Michigan, North Dakota, Maine and South Carolina all got a failing grade. | AP Photos Study: 8 states get 'F' on corruption

Eight state governments received a failing F grade when it comes to transparency, accountability and anti-corruption efforts, while not a single state earned an A, according to a comprehensive new study released Monday.

Michigan, North Dakota, South Carolina, Maine, Virginia, Wyoming, South Dakota and Georgia received failing grades in the State Integrity Investigation – an analysis of all 50 state governments conducted by the Center for Public Integrity, Global Integrity and Public Radio International.


With not a single state getting an A grade, just five states earned a B: New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington, California and Nebraska; while 19 states received Cs and 18 earned Ds.

The Garden State – well known for its reputation for widespread corruption – took the surprising first-place spot with a B+ score of 87 points, thanks to the steps its statehouse has taken to enforce anti-corruption laws.

“New Jersey’s strong points are clear: extensive financial disclosure requirements for the governor, a transparently-run pension fund, and an aggressive ethics enforcement agency,” the investigation said. “The state also boasts some of the nation’s toughest anti-pay-to-play laws for contractors.”

Illinois, easily considered one of the most “corrupt” states in the nation (and deemed so in a recent University of Illinois study), is a case in of how a “most corrupt” label can actually be misleading, the study pointed out.

“A hefty number of prosecutions may actually suggest the system is working — corrupt behavior is rooted out and perpetrators are punished,” it said. “States with relatively low numbers of convictions are not necessarily more accountable, but perhaps less equipped to sniff out malfeasance and go after the bad guys.”

Illinois was ranked an impressive 10th place, receiving a C grade of 74 points, by the State Integrity Investigation.