A new study has proven something most Chicagoans say they already know: the area is the most corrupt in the nation. 

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University of Illinois at Chicago professor Dick Simpson says the problems with corruption extend to the entire state.

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Simpson says most of the corruption can be found in two places.

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 Simpson says those convictions are almost 600 more than second place on the list: the area around Los Angeles with 12-hundred-75 public corruption convictions.  Third was Manhattan, the Bronx and northern counties near New York City at just over 12-hundred.  Washington DC and the area near Miami were fourth and fifth.  The study also found Illinois was only the third most corrupt state: behind Washington, DC and Louisiana.  But Simpson says that's because DC and Louisiana have smaller populations.  The study found most of the corruption was inside Chicago City Hall and Illinois' state capitol of Springfield.