The investigation started after the BGA and AP learned that a Piatt County State's Attorney had indicted several local officials and chemical salesmen in 1973. BGA investigators and AP reporters conducted hundreds of interviews in 56 of Illinois's 102 counties. Township highway superintendents constituted a majority of the more than 70 local officials who admitted taking kickbacks. Other guilty officials were mayors, sheriffs, sewer plans managers, and city street superintendents. The local officials were buying products at an inflated price and frequently receiving 5 percent to 10 percent of the purchase price back in the form of cash, merchandise, or gift certificates. Products included penetrating oil, floor wax, paint, and other products. Evidence showed that at least 370 local officials in at least 70 counties were involved. The investigated governmental units made total purchases ranging from $5 million to $10 million annually. Local officials frequently saw no distinction between personal and official purchasing procedures. The 12 companies on which the investigation focused were middlemen rather than manufacturers; both sides in the transaction regarded the practices as normal. However, spokesmen for the firms usually denied company responsibility for kickback attempts. Other states have had similar experiences. Although the BGA turned over its information to 71 State's Attorneys, most did not pursue the matter. In addition to the two downstate counties whose prosecutions sparked the statewide investigation, Cook County has had the most vigorous prosecution efforts. Appendixes present tables, a map, lists of companies and salesmen involved, and a list of BGA and AP investigators.