2 County Investigators Fired For Taking Bribes

Vendors bribed investigators to avoid paying cigarette taxes, a report alleges

Two Cook County revenue investigators were fired for allegedly accepting thousands of dollars in bribes, a report released Thursday by Cook County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard reveals.

The alleged bribes were from stores selling cigarettes that weren't paying the local tobacco tax, reportedly costing thousands of dollars in lost county revenue, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The report says vendors avoided hefty fines for not paying the taxes by paying off the investigators.

Blanchard launched an investigation earlier this year after the Revenue Department got a tip about the bribes. 

He said the men “admitted their role when faced” with the allegations. One investigator even reportedly turned some of the money in to the Inspector General’s office.

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