Li Arellano, Jr., Illinois State Senator for 37th District | www.ilga.gov
Li Arellano, Jr., Illinois State Senator for 37th District | www.ilga.gov
State Senator Li Arellano, Jr has issued a statement in response to reports of alleged theft by a former Rock Island County employee. The individual is accused of stealing over $900,000 in taxpayer money.
"The revelation that a former Rock Island County employee stole taxpayer funds over two decades underscores a persistent failure in Illinois: government fraud remains too easy and too often undetected," said Senator Arellano.
Drawing from his experience as the former Mayor of Dixon, where he dealt with the aftermath of the $53 million Rita Crundwell scandal, Arellano emphasized the need for reform. "That experience fueled my commitment to public service and to preventing this kind of abuse," he stated.
Senator Arellano criticized current systems as broken, citing insufficient oversight and inconsistent accountability. He called for stronger ethics laws, mandatory audits of government accounts, and modern fraud detection tools like AI to prevent misuse before it escalates.
"I’m pushing for stronger ethics laws, mandatory audits of government accounts, and the use of modern fraud detection tools—including AI—to identify misuse before it escalates," he said.
He concluded by stating that Illinois residents deserve a transparent and accountable government. "Illinoisans deserve a government that protects public funds with the same care and scrutiny expected in the private sector—transparent, accountable, and built to serve the people."
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