Illinois
Crypto Spends Big in Illinois House Races to Say Consumer Rights Supporters Are Corrupt
The cryptocurrency industry has a new line of attack against candidates who have voted for consumer protections on digital coins: calling them corrupt.
In at least two Illinois congressional primaries, candidates vying for the progressive vote are being accused by a crypto political action committee of corruption. Fairshake PAC is trying to smear one candidate backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as a corporate tool and another candidate who successfully fought a federal indictment as a tax cheat.
“One of the most corrupt actors in the country is trying to appropriate an anti-corruption argument.”
The industry has thrown at least $3.3 million into negative attacks on the campaigns in the 2nd and 7th Congressional Districts thus far, according to an analysis from a Chicago political consultant. That spending represents only a fraction of the PAC’s war chest for the remainder of the primary season.
“Ironically, we’re in a very anti-corruption moment, and you know that is true because one of the most corrupt actors in the country is trying to appropriate an anti-corruption argument,” said Jeff Hauser of the Revolving Door Project, a crypto industry critic. “The threat is that the cynical deployment of an anti-corruption politics undermines the potential for success of a genuine anti-corruption politics.”
Fairshake declined to comment.
In both races, crypto industry interests are attacking Democratic candidates — state Sen. Robert Peters and state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford — who voted for consumer protection regulations on cryptocurrency in the Illinois statehouse last year.
That legislation, supported by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, forces crypto companies to register with the state and comply with local rules if they want to serve Illinois residents. Crypto companies have long opposed state-level regulations, preferring a single set of looser regulations at the federal level.
As the congressional elections heated up this year, the crypto industry began delivering payback.
Mailers targeting Peters, for instance, accuse him of being a “corporate pawn” and “bankrolled by special interests,” based on campaign contributions he has received.
Peters has responded by noting that he is endorsed by national progressives including Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D- Mass., who are fierce foes of corporate interests.
Commenting on the Fairshake mailer, Peters said that it was “paid for by Trump’s top donors, to make sure they buy a lapdog in this congressional seat who will let them avoid all regulation. Nasty work.”
Two of Peters’s top opponents, Jesse Jackson Jr. and Donna Miller, have received A ratings from Stand With Crypto, an industry group, based on their promises to pass industry-friendly legislation. (Their campaigns did not respond to requests for comment.)
Ford, the state representative, has been the target of $2.5 million in attack ads from Fairshake, according to a tally by Chicago political consultant Frank Calabrese.
One TV attack ad highlighted the 17-count bank fraud indictment that federal prosecutors brought against Ford in 2012 — without noting that the case fizzled away and Ford ultimately pleaded guilty to only a misdemeanor tax charge.
Local media have called the ad misleading, a claim that Ford echoed in an interview with The Intercept.
“I think that it’s slander. It’s the reason why we have to have campaign finance reform to get dark money out of races,” he said. “They are misleading voters. Even though they know that, they are advertising that I was convicted of 17 counts of bank fraud and tax fraud, they know that the Department of Justice dropped those charges, and yet they mislead voters.”
Ford’s campaign has sent Fairshake, the crypto PAC, a cease-and-desist letter.
One of Ford’s top opponents in the race to replace outgoing Rep. Danny Davis, City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, received an A rating from Stand With Crypto. (Her campaign did not respond to a request for comment.)
Ford noted that industry figures including Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase, a crypto exchange that is one of Fairshake’s major funders, have worked closely with President Donald Trump to win favorable regulations.
Coinbase donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund in December 2024 and has given further donations to Trump’s White House ballroom project.
“It’s funny, because they are cronies with Donald Trump and they want to say that I’m not fit to go to Congress,” Ford said. “Yet Donald Trump was actually convicted on 34 counts, and they support him for president.”
INDIANAPOLIS — You can sum up Braylon Mullins’ first Lucas Oil Stadium shooting performance like this: a near-dagger and a tongue-wagger.
Six days after becoming a national name with his last-second, game-winning 3-pointer vs. Duke, Mullins scored 15 points in a 71-62 UConn victory over Illinois. The Huskies will play for their third national championship in four years Monday against either Michigan or Arizona.
It was exactly the scenario Mullins envision when he committed to the Huskies in a ceremony at Greenfield-Central less than 18 months earlier.
“These are the moments you play for, and knowing how far and how long this season has been, just to be a part of the national championship – I think that’s a blessing in itself,” Mullins said.
“But we came here to win, so we’re ready for Monday.”
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Mullins made 4 of 7 from behind the arc – two of which came at crucial junctures.
Last things first. Mullins had missed all five of his shots in a scoreless second half when Illinois’ Keaton Wagler scored with 1:38 remaining. It cut the UConn lead – as high as 14 points with under 10 minutes to play – to 63-59.
After a timeout, UConn’s Alex Karaban missed a late shot clock 3, but Silas Demary Jr. grabbed the rebound. The Huskies reset their offense, and Demary later found Mullins, who hit a 3 from the elbow to make it a seven-point game with 52.1 seconds remaining.
“The play got broken down, and we run sets with under 5, 10 seconds on the shot clock,” Mullins said. “I just saw a little bit of separation, and we work on that shot in practice every day, so it just felt like repetition.”
Wagler responded with a 3 on the ensuing possession. Illinois, however, could never make a basket after cutting the lead to two possessions in the final two minutes.
The double-digit lead UConn opened up in the first half had the Illini chasing all night. Mullins snuck one in before halftime to help the cause.
That possession, off an Illinois turnover, began to run late in the shot clock as well. Mullins was aware of the clock, thought he saw a sliver of daylight and took a deep shot – similar to the one he swished in the Elite Eight.
It bounced off the center of the backboard and through the hoop for a 37-27 UConn lead with 47 seconds left in the half. Mullins headed back up the floor smiling, shaking his head and letting that tongue wag a bit.
“If you see a little window, you’ve gotta shoot it,” Mullins said. “I did not call glass, though – but it went in.”
Mullins scored only two points in 10 minutes when UConn and Illinois played at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 28. It was his collegiate debut after the 2025 IndyStar Mr. Basketball missed the first six games with an ankle injury.
Some of the Huskies’ other trusty shooters struggled Saturday. Demary, Alex Karaban and Jaylin Stewart combined to make 3 of 17. Mullins was a big reason why 3-point shooting became one of the night’s decisive elements. UConn finished 12 of 33, while Illinois made only 6 of 26.
Jayden Ross said teammate Jaylin Stewart called Mullins’ final 3 as they sat together on the bench.
“Sure enough, he came off the pin-down and he knocked it down,” Ross said. “He put us in a great spot to pull away. He just gives us great confidence. But he’s also an unselfish player, and he plays real hard on the defensive end too, so he does a little bit of everything.”
UConn will need Mullins’ clutch abilities one more time.
Nathan Baird is IndyStar’s Purdue insider. Sign up for IndyStar’s Boilermakers newsletter for the best Purdue coverage.
Billed as the appetizer to this Final Four’s main course, but folks who have been to Indianapolis know the appetizer can oftentimes be the spicier dish.
While many are calling Arizona vs. Michigan the real national championship game, the UConn and Illinois won’t care in Saturday’s first semifinal of the Final Four.
Expect to see a sea of orange at Lucas Oil Stadium (did you see the showing at Friday’s practice?). Champaign’s proximity (two hours) and the program’s first Final Four trip since 2005 have the Illini faithful energized.
They’ll need any advantage they can get facing a team going for its third national title in four years in UConn.
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s national semifinal between the Huskies and the Fighting Illini, including predictions and how to watch.
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Illinois vs UConn live score
| TEAMS | 1H | 2H | F |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| UConn | — | — | — |
What time is Illinois vs UConn Final Four game?
- Time: 6:09 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 4.
What channel is UConn vs Illinois? How to watch Final Four, streaming info
- The game is airing on TBS, TNT, truTV, streaming via HBO Max.
- Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star: Illinois 67, UConn 64. These two programs met in the 2024 Elite Eight with UConn winning by 25 points including a 30-0 run from the Huskies. This national semifinal meeting is also a rematch of the Fighting Illini’s eighth game of the season. Illinois lost that Nov. 28 game, 74-61 at Madison Square Garden despite 25 points by Kylan Boswell. Freshman phenom Keaton Wagler has been a steady offensive presence, dropping 25 in the Elite 8 win over Iowa. However, Andrej Stojakovic has been the X-factor off the bench. He’s averaging 15 points in the NCAA tournament. UConn is back in the Final Four for a third time in four seasons, winning back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. Huskies senior center Tarris Reed Jr. has been a monster during the Big Dance, averaging 21.8 points and 13.5 rebounds.
- Blake Toppmeyer: Illinois. Credit UConn for incredible comeback, but don’t overlook Illinois. The Illini looked dominant coming out of the South, and they have enough offense to turn back a clutch UConn team.
- John Brice: UConn. How could anyone pick against Dan Hurley’s squad at this point? Hurley’s now 18-1 in his past three March Madness appearances. The Huskies will play for a third crown in four seasons.
- Paul Myerberg: UConn. The backcourt play and just enough beef up front to repeat November’s 13-point win against the Illini in MSG. And after the miracle comeback against Duke, the Huskies feel like a team of destiny.
- Jordan Mendoza: UConn. The Huskies ride the high of the Elite Eight comeback and the 3-point shot returns to advanced to the national championship again.
- Eddie Timanus: UConn. I would have to be a complete idiot to pick against UConn at this phase of the Big Dance. We seen ‘team of destiny’ shots in the Elite Eight before, haven’t we?
- Matt Glenesk: Illinois. I originally picked UConn, but have changed my mind. There’s something about Illinois’ offensive firepower and wave of big bodies they can throw at opponents that has me convinced of an All-Big Ten national championship.
- John Leuzzi: UConn. When these two met in late November at Madison Square Garden, UConn won by 13. While the margin of victory may not be like that this time around, the Huskies do get their second win of the season against the Illini. Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban continue to have big games, while Braylon Mullins delivers a big-time shot in front of the home crowd. UConn’s defense is looking like a top 5 unit again.
- Brent Schrotenboer: UConn. That ending against Duke makes it look like destiny is calling again, at least for one more game.
- Craig Meyer: UConn. The Illini haven’t just won on their way to their first Final Four in 21 years, but they’ve been dominant, winning each of their four tournament games by at least 10 points. They’ve only played one team better than a No. 9 seed, though, and the more battle-tested Huskies will be able to lean on Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban to pull out a close win. One thing to keep in mind with Illinois: no team has ever lost its first conference tournament game, like the Illini did against Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament, and gone on to win the national championship.
- Ehsan Kassim: Illinois. UConn has required surviving two scares to reach this point. Illinois on the other hand has been dominant in the South Region. Give me the Illini.
- Moneyline: Illinois (-135); UConn (+110)
- Spread: Illinois (-1.5)
- Over/under total: 139.5
Illinois Final Four bold prediction
- Ehsan Kassim: The Illini are going to win the whole thing this year.
- Austin Curtright: Illinois loses by double digits to UConn.
UConn Final Four bold prediction
- John Leuzzi: Solo Ball has a breakout moment and reminds the country why he was one of the top one of 3-point shooters in the country last season.
- Jordan Mendoza: The Huskies lose their first Final Four game in the Dan Hurley era.
- Austin Curtright: UConn’s 3-pointers start to fall. UConn have only made double-digit 3-pointers in a game once since Feb. 18, but will do it twice in two games at the Final Four.
Illinois road to Final Four
- First round: beat No. 14 Penn, 105-70
- Second round: beat No. 11 VCU, 76-55
- Sweet 16: beat No. 2 Houston, 65-55
- Elite Eight: beat No. 9 Iowa, 71-59
UConn road to Final Four
- First round: beat No. 15 Furman, 82-71
- Second round: beat No. 7 UCLA, 73-57
- Sweet 16: beat No. 3 Michigan State, 67-63
- Elite Eight: beat No. 1 Duke, 73-72
Illinois basketball stat leaders
SCORING
- Keaton Wagler, 17.9 ppg
- Andrej Stojakovic, 13.6 ppg
- David Mirkovic, 13.5 ppg
- Kylan Boswell, 12.5 ppg
- Tomislav Ivisic, 10. 2 ppg
REBOUNDING
- David Mirkovic, 8.1 rpg
- Tomislav Ivisic, 5.6 rpg
- Keaton Wagler, 5.0 rpg
ASSISTS
- Keaton Wagler, 4.3 apg
- Kylan Boswell, 3.1 apg
- David Mirkovic, 2.6 apg
UConn basketball stat leaders
SCORING
- Tarris Reed Jr.: 14.7 ppg
- Alex Karaban, 13.2 ppg
- Solo Ball, 12.9 ppg
- Braylon Mullins, 11.9 ppg
- Silas Demary Jr., 10.4 ppg
REBOUNDING
- Tarris Reed Jr., 8.8 rpg
- Alex Karaban, 5.2 rpg
- Silas Demary Jr., 4.5 rpg
ASSISTS
- Silas Demary Jr., 5.9 apg
- Malachi Smith, 3.0 apg
Illinois basketball Final Four history; Has Illinois ever won a national championship?
This is the Illini’s sixth trip to the Final Four and first since 2005. The school has never won an NCAA national championship in men’s basketball.
- 1949: lost semifinal to Kentucky, 76-47
- 1951: lost semifinal to Kentucky, 76-74
- 1952: lost semifinal to St. John’s, 61-59
- 1989: lost semifinal to Michigan, 83-81
- 2005: won semifinal vs. Louisville, 72-57; lost in final to North Carolina, 75-70
UConn basketball Final Four history: How many national championships have UConn won?
This is UConn’s eighth trip to the Final Four, all since 1999. The Huskies have won six national titles in their seven previous trips.
- 1999: won semifinal vs. Ohio State, 64-58; won final vs. Duke, 77-74
- 2004: won semifinal vs. Duke, 79-78; won final vs. Georgia Tech, 82-73
- 2009: lost semifinal vs. Michigan State, 82-73
- 2011: won semifinal vs. Kentucky, 56-55; won final vs. Butler, 53-41
- 2014: won semifinal vs. Florida, 63-53; won final vs. Kentucky, 60-54
- 2023: won semifinal vs. Miami, 72-59; won final vs. San Diego State, 76-59
- 2024: won semifinal vs. Alabama, 86-72; won final vs. Purdue, 75-60
Is Andrej Stojakovic related to Peja Stojakovic?
Yes, Peja is his dad. Peja Stojakovic played 13 seasons in the NBA, primarily for the Sacramento Kings, and was a three-time All-Star.
Andrej played at Cal and Stanford before transferring to Illinois.
How many Europeans are on Illinois’ team? Why does Illinois have so many Europeans on its roster?
- David Mirkovic is from Montenegro
- Andrej Stojakovic lists Thessaloniki, Greece as his hometown
- Tomislav Ivisic is from Croatia
- Zvonimir Ivisic is from Croatia
- Mihailo Petrovic is from Serbia
- Toni Bilic is from Croatia
“Geoff Alexander, Orlando Antigua deserve most all of the credit in terms of building the relationships in Europe,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “It’s taken years. NIL has obviously helped enhance our abilities to attract some of the best players in Europe. But they’re a great fit for us. It’s not for everybody. I enjoy coaching ’em. They fit our university. We’re a diverse university with a lot of international students, so it’s a perfect fit for them.
“Basketball-wise it’s a great fit for me, and I like coaching them. The way we’re playing with positional size and shooting, it’s just — it’s a great marriage and a great fit. So we’ll continue it. I would think others will continue to migrate over there and keep trying to recruit those guys.”
UConn freshman Braylon Mullins’ game-winner vs Duke gives him a homecoming
No. 1 Duke was leading the Huskies by two when Silas Demary Jr. deflected a pass by Cayden Boozer with six seconds left.
Braylon Mullins scooped up the ball around halfcourt and dished to Alex Karaban, who gave it right back. Mullins then drained the 35-footer with 0.4 seconds left to beat Duke and send UConn to its third Final Four in four years.
“That moment is over. It’s an incredible moment. You’ll have that moment the rest of your life. But we came here for rings, not watches,” Hurley said.
Mullins, the 2025 Indiana Mr. Basketball who played at Greenfield-Central, will be playing in front of plenty of friends and family this weekend. Greenfield is 30 minutes east of Indianapolis.
“It’s unbelievable to be in the position I am,” Mullins said. “I think it just makes everything a little sweeter knowing that I’m playing in front of family and friends. I can’t wait to see everybody in open practice tomorrow and see everybody at the game.”
Illinois’ Jake Davis gets to play at home for Final Four, too
The Illini forward is from McCordsville, Indiana, a suburb northeast of Indianapolis, and played at Indy’s Cathedral High School. He began his college career at Mercer before transferring to Illinois after the 2024 season. At Cathedral, Davis was known as “the guy who takes charges.”
Illinois forward Ben Humrichous is also from Indiana, from nearby Tipton, about an hour north. He began his college career at Indiana’s Huntington University (NAIA) and then transferred to Evansville.
Brad Underwood says Illinois will ‘turn Indy orange’, ‘kick everybody’s ass there’
On Sunday, Brad Underwood addressed a crowd of fans on campus:
“We had a huge group in Houston. I know we’re going to turn it out in Indy. That’s the story. We’re going to turn Indy orange.. and blue. And kick everybody’s ass there.”
Keaton Wagler 2026 NBA Draft mock draft prediction
Atlanta Hawks, pick No. 7.
Kalbrosky’s Analysis:
After trading away Trae Young, the Hawks could find their point guard of the future in Illinois standout Keaton Wagler using a first-round pick they received from the Pelicans. The 19-year-old guard scored 46 points while shooting 9-of-11 on 3-pointers against No. 12 Purdue on Jan. 24. He projects as one of the best 3-point shooters in this class, shooting 41.0 percent from beyond the arc as a freshman this year. The Big Ten Rookie of the Year is a cerebral basketball player who is also averaging 4.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this season.
∎ Read more about Keaton Wagler’s rise from unknown for freshman superstar.
HARVEY, Ill. (WLS) — The State of Illinois has denied a request for the City of Harvey to be declared a “financially distressed” city.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
The City of Harvey held a special city council meeting Oct. 16 to discuss declaring the city “financially distressed” under Illinois state law.
The designation was approved by Harvey City Council in October, and the city requested for the state to take control of the city’s finances. However, the request was denied by the Illinois Department of Revenue in February, according to a letter obtained by ABC7.
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Harvey city attorney Keri-Lyn Krafthefer confirmed the denial to ABC7 Friday, saying it was not a surprise to the city and state law should be changed to make it easier for cities to request help from the state.
Municipalities can’t declare bankruptcy in Illinois.
As of October 2025, Harvey has a 52% property tax collection rate, bringing in less money than it spends, even though it has the third highest property tax rates in Cook County. Also, 35% of state revenue & restricted funds gets diverted by the State Comptroller to fund the fire pension.
Illinois Department of Revenue Director David Harris also confirmed the denial to ABC7 Friday.
“Two criteria city has to meet in order to be considered a financially distressed city. One is being in top 5 of the highest tax rate, other being in the lowest 5 of the tax per capita,” Harris said. “They met one criteria not the other.”
READ MORE | Questions raised as Harvey seeks approval from state to be declared ‘financially distressed’ city
Harvey Mayor Christopher J. Clark died Jan. 30. The Harvey City Council elected Shirley Drewenski as acting mayor in February.
“If we can bring brighter minds to our community to help us to move forward, if we can find ways to deal with such a sizeable amount, then we welcome that,” Clark said in October as the “financially distressed” declaration request was made by the city.
The city had said it needs $51 million to operate and only receives $30 million, and there was a bill in Springfield that would provide immediate relief.
“If the legislature and governor determine law should be changed, we will do what law says to do,” Harris said.
The City of Harvey laid off about 10% of its municipal workers in August amid their financial crisis.
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