Danielle Sheppard
The Champaign county clerk's office collects nearly 2,000 statement of economic interest forms each year from local elected officials and high-ranking government employees. But few of them disclose any information.
Efforts at transparency in government lost in translation
Illinois state law requires government officials in Champaign County to file forms disclosing financial dealings that might lead to conflicts of interest in their official duties. But a review by CU-CitizenAccess.org of over 9,000 forms filed by officials over the past five years found that an average 16 percent of officials reveal any specific information.