"Thanks to Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the Illinois State Police Internet crime unit, e-criminals will no longer be able to victimize Illinois citizens," the ad's narrator says.

The ad was sponsored and paid for by the state police, an agency spokesman said.

"It seems to me to be directly in violation of the state's ethics law," said Cindi Canary, executive director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, which was a leading advocate for the ethics act. "There is a certain irony to the state police in violating this law. Though the ad seems laden with good intent, I don't think it really gained anything by mentioning Gov. Blagojevich's name."

Throughout his tenure as governor, Blagojevich has found numerous ways to use taxpayer resources to promote himself and his programs. In the year leading up to his 2006 re-election campaign, state agencies under his control sent hundreds of thousands of "Dear Friend" letters and e-mails to constituency groups promoting Blagojevich's efforts on issues ranging from women's health to teen driving.

He also has come under fire for specially constructed signs placed on the tollways' electronic toll-collection lanes during his re-election campaign. The 32 signs, reading "Open Road Tolling. Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor," cost $480,000. The signs do not violate the ethics act, but some lawmakers want to amend the law to prevent it from happening again.