By Illinois Public Radio
Springfield, Ill – Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich hopes the new state Inspector General will clean up corruption that has plagued the state.
Concerned citizens can now file complaints via the web or a toll-free hotline. An executive order will also protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
Blagojevich said the last administration left behind a culture of corruption. He said some state employees must change the way they do business.
"Because they've seen that their leaders have not led by example, I think there's been a sense that it's sort of like anything goes, and it's the wild wild west in Illinois government, and that's what we're trying to change," Blagojevich said.
Blagojevich says every employee in an office under his authority will receive mandatory ethics training on a regular basis. The Governor is also urging state legislators to pass an ethics reform package.