Lt. Gov. Simon Statement on Blagojevich verdict

CHICAGO (June 27, 2011) Lt. Governor Sheila Simon today said the conviction of former Governor Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges should prompt ethics reform.

Simon is a former member of the Illinois Reform Commission, which was created in 2009 in the wake of Blagojevich's arrest and helped pass the state's first campaign finance limits.

Simon said: "Illinoisans deserve better. We must move forward with a renewed focus on ethics reform. It is time to beat back the Illinois culture of corruption, restore integrity to the Land of Lincoln and make sure these crimes never happen again."