kind of the only thing between the invasive carp.

>> And then getting into the Great Lakes.

>> Where they could easily out compete, our native fish, the fish, a car can get up to 100 pounds a 3rd of their way today.

>> Destroyed the ecosystems and take a long all of the money we make from boating and fishing with them.

So it's a huge concern and they've identified pinch point on the Des Plaines at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam where they're basically throw kitchen sink of tactics to keep these car at bay, whether it's bubble curtain acoustics, you name it.

That's the point where our best shot is at keeping these car from getting into the Great Lakes.

So that's what the project is.

Okay.

That's what the project is.

But tell us why the funding it's such a flashpoint and what has caused Illinois officials to be concerned about it.

Yet this funding funding for this project has always been an issue.

>> Because just because the carp have to get through Illinois to get into the Great Lakes, Governor Pritzker's always been adamant that that doesn't mean Illinois should pay the whole price for this.

And Michigan doesn't really think they should be paying for it either.

>> So they always wanted the feds to get involved, which they finally did.

They find the allocated some 274 million dollars.

But they have in recent weeks, you know, with held other funds that were supposed to come to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources over 100 million dollars in projects that the funds are now paused on.

So Eleanor officials a little bit nervous that the same could happen with this and again, doesn't want to put the state on the hook for this billion dollar project.

So groundbreaking was supposed to happen today.

Officials are like we're going to kind of wait and see how things play out.

Maybe we'll try this again in May.

Hopefully, yes, I'm sure like a point of frustration and concern for the folks who worked on this.

Yes, because I remember what a big deal it was when this was announced.

It's a scary thing.

If these car to get into the Great Lakes and people have wanted this project to happen for so long, the funding finally they're all the pieces finally in place.

And now just that nervousness again, is it or isn't it going to happen?

All right, Patty, what we I'm sure you'll keep an eye on how the rest of it plays out.

thanks.

>> And you can read patties full story on our website.

It is all at W T Tw Dot com Slash news.

And that's our show for this Tuesday night.

Stay connected with our reporters and what they're working on by following us on Instagram at W T Tw Chicago.

>> And join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10.

A look at how body cameras can affect an officer's response to a deadly police involved shooting.

>> Now for all of us here at Chicago tonight, I'm Brandis Friedman, thanks for watching.

Stay healthy and safe.

I have a good night.

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