Crooked ex-IL legislator gets only 5 months in prison for bribery

Chicago's skyline

If we are going to remove Illinois from the list of the most-corrupt states in America, then violators for the public trust need to receive stiffer sentences for their crimes. Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's 14 year corruption sentence was a clear step in the right direction.

Today there was a step back. Former Illinois House member Derrick Smith, like Blago a Chicago Democrat, was sentenced to only five months for accepting a $7,000 bribe in a federal sting operation. Smith is the only person to be expelled twice from the General Assembly. Federal prosecutors sought four years for Smith--which would be a just term for long-suffering Illinois residents.