Illinois Corruption: Why We Need Real Reform

November 2025 has been a turbulent month.

Illinois has established itself as one of the most corrupt states in the United States, and recent developments indicate that we have not yet learned from our past mistakes. Three separate cases from November 2025 expose a troubling pattern: political loopholes, insider deals, and regulatory failures that cost Illinois taxpayers millions while protecting the powerful and endangering the vulnerable.

From campaign finance violations by top legislative leaders to backroom succession schemes in Congress, to a broken nursing home system that ranks 47th in the nation, these cases reveal systemic failures that demand urgent attention. The question facing Illinois voters is simple: Will we continue accepting corruption as "just the way things work," or will we demand accountability?

This is the first part of a three-part case study on recent events.

Case #1: Nursing homes in Illinois

$12.2 Million Nursing Home Verdict,  and No Insurance Requirement

A Cook County jury awarded a Chicago family $12.2 million after finding that neglect at Lakeview Rehabilitation and Nursing Center led to 79-year-old Shirley Adams' death. It's the largest nursing home verdict in Illinois history, and it exposes a regulatory failure that puts every Illinois nursing home resident at risk.

What Happened

According to news sources, Shirley Adams entered Lakeview Rehabilitation in June 2021 in good physical health, with only early-stage dementia. Within three months of admission, she developed severe pressure wounds due to what jurors found was understaffing and poor oversight. Despite being moved to another facility for better care, Adams endured more than 20 surgical procedures before dying in February 2023.

The jury's message was clear: This was "inexcusable, basically non-existent, nursing care" that caused preventable suffering.

The Regulatory Failure

Here's the shocking part- Illinois does not require nursing homes to carry minimum liability insurance. Some facilities operate with little or no coverage, meaning families who win judgments may never collect a dime.

Illinois nursing homes rank 47th out of 50 states in quality. Despite this abysmal record, the General Assembly has repeatedly failed to pass basic insurance requirements:

• HB 6243 (2011) sought to require $500,000 minimum coverage, but failed

• HB 5668 proposed $1 million minimum coverage, failed

• Multiple subsequent attempts, but all failed

The Cost to Taxpayers

When nursing homes operate without adequate insurance and cause harm through negligence, who pays? Initially, it's Medicare and Medicaid, taxpayer-funded programs covering medical treatment for preventable injuries. When facilities can't pay judgments, families are left with worthless court victories while taxpayers absorb the costs.

Moreover, the lack of insurance requirements removes a critical financial incentive for facilities to maintain adequate staffing and proper care standards. Insurance companies conduct oversight and demand safety measures, but only if coverage is required.

The Bottom Line

Illinois nursing homes can operate with minimal insurance, provide substandard care that ranks 47th nationally, and face no regulatory consequences until someone dies, and a family has the resources to sue. The General Assembly is aware of this problem and refuses to fix it.

Nursing Home Accountability and Reform

The Illinois Attorney General can be directly involved in oversight and enforcement around negligent nursing homes, especially where Medicaid fraud or systemic abuse/neglect is present.

Routine regulatory oversight (inspections, surveys, day-to-day compliance) primarily falls to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), but the AG becomes a key escalation point when the situation crosses into fraud, criminal neglect, or widespread violations of civil rights/consumer rights. The AG isn’t just a lawyer for the state; the AG is the enforcer of standards when other agencies fail or move too slowly.

Bob Fioretti's Commitment to Illinois:

Bob Fioretti, candidate for Illinois Attorney General, has committed to reinstating accountability and safeguarding all residents of Illinois nursing homes through the following measures:

• Investigate nursing homes with patterns of neglect and abuse, incorporating their negligence into the AG's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU)

• Prosecute facilities that endanger residents through understaffing or inadequate care

• Advocate forcefully for mandatory minimum liability insurance requirements

• Partner with families to ensure nursing homes face real consequences for negligence

• Push for enhanced oversight and enforcement of existing care standards

Our nursing homes are currently ranked 47th in quality. Illinois deserves better. As Attorney General, Bob Fioretti is dedicated to ensuring that our elderly are treated with the respect they deserve and receive safe, high-quality care. If a nursing home lies to families about staffing, safety, or quality of care, that’s consumer fraud- and Bob Fioretti as Attorney General will treat it exactly like that. Illinois deserves an Attorney General who prioritizes the needs of the people over special interests.

"For too long, nursing home oversight in Illinois has depended on media exposés and lawsuits from grieving families. The Attorney General's office has to lead, not trail behind the headlines. Under my leadership, we will identify bad actors early, prosecute consumer fraud aggressively, and make nursing home safety a priority, not an afterthought."- Bob Fioretti