Oh boyNBC recruits Blagojevich for 'Celebrity'
Indictment: Illinois Governor tried to sell Obama Senate sea
Moderator: Super Moderators
Originally from the News Article posted by racehorse
http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/04/blagojev ... rity-.html
NBC recruits Blagojevich for 'Celebrity'
Rod Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has made a deal to star in NBC's upcoming summer reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, the network confirms.
"Rod Blagojevich will be a participant on the show pending the court's approval," said NBC in a statement.
http://www.kentucky.com/513/v-print/story/768390.html
Posted on Tue, Apr. 21, 2009
Judge nixes ex-Ill. governor visit to Costa Rica
The Associated Press
Indicted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has lost his bid to travel outside the country to appear on reality TV.
U.S. District Judge James Zagel on Tuesday refused to modify the terms of Blagojevich's bail - so the ousted Democrat governor won't be able to go to Costa Rica to appear on a planned reality show.
The judge said Blagojevich needs to remain in the United States to help his attorneys formulate a strategy for his defense.
Blagojevich arrived at the federal courthouse in downtown Chicago just minutes before his hearing Tuesday and was swamped by the media. He said he wouldn't have anything to say until after the hearing.
A week ago, Blagojevich pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges.
racehorse
http://www.kentucky.com/513/v-print/story/815553.html
Posted on Mon, Jun. 01, 2009
AP Exclusive: Blago talked to Durbin about Senate
By MIKE ROBINSON
Associated Press Writer
Just two weeks before his arrest on corruption charges, then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich floated a plan to nominate to the U.S. Senate the daughter of his biggest political rival in return for concessions on his pet projects, people familiar with the plan told The Associated Press.
Blagojevich told fellow Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin he was thinking of naming Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to the seat vacated when Barack Obama won the presidential election, according to two Durbin aides who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A Madigan appointment would have been a political shocker because the governor had been warring politically with her father, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, on and off for Blagojevich's two terms in office.
The aides said the concessions Blagojevich wanted in return were progress on capital spending projects and a health care bill that were stalled in the Legislature.
Last November, Madigan said the chance was "less than zero" the governor would offer her the seat, adding that she did not believe she was even being considered. She is a likely contender in the 2010 governor's race.
It was already known that Blagojevich thought of her as a possible pick for the Senate seat but this conversation, unreported until now, provides details and shows he went as far as discussing the idea with at least one high-ranking fellow Democrat.
The 10-minute conversation took place Nov. 24 as Durbin was in his car using his cell phone, according to the aides. One aide said Durbin considered the idea an "innocuous compromise" and offered to help, but was told by the governor to "do nothing," and never heard more on the matter.
The aides spoke on condition that their names would not be used out of respect for the custom that Senate aides most often allow their bosses to be quoted. They gave their account in response to questions as reports circulated as to exactly what was said by Blagojevich and others on tapes made by FBI agents who wiretapped Blagojevich's home and campaign offices last fall.
Blagojevich attorney Samuel E. Adam declined to comment Monday and Durbin's office would offer no further comment. Natalie Bauer, a spokeswoman for Lisa Madigan, declined to comment.
Steve Brown, a spokesman for Michael Madigan said the account was "another example of Mr. Blagojevich being a very troubled and very confused person and that's why Illinois is in the predicament that it is today."
According to the Senate aides, Durbin was delighted to hear that Blagojevich was thinking of naming Madigan to the seat. He believed she would be a popular figure in Illinois and stood perhaps the best chance of holding the seat against a Republican.
Durbin volunteered to call the attorney general or the speaker to get the ball rolling and possibly broker an agreement, the aides said.
And that, as far as they know, was the end of the matter, the aides said. They said the Nov. 24 conversation was the only one between Durbin and Blagojevich last fall.
Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 and faces racketeering, fraud and other charges in connection with allegations that he sought to sell or trade the Senate seat, and that he used the political muscle of the governor's office to pressure people for campaign money.
He has pleaded not guilty. He was impeached and thrown out of office in January.
Wiretaps made public previously show Blagojevich discussing a number of possible appointees, including one believed to be Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett, now a senior White House adviser.
Lisa Madigan's name surfaced early in connection with the Senate seat. She's believed to be "Senate Candidate 2" in the federal criminal complaint, which describes Blagojevich telling an aide to float her name to a newspaper columnist as a possible appointee in a ploy to send a message to the Obama administration.
Blagojevich ultimately appointed former state official Roland Burris to the seat.
In charging the governor, federal prosecutors released an affidavit that quotes extensively from the wiretapped conversations, including ones in which the governor described the Senate seat as "a golden thing" and said he expected something for himself in return for an appointment.
Among other things, he mentioned a possible Cabinet post or high-paying job for himself or his wife, Patti, or in lieu of that, a large amount of campaign money.
Posted on Mon, Jun. 01, 2009
AP Exclusive: Blago talked to Durbin about Senate
By MIKE ROBINSON
Associated Press Writer
Just two weeks before his arrest on corruption charges, then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich floated a plan to nominate to the U.S. Senate the daughter of his biggest political rival in return for concessions on his pet projects, people familiar with the plan told The Associated Press.
Blagojevich told fellow Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin he was thinking of naming Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to the seat vacated when Barack Obama won the presidential election, according to two Durbin aides who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A Madigan appointment would have been a political shocker because the governor had been warring politically with her father, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, on and off for Blagojevich's two terms in office.
The aides said the concessions Blagojevich wanted in return were progress on capital spending projects and a health care bill that were stalled in the Legislature.
Last November, Madigan said the chance was "less than zero" the governor would offer her the seat, adding that she did not believe she was even being considered. She is a likely contender in the 2010 governor's race.
It was already known that Blagojevich thought of her as a possible pick for the Senate seat but this conversation, unreported until now, provides details and shows he went as far as discussing the idea with at least one high-ranking fellow Democrat.
The 10-minute conversation took place Nov. 24 as Durbin was in his car using his cell phone, according to the aides. One aide said Durbin considered the idea an "innocuous compromise" and offered to help, but was told by the governor to "do nothing," and never heard more on the matter.
The aides spoke on condition that their names would not be used out of respect for the custom that Senate aides most often allow their bosses to be quoted. They gave their account in response to questions as reports circulated as to exactly what was said by Blagojevich and others on tapes made by FBI agents who wiretapped Blagojevich's home and campaign offices last fall.
Blagojevich attorney Samuel E. Adam declined to comment Monday and Durbin's office would offer no further comment. Natalie Bauer, a spokeswoman for Lisa Madigan, declined to comment.
Steve Brown, a spokesman for Michael Madigan said the account was "another example of Mr. Blagojevich being a very troubled and very confused person and that's why Illinois is in the predicament that it is today."
According to the Senate aides, Durbin was delighted to hear that Blagojevich was thinking of naming Madigan to the seat. He believed she would be a popular figure in Illinois and stood perhaps the best chance of holding the seat against a Republican.
Durbin volunteered to call the attorney general or the speaker to get the ball rolling and possibly broker an agreement, the aides said.
And that, as far as they know, was the end of the matter, the aides said. They said the Nov. 24 conversation was the only one between Durbin and Blagojevich last fall.
Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 and faces racketeering, fraud and other charges in connection with allegations that he sought to sell or trade the Senate seat, and that he used the political muscle of the governor's office to pressure people for campaign money.
He has pleaded not guilty. He was impeached and thrown out of office in January.
Wiretaps made public previously show Blagojevich discussing a number of possible appointees, including one believed to be Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett, now a senior White House adviser.
Lisa Madigan's name surfaced early in connection with the Senate seat. She's believed to be "Senate Candidate 2" in the federal criminal complaint, which describes Blagojevich telling an aide to float her name to a newspaper columnist as a possible appointee in a ploy to send a message to the Obama administration.
Blagojevich ultimately appointed former state official Roland Burris to the seat.
In charging the governor, federal prosecutors released an affidavit that quotes extensively from the wiretapped conversations, including ones in which the governor described the Senate seat as "a golden thing" and said he expected something for himself in return for an appointment.
Among other things, he mentioned a possible Cabinet post or high-paying job for himself or his wife, Patti, or in lieu of that, a large amount of campaign money.
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http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blag ... 09.article
Blagojevich confirms Topinka as 'kooky old aunt'
June 5, 2009
FROM SUN-TIMES STAFF
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich confirmed today that he did indeed refer to former state treasurer Judy Baar Topinka as “a crazy old aunt,” when he ran against Topinka in the 2006 governor’s race.
Blagojevich, in an appearance on on WLS-AM (890) today, was referring to comments his wife, Patti, made Thursday on the reality TV show, “I’m a celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here!”
Without mentioning Topinka by name, Patti Blagojevich told another contestant on the show that her husband was involved in a campaign in which he privately referred to the other candidate as a “kooky old aunt.”
“Yes, it’s Judy Baar Topinka,” Rod Blagojevich said this morning. “When you're in a campaign and you have to be with your opponent from time to time, sometimes they’ll do things to you that you think are unfair. They’ll twist things. I’m sure they think the same thing about you. For me, I try to get myself in a mindset where I could love my opponent and not let it [get] personal. To discipline myself, I tried to imagine, like a method actor might, that Judy Baar Topinka was one of my old aunts. That deep down she was a good person and when she would say the things that she would say or do the things she would do, it was more amusing than anything else. And I think that really probably is who she is. You know, crazy aunt in a good way."
Topinka, a guest on the same radio station today, didn’t quite see it the same way.
“That kooky old aunt had three terms in the treasurer’s office and never misplaced a dollar, gave $230 million in unclaimed assets back to people and made a profit,” Topinka said. “Not bad, huh, for being a kooky old aunt? Maybe Gov. Blagojevich — former Gov. Blagojevich — and his tarantula-eating wife might consider looking at doing the same thing or they wouldn’t be in such trouble.”
Topinka said she’s appalled that the former governor would “send a loved one off to eat tarantulas and roaches and things like that — that’s disgusting. I wouldn’t send any of my family members like that. To me, they’re worth more than that. It’s just not right. I think it’s denigrating. When you hold public office — especially if you were the first lady of the State of Illinois and the former governor — my God, you’ve got a role to play here. You’re a role model. You don’t go off eating roaches.’’
Topinka said nothing about the Blagojeviches’ comments are in any way flattering.
“The fact that they bring it up in this way just proves that [they] really have no respect for anything,” Topinka said. “They are shameless. They certainly have no respect for the system. They have no respect for the people of Illinois. It’s all about them. You can’t tell me that — as she sits there looking sane, with a bunch of has-beens and wannabes and goofs — she looks better by comparison. This is the same gal with the potty-mouth who was yelling on one of these transcripts of a phone message, you know, ‘Go knock these guys off the [Chicago] Tribune, get rid of these editorial writers if they can’t make a deal on the Cubs, and expletive deleted.’ I mean, Who is this woman? Now she’s suddenly playing Martha Washington. I mean, c’mon. She knew what was going on. She’s lucky [U.S. Attorney] Patrick Fitzgerald isn’t on her case, too.”
Sun-Times Staff
---
Former Gov. Blagojevich (right) confirmed today on WLS-AM 9*90) that he was referring to his former opponent Judy Baar Topinka (left) as "a crazy old aunt" when he ran against her for governor in 2006. Blagojevich's wife, Patti mentioned it on the show "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here."
(Sun-Times/AP)
Blagojevich confirms Topinka as 'kooky old aunt'
June 5, 2009
FROM SUN-TIMES STAFF
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich confirmed today that he did indeed refer to former state treasurer Judy Baar Topinka as “a crazy old aunt,” when he ran against Topinka in the 2006 governor’s race.
Blagojevich, in an appearance on on WLS-AM (890) today, was referring to comments his wife, Patti, made Thursday on the reality TV show, “I’m a celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here!”
Without mentioning Topinka by name, Patti Blagojevich told another contestant on the show that her husband was involved in a campaign in which he privately referred to the other candidate as a “kooky old aunt.”
“Yes, it’s Judy Baar Topinka,” Rod Blagojevich said this morning. “When you're in a campaign and you have to be with your opponent from time to time, sometimes they’ll do things to you that you think are unfair. They’ll twist things. I’m sure they think the same thing about you. For me, I try to get myself in a mindset where I could love my opponent and not let it [get] personal. To discipline myself, I tried to imagine, like a method actor might, that Judy Baar Topinka was one of my old aunts. That deep down she was a good person and when she would say the things that she would say or do the things she would do, it was more amusing than anything else. And I think that really probably is who she is. You know, crazy aunt in a good way."
Topinka, a guest on the same radio station today, didn’t quite see it the same way.
“That kooky old aunt had three terms in the treasurer’s office and never misplaced a dollar, gave $230 million in unclaimed assets back to people and made a profit,” Topinka said. “Not bad, huh, for being a kooky old aunt? Maybe Gov. Blagojevich — former Gov. Blagojevich — and his tarantula-eating wife might consider looking at doing the same thing or they wouldn’t be in such trouble.”
Topinka said she’s appalled that the former governor would “send a loved one off to eat tarantulas and roaches and things like that — that’s disgusting. I wouldn’t send any of my family members like that. To me, they’re worth more than that. It’s just not right. I think it’s denigrating. When you hold public office — especially if you were the first lady of the State of Illinois and the former governor — my God, you’ve got a role to play here. You’re a role model. You don’t go off eating roaches.’’
Topinka said nothing about the Blagojeviches’ comments are in any way flattering.
“The fact that they bring it up in this way just proves that [they] really have no respect for anything,” Topinka said. “They are shameless. They certainly have no respect for the system. They have no respect for the people of Illinois. It’s all about them. You can’t tell me that — as she sits there looking sane, with a bunch of has-beens and wannabes and goofs — she looks better by comparison. This is the same gal with the potty-mouth who was yelling on one of these transcripts of a phone message, you know, ‘Go knock these guys off the [Chicago] Tribune, get rid of these editorial writers if they can’t make a deal on the Cubs, and expletive deleted.’ I mean, Who is this woman? Now she’s suddenly playing Martha Washington. I mean, c’mon. She knew what was going on. She’s lucky [U.S. Attorney] Patrick Fitzgerald isn’t on her case, too.”
Sun-Times Staff
---
Former Gov. Blagojevich (right) confirmed today on WLS-AM 9*90) that he was referring to his former opponent Judy Baar Topinka (left) as "a crazy old aunt" when he ran against her for governor in 2006. Blagojevich's wife, Patti mentioned it on the show "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here."
(Sun-Times/AP)
Last edited by racehorse on 06-06-2009 12:50 PM, edited 1 time in total.
racehorse
http://www.kentucky.com/513/v-print/story/825296.html
Posted on Tue, Jun. 09, 2009
Blagojevich to mock himself in improv comedy show
By MEGAN REICHGOTT
Associated Press Writer
Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a laughingstock since his arrest and impeachment, is getting in on the jokes with Chicago's famed The Second City.
The former governor will participate in Saturday's evening performance of "Rod Blagojevich Superstar," his spokesman Glenn Selig said Tuesday.
The show is a takeoff on the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" and follows Blagojevich's rise and fall. Its run was supposed to end June 14, but the improvisational comedy group extended performances to Aug. 9 because of its popularity.
Selig declined to say how much Blagojevich will be paid, but said he will make a donation to Gilda's Club, a cancer support organization founded by Gilda Radner, the late "Saturday Night Live" performer and Second City alumna.
"The play is a satire and he plans to watch it along with everyone else and expects to get a good laugh and at the same time help Gilda's Club," Selig said.
A Second City spokeswoman did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press. A woman who answered the telephone at the box office but declined to give her name said Saturday's first performance was sold out, but tickets were available for the later show.
Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to charges that he schemed to sell or trade President Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat and used the muscle of the governor's office to get campaign donations. He was impeached and ousted from office in January.
Posted on Tue, Jun. 09, 2009
Blagojevich to mock himself in improv comedy show
By MEGAN REICHGOTT
Associated Press Writer
Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a laughingstock since his arrest and impeachment, is getting in on the jokes with Chicago's famed The Second City.
The former governor will participate in Saturday's evening performance of "Rod Blagojevich Superstar," his spokesman Glenn Selig said Tuesday.
The show is a takeoff on the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" and follows Blagojevich's rise and fall. Its run was supposed to end June 14, but the improvisational comedy group extended performances to Aug. 9 because of its popularity.
Selig declined to say how much Blagojevich will be paid, but said he will make a donation to Gilda's Club, a cancer support organization founded by Gilda Radner, the late "Saturday Night Live" performer and Second City alumna.
"The play is a satire and he plans to watch it along with everyone else and expects to get a good laugh and at the same time help Gilda's Club," Selig said.
A Second City spokeswoman did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press. A woman who answered the telephone at the box office but declined to give her name said Saturday's first performance was sold out, but tickets were available for the later show.
Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to charges that he schemed to sell or trade President Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat and used the muscle of the governor's office to get campaign donations. He was impeached and ousted from office in January.
racehorse
http://www.southernillinoisan.com/artic ... 087721.txt
SIU subpoenaed for possible Blago contacts
By Caleb Hale, The Southern
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 11:06 PM CDT
CARBONDALE - U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald wants to know if personnel at Southern Illinois University ever had conversations with members of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's inner circle about student admissions.
The university's office of general counsel received a subpoena Monday from the office of the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, which is prosecuting a criminal case against the ousted Illinois governor.
SIU spokesman and government relations officer David Gross said the subpoena seeks records of contact between university personnel with Blagojevich and the following co-defendants: Springfield powerbroker William Cellini, former fundraisers Tony Rezko and Christopher Kelly, and former chief of staff Lon Monk.
Fitzgerald is likely seeking the information in connection with recent revelations the University of Illinois kept a "clout list" of undergraduate students, whom elected officials and lobbyists took special interest in seeing admitted, Gross said.
Fitzgerald has asked SIU submit any information on possible contacts by July 2.
"We've got no reason to believe any such records exist, but the general counsel is going to have to conduct this search through both campuses. We'll wait and see what information is derived from that process," Gross said.
Requests for such information weren't unexpected in the wake of the U of I controversy, which is also under investigation by a commission appointed by Gov. Pat Quinn, Gross said.
Illinois State University spokesman Jay Groves said the Normal-based school had not received a subpoena as of Tuesday but that it was possible it might in the near future.
Neither Eastern Illinois University nor Western Illinois University had received a similar request either, officials on the campuses reported.
--
- Mike Riopell of The Southern Springfield Bureau contributed this report.
SIU subpoenaed for possible Blago contacts
By Caleb Hale, The Southern
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 11:06 PM CDT
CARBONDALE - U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald wants to know if personnel at Southern Illinois University ever had conversations with members of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's inner circle about student admissions.
The university's office of general counsel received a subpoena Monday from the office of the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, which is prosecuting a criminal case against the ousted Illinois governor.
SIU spokesman and government relations officer David Gross said the subpoena seeks records of contact between university personnel with Blagojevich and the following co-defendants: Springfield powerbroker William Cellini, former fundraisers Tony Rezko and Christopher Kelly, and former chief of staff Lon Monk.
Fitzgerald is likely seeking the information in connection with recent revelations the University of Illinois kept a "clout list" of undergraduate students, whom elected officials and lobbyists took special interest in seeing admitted, Gross said.
Fitzgerald has asked SIU submit any information on possible contacts by July 2.
"We've got no reason to believe any such records exist, but the general counsel is going to have to conduct this search through both campuses. We'll wait and see what information is derived from that process," Gross said.
Requests for such information weren't unexpected in the wake of the U of I controversy, which is also under investigation by a commission appointed by Gov. Pat Quinn, Gross said.
Illinois State University spokesman Jay Groves said the Normal-based school had not received a subpoena as of Tuesday but that it was possible it might in the near future.
Neither Eastern Illinois University nor Western Illinois University had received a similar request either, officials on the campuses reported.
--
- Mike Riopell of The Southern Springfield Bureau contributed this report.
racehorse
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi- ... 6835.story
chicagotribune.com
Can't leggo your Blago?
You don't have to with new Web site all about Rod Blagojevich
August 10, 2009
Impeached former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is spreading his self-described message as a "champion for ordinary Americans" through a Web site launched Sunday.
http://www.governorrod.com invites readers to "Tell Rod what's bugging you" during his weekly radio show on WLS or book the former governor for a speaking engagement.
Pictures on the home page show Blagojevich with "The Hills" stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, who shared a season munching on bugs and forgoing showers with Blagojevich's wife, Patti, on NBC's "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!"
"He made history in August 2009 when he became the first former elected official still facing charges to be named host of his own radio show," a part of Blagojevich's online biography reads.
The former governor needs a "one-stop shop" where people can do everything from hire him to sing an Elvis tune or learn his take on issues, Blagojevich's spokesman and publicist Glenn Selig said.
The former governor is expected to have plenty of face time in September when he makes the rounds on national TV shows for his autobiography, "The Governor," which is due out the same month, Selig said.
You also can see Blagojevich next June when he's scheduled to stand trial for trying to sell Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat, among other accusations.
-- Kristen Schorsch
chicagotribune.com
Can't leggo your Blago?
You don't have to with new Web site all about Rod Blagojevich
August 10, 2009
Impeached former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is spreading his self-described message as a "champion for ordinary Americans" through a Web site launched Sunday.
http://www.governorrod.com invites readers to "Tell Rod what's bugging you" during his weekly radio show on WLS or book the former governor for a speaking engagement.
Pictures on the home page show Blagojevich with "The Hills" stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, who shared a season munching on bugs and forgoing showers with Blagojevich's wife, Patti, on NBC's "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!"
"He made history in August 2009 when he became the first former elected official still facing charges to be named host of his own radio show," a part of Blagojevich's online biography reads.
The former governor needs a "one-stop shop" where people can do everything from hire him to sing an Elvis tune or learn his take on issues, Blagojevich's spokesman and publicist Glenn Selig said.
The former governor is expected to have plenty of face time in September when he makes the rounds on national TV shows for his autobiography, "The Governor," which is due out the same month, Selig said.
You also can see Blagojevich next June when he's scheduled to stand trial for trying to sell Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat, among other accusations.
-- Kristen Schorsch
racehorse
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi- ... rint.story
Lawyer: Blagojevich will testify at his own trial
By MIKE ROBINSON
AP Legal Affairs Writer
6:58 PM CST, December 4, 2009
CHICAGO
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will take the stand at his fraud trial but claim his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if called to testify in a $90 million civil suit, a defense attorney said Friday.
"He is going to look that jury right in the eye and he is going to tell them what he is telling the world, that he is innocent of these criminal charges, and he will say so himself when called to testify at his own trial," Blagojevich attorney Samuel E. Adam said in a brief telephone interview.
But Adam said he and his father, veteran criminal defense attorney Sam Adam, have advised Blagojevich to invoke his constitutional right under the Fifth Amendment if called in the civil suit involving casinos and racetracks.
The Adamses are two of the three top members of the legal team defending Blagojevich on charges that he schemed to trade or sell President Barack Obama's former Senate seat and committed an array of other federal offenses.
The telephone interview came before it was disclosed Friday afternoon that the father-and-son legal team's South Side offices were burglarized overnight; police said eight computers and a safe were taken.
An attorney who represents Blagojevich in civil matters, Jay Edelson, said Thursday night that the judge in the civil suit, Matthew F. Kennelly, has been informed that Blagojevich would take the Fifth if called to testify.
Edelson said the former governor would also invoke legislative privilege -- a provision of law designed to keep lawmakers and others from being bombarded by lawsuits for the bills they act upon -- if necessary in the lawsuit.
Edelson said Blagojevich wants his story known but that it would be unwise to testify in the civil suit when the questions' subject matter could overlap with that of the criminal indictment against him.
Adam called The Associated Press to make it clear that while Blagojevich would not testify in the civil suit he would not shrink from doing so at his own trial. The former governor's trial is scheduled to begin June 3.
In the civil suit, four casinos are asking the court to freeze $90 million paid by four casinos to the state treasurer to be distributed to five tracks.
Racetracks and casinos have been battling in Springfield for years, with the tracks claiming that the advent of legal gambling in Illinois has lured away their patrons and made it tougher for them to make money.
Under legislation signed by Blagojevich in 2006 and 2008, the casinos must pay part of their revenue into the fund at the treasurers office to benefit the tracks. Casinos say that unless the fund is frozen they will never get it back.
A federal indictment charges that Blagojevich schemed to squeeze racetrack owner John Johnston for a hefty campaign contribution as the price of signing the bill. Johnston has been accused of no wrongdoing in the case.
But attorneys for the casinos point to $125,000 in campaign contributions to Blagojevich from companies and associations with ties to Johnston in recent years. They say that's why Blagojevich signed the bills.
The lawsuit filed June 12 says the casinos "seek to right one facet of the rampant corruption uncovered as a result of the U.S. attorney's criminal investigation of Blagojevich."
Lawyer: Blagojevich will testify at his own trial
By MIKE ROBINSON
AP Legal Affairs Writer
6:58 PM CST, December 4, 2009
CHICAGO
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will take the stand at his fraud trial but claim his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if called to testify in a $90 million civil suit, a defense attorney said Friday.
"He is going to look that jury right in the eye and he is going to tell them what he is telling the world, that he is innocent of these criminal charges, and he will say so himself when called to testify at his own trial," Blagojevich attorney Samuel E. Adam said in a brief telephone interview.
But Adam said he and his father, veteran criminal defense attorney Sam Adam, have advised Blagojevich to invoke his constitutional right under the Fifth Amendment if called in the civil suit involving casinos and racetracks.
The Adamses are two of the three top members of the legal team defending Blagojevich on charges that he schemed to trade or sell President Barack Obama's former Senate seat and committed an array of other federal offenses.
The telephone interview came before it was disclosed Friday afternoon that the father-and-son legal team's South Side offices were burglarized overnight; police said eight computers and a safe were taken.
An attorney who represents Blagojevich in civil matters, Jay Edelson, said Thursday night that the judge in the civil suit, Matthew F. Kennelly, has been informed that Blagojevich would take the Fifth if called to testify.
Edelson said the former governor would also invoke legislative privilege -- a provision of law designed to keep lawmakers and others from being bombarded by lawsuits for the bills they act upon -- if necessary in the lawsuit.
Edelson said Blagojevich wants his story known but that it would be unwise to testify in the civil suit when the questions' subject matter could overlap with that of the criminal indictment against him.
Adam called The Associated Press to make it clear that while Blagojevich would not testify in the civil suit he would not shrink from doing so at his own trial. The former governor's trial is scheduled to begin June 3.
In the civil suit, four casinos are asking the court to freeze $90 million paid by four casinos to the state treasurer to be distributed to five tracks.
Racetracks and casinos have been battling in Springfield for years, with the tracks claiming that the advent of legal gambling in Illinois has lured away their patrons and made it tougher for them to make money.
Under legislation signed by Blagojevich in 2006 and 2008, the casinos must pay part of their revenue into the fund at the treasurers office to benefit the tracks. Casinos say that unless the fund is frozen they will never get it back.
A federal indictment charges that Blagojevich schemed to squeeze racetrack owner John Johnston for a hefty campaign contribution as the price of signing the bill. Johnston has been accused of no wrongdoing in the case.
But attorneys for the casinos point to $125,000 in campaign contributions to Blagojevich from companies and associations with ties to Johnston in recent years. They say that's why Blagojevich signed the bills.
The lawsuit filed June 12 says the casinos "seek to right one facet of the rampant corruption uncovered as a result of the U.S. attorney's criminal investigation of Blagojevich."
racehorse
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi- ... 0324.story
chicagotribune.com
Computers with Rod Blagojevich recordings are stolen
Former governor's lawyers report office break-in
By Jeff Coen
Tribune reporter
December 5, 2009
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has always maintained he wants the public to hear all of the undercover government recordings in his federal corruption case, and now maybe he'll get his wish.
Chicago police were looking into an early-morning burglary Friday at the South Side offices of his lawyers. Computers containing copies of the nearly 500 hours of recordings in the Blagojevich case and other sensitive evidence were stolen, sources said.
It was unclear whether the burglary was carried out by thieves knowing what they were after or was a smash-and-grab by criminals looking for cash or easy-to-move merchandise. But the burglars didn't appear to be terribly sophisticated, setting off an alarm about 4 a.m.
At least eight laptops and a safe were stolen, sources said.
Authorities wouldn't speculate on any concerns that the computers might be headed into the hands of spies for a gossip Web site or just a pawn shop.
"It could be a happenstance burglary," said Steve Peterson, Chicago police deputy superintendent. "All leads will be followed."
Blagojevich was secretly recorded in 2008 allegedly talking about illegal arrangements, including the selling of the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.
The charges against Blagojevich quoted some excerpts from the undercover recordings, including this comment about the Senate appointment: "I've got this thing and it's [expletive] golden, and, uh, uh, I'm just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing." And a handful of recordings were played at his impeachment trial.
But hundreds of recordings haven't been made public in advance of Blagojevich's trial, scheduled to begin next June, and many may never be aired.
The burglary took place at the law offices of Sam Adam and his son, Sam Adam Jr., in the 6100 block of South Ellis Avenue at a building the Adams own in a largely residential area. It's not the first time in recent months burglars have targeted the offices, one source said, but nothing sensitive was taken before Friday's break-in.
The younger Adam said all of the Blagojevich computer files are backed up on a server left untouched in the burglary. Computer passwords would have to be defeated to get at the computerized evidence, he said.
"We did have some computers stolen, and we will not speculate on any motivation that might be behind it," Adam said.
U.S. District Judge James Zagel, who has issued a protective order to keep the undercover recordings from being made public, was officially notified of the theft Friday.
The stolen computers were bought with money Zagel ordered released from Blagojevich's campaign fund.
Adam said the burglary shouldn't delay Blagojevich's trial, scheduled to begin June 3.
"We are already back to work," said Adam, not missing a chance to stay on his core message. "We're not going to let this slow us down and slow down the truth (from) coming out: that the governor did nothing wrong."
---
Tribune reporter Annie Sweeney contributed to this report.
chicagotribune.com
Computers with Rod Blagojevich recordings are stolen
Former governor's lawyers report office break-in
By Jeff Coen
Tribune reporter
December 5, 2009
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has always maintained he wants the public to hear all of the undercover government recordings in his federal corruption case, and now maybe he'll get his wish.
Chicago police were looking into an early-morning burglary Friday at the South Side offices of his lawyers. Computers containing copies of the nearly 500 hours of recordings in the Blagojevich case and other sensitive evidence were stolen, sources said.
It was unclear whether the burglary was carried out by thieves knowing what they were after or was a smash-and-grab by criminals looking for cash or easy-to-move merchandise. But the burglars didn't appear to be terribly sophisticated, setting off an alarm about 4 a.m.
At least eight laptops and a safe were stolen, sources said.
Authorities wouldn't speculate on any concerns that the computers might be headed into the hands of spies for a gossip Web site or just a pawn shop.
"It could be a happenstance burglary," said Steve Peterson, Chicago police deputy superintendent. "All leads will be followed."
Blagojevich was secretly recorded in 2008 allegedly talking about illegal arrangements, including the selling of the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.
The charges against Blagojevich quoted some excerpts from the undercover recordings, including this comment about the Senate appointment: "I've got this thing and it's [expletive] golden, and, uh, uh, I'm just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing." And a handful of recordings were played at his impeachment trial.
But hundreds of recordings haven't been made public in advance of Blagojevich's trial, scheduled to begin next June, and many may never be aired.
The burglary took place at the law offices of Sam Adam and his son, Sam Adam Jr., in the 6100 block of South Ellis Avenue at a building the Adams own in a largely residential area. It's not the first time in recent months burglars have targeted the offices, one source said, but nothing sensitive was taken before Friday's break-in.
The younger Adam said all of the Blagojevich computer files are backed up on a server left untouched in the burglary. Computer passwords would have to be defeated to get at the computerized evidence, he said.
"We did have some computers stolen, and we will not speculate on any motivation that might be behind it," Adam said.
U.S. District Judge James Zagel, who has issued a protective order to keep the undercover recordings from being made public, was officially notified of the theft Friday.
The stolen computers were bought with money Zagel ordered released from Blagojevich's campaign fund.
Adam said the burglary shouldn't delay Blagojevich's trial, scheduled to begin June 3.
"We are already back to work," said Adam, not missing a chance to stay on his core message. "We're not going to let this slow us down and slow down the truth (from) coming out: that the governor did nothing wrong."
---
Tribune reporter Annie Sweeney contributed to this report.
racehorse
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi- ... 2069.story
chicagotribune.com
Rod Blagojevich: A strange trip for Illinois
It's been a year since then-governor was arrested by federal agents
By Ray Long and John Chase
Tribune reporters
December 6, 2009
They showed up at Rod Blagojevich's home before the sun.
By daylight, federal agents had arrested and handcuffed the governor, throwing him -- and all of Illinois -- into one of the most momentous and absurd times in the state's sordid political history.
It's been nearly a year since Dec. 9, 2008, when then-Gov. Blagojevich was roused from his bed and hit with an array of criminal charges that included the extraordinary accusation he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated when Barack Obama was elected president.
But after weeks of banner headlines that would have exhausted a lesser scandal, the Blagojevich story remains in the limelight -- thanks largely to the ex-governor's incessant pursuit of publicity.
Instead of hiding behind the shame of an indictment, impeachment and ouster from office -- and keeping his mouth shut before trial like so many politicians before him -- Blagojevich has done the opposite. He's made two national tours to proclaim his innocence. He's released a book. He's hosted radio talk shows.
The glib, camera-loving Chicago Democrat has seemed remarkably unfazed throughout it all, while Illinoisans and observers around the country have watched a story that spans from the scandalous to the surreal.
In late January, Blagojevich was making an impassioned but fruitless speech to save his job before state lawmakers, who made him the first governor impeached and banned from Illinois public office for life. Days later, he was fulfilling a dream of bantering with the host on "The Late Show with David Letterman."
"Well, you know, I've been wanting to be on your show in the worst way for the longest time," Blagojevich told Letterman.
"Well, you're on in the worst way," Letterman deadpanned. "Believe me."
In the ensuing months, Blagojevich performed a song by his hero Elvis at a block party and joked about female anatomy with shock jock Howard Stern. He sent his wife to Costa Rica to eat bugs in a jungle-based reality show and secured a spot as a contestant on the spring edition of Donald Trump's TV show "Celebrity Apprentice."
That came with a warning from a federal judge to watch what he says lest he prejudice his own criminal case. But some observers have suggested that the ex-governor's effort to transform his image from disgraced politician to celebrity is a conversion that could help him with a jury pool in his trial scheduled for mid-2010.
His fellow Democrats definitely would prefer he keep quiet. While Blagojevich prepares for what could be a months-long trial in the middle of statewide elections, they will be trying to hold on to the job he lost and the Senate seat he's accused of peddling.
It wasn't long ago that Democrats, led by Blagojevich, were gleefully reminding voters about the corruption scandal of Republican ex-Gov. George Ryan, who now sits in federal prison. Now they're the ones who fear a backlash at the ballot box.
While no Republicans hold statewide office or control either chamber of the General Assembly, it was only a scant 15 years ago when the reverse was true, a stark reminder that voters are fickle and allegiances can change fast.
"I think a big question will be what message does the electorate collectively send in these two elections we have in 2010?" said Patrick Collins, a former federal prosecutor who led the corruption case against Ryan and chaired the reform commission created by Gov. Pat Quinn after Blagojevich's ouster. Voters should demand a "core level of integrity in all of their public officials," Collins said.
Democrats who rallied around Blagojevich's reformer image in 2002 and stuck with him amid the early signs of scandal in 2006 have scrambled to take the lead in ousting the governor and trying to scrub the capital clean. Republicans have led the criticism that it's too little and too late for a ruling party that looked the other way for political gain.
Since Blagojevich's arrest, the trickle of details about the alleged corruption has become a steady stream as his two former chiefs of staff have both pleaded guilty and agreed to testify about schemes in which they allege the governor and his allies sought to trade government favors for personal gain -- everything from legislation to help racetracks to state funding for a children's hospital.
Blagojevich's top fundraiser, Christopher Kelly, facing pressure from prosecutors to cooperate against his longtime friend, died days before he was to begin serving an eight-year sentence on unrelated corruption charges. Authorities ruled the death a suicide, saying Kelly overdosed on pills.
In October, one of Blagojevich's closest friends and advisers, Alonzo Monk, said in a plea agreement that he, Blagojevich, and fundraisers Antoin "Tony" Rezko and Kelly met repeatedly to talk about lucrative schemes with the idea they could split the money later.
Monk's successor, John Harris, alleged that Blagojevich viewed the Senate seat vacated by Obama as a bargaining chip that could be exchanged for money or a job.
The Senate allegation turned the Blagojevich scandal into worldwide news and became its own subplot when Blagojevich defied Democrats from Springfield to Washington by appointing Roland Burris to the Senate seat. Burris promised the public he didn't do anything untoward to get the seat and demanded that reluctant Democrats let him into the Senate. But his story slowly changed and last month a Senate Ethics panel admonished him for having provided "incorrect, inconsistent, misleading or incomplete information to the public" and others about his contacts with Blagojevich allies leading up to the appointment.
The white-hot nature of the Senate charges overshadowed years of federal investigation into allegations that the governor's aides and money men violated state hiring laws to pad the payroll with cronies, sold government appointments for campaign donations and extorted bribes through their control of state pension and hospital boards. Along the way, Blagojevich's bombastic battles with fellow Democrats who control the Statehouse resulted in a dysfunctional government that veered deeper into debt during his six years in office.
Reform groups seized on Blagojevich's ouster to push for ethics reforms, as did his successor, Quinn, who wants voters to elect him to the job next year. But the good government groups themselves acknowledged they couldn't get as much reform as they wanted.
Blagojevich has argued he is still the true reformer, an outsider framed by a corrupt political system. He and his attorneys want to make public all of the phone conversations the government secretly recorded as he talked with friends and advisers, not just the excerpts that have been used against him.
A judge ordered the recordings sealed to the public. But federal prosecutors have turned over the recordings -- and more than a million pages of evidence compiled in the five-year investigation -- to the ex-governor's defense attorney.
That led to the latest twist in a story that won't go away.
Blagojevich's lawyers Friday reported to police that their offices had been burglarized. Among the items stolen were computers they said held Blagojevich recordings. On Saturday, police searched a nearby home looking for the computers but didn't find them there, police said.
--
Tribune reporter Stacy St. Clair contributed to this report.
--
Gov. Rod Blagojevich (center), leaves his home through a back alley a day after he was arrested on federal corruption charges. (AP photo by Mark Carlson / December 10, 2008)
chicagotribune.com
Rod Blagojevich: A strange trip for Illinois
It's been a year since then-governor was arrested by federal agents
By Ray Long and John Chase
Tribune reporters
December 6, 2009
They showed up at Rod Blagojevich's home before the sun.
By daylight, federal agents had arrested and handcuffed the governor, throwing him -- and all of Illinois -- into one of the most momentous and absurd times in the state's sordid political history.
It's been nearly a year since Dec. 9, 2008, when then-Gov. Blagojevich was roused from his bed and hit with an array of criminal charges that included the extraordinary accusation he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated when Barack Obama was elected president.
But after weeks of banner headlines that would have exhausted a lesser scandal, the Blagojevich story remains in the limelight -- thanks largely to the ex-governor's incessant pursuit of publicity.
Instead of hiding behind the shame of an indictment, impeachment and ouster from office -- and keeping his mouth shut before trial like so many politicians before him -- Blagojevich has done the opposite. He's made two national tours to proclaim his innocence. He's released a book. He's hosted radio talk shows.
The glib, camera-loving Chicago Democrat has seemed remarkably unfazed throughout it all, while Illinoisans and observers around the country have watched a story that spans from the scandalous to the surreal.
In late January, Blagojevich was making an impassioned but fruitless speech to save his job before state lawmakers, who made him the first governor impeached and banned from Illinois public office for life. Days later, he was fulfilling a dream of bantering with the host on "The Late Show with David Letterman."
"Well, you know, I've been wanting to be on your show in the worst way for the longest time," Blagojevich told Letterman.
"Well, you're on in the worst way," Letterman deadpanned. "Believe me."
In the ensuing months, Blagojevich performed a song by his hero Elvis at a block party and joked about female anatomy with shock jock Howard Stern. He sent his wife to Costa Rica to eat bugs in a jungle-based reality show and secured a spot as a contestant on the spring edition of Donald Trump's TV show "Celebrity Apprentice."
That came with a warning from a federal judge to watch what he says lest he prejudice his own criminal case. But some observers have suggested that the ex-governor's effort to transform his image from disgraced politician to celebrity is a conversion that could help him with a jury pool in his trial scheduled for mid-2010.
His fellow Democrats definitely would prefer he keep quiet. While Blagojevich prepares for what could be a months-long trial in the middle of statewide elections, they will be trying to hold on to the job he lost and the Senate seat he's accused of peddling.
It wasn't long ago that Democrats, led by Blagojevich, were gleefully reminding voters about the corruption scandal of Republican ex-Gov. George Ryan, who now sits in federal prison. Now they're the ones who fear a backlash at the ballot box.
While no Republicans hold statewide office or control either chamber of the General Assembly, it was only a scant 15 years ago when the reverse was true, a stark reminder that voters are fickle and allegiances can change fast.
"I think a big question will be what message does the electorate collectively send in these two elections we have in 2010?" said Patrick Collins, a former federal prosecutor who led the corruption case against Ryan and chaired the reform commission created by Gov. Pat Quinn after Blagojevich's ouster. Voters should demand a "core level of integrity in all of their public officials," Collins said.
Democrats who rallied around Blagojevich's reformer image in 2002 and stuck with him amid the early signs of scandal in 2006 have scrambled to take the lead in ousting the governor and trying to scrub the capital clean. Republicans have led the criticism that it's too little and too late for a ruling party that looked the other way for political gain.
Since Blagojevich's arrest, the trickle of details about the alleged corruption has become a steady stream as his two former chiefs of staff have both pleaded guilty and agreed to testify about schemes in which they allege the governor and his allies sought to trade government favors for personal gain -- everything from legislation to help racetracks to state funding for a children's hospital.
Blagojevich's top fundraiser, Christopher Kelly, facing pressure from prosecutors to cooperate against his longtime friend, died days before he was to begin serving an eight-year sentence on unrelated corruption charges. Authorities ruled the death a suicide, saying Kelly overdosed on pills.
In October, one of Blagojevich's closest friends and advisers, Alonzo Monk, said in a plea agreement that he, Blagojevich, and fundraisers Antoin "Tony" Rezko and Kelly met repeatedly to talk about lucrative schemes with the idea they could split the money later.
Monk's successor, John Harris, alleged that Blagojevich viewed the Senate seat vacated by Obama as a bargaining chip that could be exchanged for money or a job.
The Senate allegation turned the Blagojevich scandal into worldwide news and became its own subplot when Blagojevich defied Democrats from Springfield to Washington by appointing Roland Burris to the Senate seat. Burris promised the public he didn't do anything untoward to get the seat and demanded that reluctant Democrats let him into the Senate. But his story slowly changed and last month a Senate Ethics panel admonished him for having provided "incorrect, inconsistent, misleading or incomplete information to the public" and others about his contacts with Blagojevich allies leading up to the appointment.
The white-hot nature of the Senate charges overshadowed years of federal investigation into allegations that the governor's aides and money men violated state hiring laws to pad the payroll with cronies, sold government appointments for campaign donations and extorted bribes through their control of state pension and hospital boards. Along the way, Blagojevich's bombastic battles with fellow Democrats who control the Statehouse resulted in a dysfunctional government that veered deeper into debt during his six years in office.
Reform groups seized on Blagojevich's ouster to push for ethics reforms, as did his successor, Quinn, who wants voters to elect him to the job next year. But the good government groups themselves acknowledged they couldn't get as much reform as they wanted.
Blagojevich has argued he is still the true reformer, an outsider framed by a corrupt political system. He and his attorneys want to make public all of the phone conversations the government secretly recorded as he talked with friends and advisers, not just the excerpts that have been used against him.
A judge ordered the recordings sealed to the public. But federal prosecutors have turned over the recordings -- and more than a million pages of evidence compiled in the five-year investigation -- to the ex-governor's defense attorney.
That led to the latest twist in a story that won't go away.
Blagojevich's lawyers Friday reported to police that their offices had been burglarized. Among the items stolen were computers they said held Blagojevich recordings. On Saturday, police searched a nearby home looking for the computers but didn't find them there, police said.
--
Tribune reporter Stacy St. Clair contributed to this report.
--
Gov. Rod Blagojevich (center), leaves his home through a back alley a day after he was arrested on federal corruption charges. (AP photo by Mark Carlson / December 10, 2008)
racehorse
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opin ... rint.story
chicagotribune.com
Illinois after Blagojevich
December 6, 2009
A year ago Wednesday morning, FBI agents handcuffed the governor of Illinois and led him into ignominy. Other politicians then impeached him, removed him from office. But despite pressure from infuriated voters, those surviving pols -- refusing to curb their own power -- enacted only some of the anti-corruption and governance reforms they should have.
With that, the pols who run Illinois essentially declared this state healed: The Rod Blagojevich era was over, save for his trial in 2010. With him defrocked, his survivors suggest, state government today is more stable and better-governed.
If only that were true. It is not. Illinois is in demonstrably worse shape today than on Dec. 9, 2008, when U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said the governor's arrest had halted "a political corruption crime spree." Blagojevich says he is innocent, a verdict federal courts will affirm or reject. Either way, these years -- with and after Blagojevich -- will be mourned as a wasted, wasteful time when Illinois leaders didn't lead.
Decades from now we'll all still discuss the scandals on Blagojevich's watch, just as we still discuss the $744,000 found in Secretary of State Paul Powell's hotel suite after he died in 1970. That notorious stash lay in a Marshall Field & Co. shoe box, two briefcases and three strongboxes.
Decades from now, though, we'll also still be paying for something less colorful than any scandal but every bit as reckless: the borrow-and-spend culture of fiscal mismanagement that flourished under Blagojevich, and that the surviving leaders in Springfield have intensified in his wake.
Today the state's budget deficit -- the spread between expected revenues and planned expenditures -- approaches $12 billion. The unfunded state pension obligation, the burden that most dooms our children and grandchildren, is at $80 billion and climbing. As of Thursday, Illinois had an embarrassing backlog of 190,223 bills, totaling more than $4.3 billion, that this deadbeat state has no money to pay.
The response from neglectful lawmakers essentially has been to borrow still more billions, shrug at those unpaid bills, and pray for better days ahead. Laurence Msall of Chicago's Civic Federation notes that rank-and-file legislators expended more effort this year on loading their pet local projects into a $31 billion capital spending plan than they did ordering less generous pension benefits for future employees, reforming a Medicaid system that hemorrhages billions, or undoing the unilateral expansion of health care that Blagojevich initiated.
The temptation is to blame the man who succeeded Blagojevich with presiding over these debacles. But Gov. Pat Quinn at least took the risk of backing a two-tier pension system, something his primary election opponent, Comptroller Dan Hynes, hasn't. And remember, legislators in the end didn't send Quinn a detailed budget that distinguishes what should be funded from what shouldn't. They abdicated that basic duty and sent him lump-sum appropriations that don't match anyone's idea of what revenues will be. In Msall's view, the General Assembly was so unwilling to set priorities that in effect it declared everything a priority -- and stuck Quinn with the job of deciding what to fund and what to cut. That was gutless.
Those of us who pay the state's bills, the unsustainable benefits and the public officials' salaries are left with a government that for two decades has grown spending at twice the rate of inflation and now wonders how to meet its obligations.
No, we do not miss Blagojevich and the inept way he covered operations, pension obligations and expansions of state programs with debt and other gimmicks that delayed the terrible but inevitable impact.
We only wish Springfield's habit of promising more people more favors than the people of Illinois can afford had halted the morning the feds slapped on the cuffs.
chicagotribune.com
Illinois after Blagojevich
December 6, 2009
A year ago Wednesday morning, FBI agents handcuffed the governor of Illinois and led him into ignominy. Other politicians then impeached him, removed him from office. But despite pressure from infuriated voters, those surviving pols -- refusing to curb their own power -- enacted only some of the anti-corruption and governance reforms they should have.
With that, the pols who run Illinois essentially declared this state healed: The Rod Blagojevich era was over, save for his trial in 2010. With him defrocked, his survivors suggest, state government today is more stable and better-governed.
If only that were true. It is not. Illinois is in demonstrably worse shape today than on Dec. 9, 2008, when U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said the governor's arrest had halted "a political corruption crime spree." Blagojevich says he is innocent, a verdict federal courts will affirm or reject. Either way, these years -- with and after Blagojevich -- will be mourned as a wasted, wasteful time when Illinois leaders didn't lead.
Decades from now we'll all still discuss the scandals on Blagojevich's watch, just as we still discuss the $744,000 found in Secretary of State Paul Powell's hotel suite after he died in 1970. That notorious stash lay in a Marshall Field & Co. shoe box, two briefcases and three strongboxes.
Decades from now, though, we'll also still be paying for something less colorful than any scandal but every bit as reckless: the borrow-and-spend culture of fiscal mismanagement that flourished under Blagojevich, and that the surviving leaders in Springfield have intensified in his wake.
Today the state's budget deficit -- the spread between expected revenues and planned expenditures -- approaches $12 billion. The unfunded state pension obligation, the burden that most dooms our children and grandchildren, is at $80 billion and climbing. As of Thursday, Illinois had an embarrassing backlog of 190,223 bills, totaling more than $4.3 billion, that this deadbeat state has no money to pay.
The response from neglectful lawmakers essentially has been to borrow still more billions, shrug at those unpaid bills, and pray for better days ahead. Laurence Msall of Chicago's Civic Federation notes that rank-and-file legislators expended more effort this year on loading their pet local projects into a $31 billion capital spending plan than they did ordering less generous pension benefits for future employees, reforming a Medicaid system that hemorrhages billions, or undoing the unilateral expansion of health care that Blagojevich initiated.
The temptation is to blame the man who succeeded Blagojevich with presiding over these debacles. But Gov. Pat Quinn at least took the risk of backing a two-tier pension system, something his primary election opponent, Comptroller Dan Hynes, hasn't. And remember, legislators in the end didn't send Quinn a detailed budget that distinguishes what should be funded from what shouldn't. They abdicated that basic duty and sent him lump-sum appropriations that don't match anyone's idea of what revenues will be. In Msall's view, the General Assembly was so unwilling to set priorities that in effect it declared everything a priority -- and stuck Quinn with the job of deciding what to fund and what to cut. That was gutless.
Those of us who pay the state's bills, the unsustainable benefits and the public officials' salaries are left with a government that for two decades has grown spending at twice the rate of inflation and now wonders how to meet its obligations.
No, we do not miss Blagojevich and the inept way he covered operations, pension obligations and expansions of state programs with debt and other gimmicks that delayed the terrible but inevitable impact.
We only wish Springfield's habit of promising more people more favors than the people of Illinois can afford had halted the morning the feds slapped on the cuffs.
racehorse
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blag ... 13.article
Blagojevich's lawyers seek FBI interview with Obama
COURT FILING | Defense wants early look at 'notes, transcripts'
December 13, 2009
BY NATASHA KORECKI Federal Courts Reporter
Rod Blagojevich's lawyers want the FBI to give up details of interviews conducted last year of President Obama, his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, White House adviser Valerie Jarrett and others as part of the investigation into the former governor.
In a Friday filing, Blagojevich attorneys also asked for information regarding first lady Michelle Obama. However, a source said late Friday that the FBI never interviewed the first lady.
Rod Blagojevich's lawyers want the FBI to give up details of interviews conducted last year with President Obama (from top left), Michelle Obama, Valerie Jarrett and Rahm Emanuel. A source said Friday, the FBI never interviewed the first lady.
Then-President-elect Obama, Emanuel and Jarrett sat down with the FBI about a year ago -- just after Blagojevich was arrested on charges of trying to sell Obama's recently vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder.
Obama revealed he was interviewed in a report he made public last December.
The defense request, filed in federal court, asks for "notes, transcripts and reports" of interviews with the Obamas, Emanuel, Jarrett and union chiefs Thomas Balanoff and Andy Stern.
The request was part of a larger bid by defense lawyers to have prosecutors turn over additional materials, including witness statements, six months before the June trial date. Typically, prosecutors give the defense such information 30 days before the trial.
Shelly Sorosky, an attorney for Blagojevich, said the defense needs additional time with the material "because there's so much of it. This is massive stuff."
--
Rod Blagojevich's lawyers want the FBI to give up details of interviews conducted last year with President Obama (from top left), Michelle Obama, Valerie Jarrett and Rahm Emanuel. A source said Friday, the FBI never interviewed the first lady.
Blagojevich's lawyers seek FBI interview with Obama
COURT FILING | Defense wants early look at 'notes, transcripts'
December 13, 2009
BY NATASHA KORECKI Federal Courts Reporter
Rod Blagojevich's lawyers want the FBI to give up details of interviews conducted last year of President Obama, his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, White House adviser Valerie Jarrett and others as part of the investigation into the former governor.
In a Friday filing, Blagojevich attorneys also asked for information regarding first lady Michelle Obama. However, a source said late Friday that the FBI never interviewed the first lady.
Rod Blagojevich's lawyers want the FBI to give up details of interviews conducted last year with President Obama (from top left), Michelle Obama, Valerie Jarrett and Rahm Emanuel. A source said Friday, the FBI never interviewed the first lady.
Then-President-elect Obama, Emanuel and Jarrett sat down with the FBI about a year ago -- just after Blagojevich was arrested on charges of trying to sell Obama's recently vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder.
Obama revealed he was interviewed in a report he made public last December.
The defense request, filed in federal court, asks for "notes, transcripts and reports" of interviews with the Obamas, Emanuel, Jarrett and union chiefs Thomas Balanoff and Andy Stern.
The request was part of a larger bid by defense lawyers to have prosecutors turn over additional materials, including witness statements, six months before the June trial date. Typically, prosecutors give the defense such information 30 days before the trial.
Shelly Sorosky, an attorney for Blagojevich, said the defense needs additional time with the material "because there's so much of it. This is massive stuff."
--
Rod Blagojevich's lawyers want the FBI to give up details of interviews conducted last year with President Obama (from top left), Michelle Obama, Valerie Jarrett and Rahm Emanuel. A source said Friday, the FBI never interviewed the first lady.
racehorse