indictment of rod blagojevich

• Ill. Board has Plan to Prevent Graft Quinn Stops Short of Backing Proposal

CHICAGO - The reform commission launched by Gov. Pat Quinn unveiled a sweeping blueprint for change Tuesday, calling for curbs on the types of political corruption expected to be detailed in an impending indictment of ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The commission's tentative recommendations for legislative action include capping individual campaign contributions at $2,400, protecting procurement officials from political pressure and strengthening the Freedom of Information Act to provide greater transparency under the proposals.

• Evansville Courier & Press (2007-Current)
• April 17, 2009

• Connection to Defendants Hard for Governor to Avoid

kevin.mcdermott@lee.net SPRINGFIELD - Some political experts say the indictment of a top fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich could come back to hurt the governor, even though the charges aren't directly tied to him.

• The Pantagraph Bloomington, IL
• December 14, 2007

• Step Down, Gov. Blagojevich

Chalk it up to another notorious case of Illinois corruption. The indictment and arrest yesterday of Gov. Rod Blagojevich by the FBI came as a shock to many. For the people of Illinois, it is a blow to what seems routine in a state whose former governor is in prison on corruption charges. But now their junior senator is poised to become the nation's 44th president. Indeed. It is President-elect Barack Obama's name - though he is not connected with the wrongdoing - that is at the center of it all. Mr. Blagojevich must step aside. Charges against Mr. Blagojevich stem from the process to fill Mr. Obama's now-vacant Senate seat. According to the FBI and reminiscent of old-style Chicago politics, the governor's attempt to "sell" Mr. Obama's Senate seat led to the two-count indictment on soli...

• The Washington Times
• December 10, 2008

• Accused: Feds Charge Former Governor, Brother, Four Otherscorruption: Trying to Sell Senate Seat Among Chargesindictedlawmakers: Indictment Validates Decision to Remove Blagojevich

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois lawmakers said Thursday that the federal indictment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich validates their decision to remove him from office. The 75-page document outlining allegations of fraud and corruption serves as a reminder that nobody is above the law, they said.

• The Pantagraph Bloomington, IL
• April 03, 2009

• Reform Commission Offers Blueprint for Change

CHICAGO (AP) - The reform commission launched by Gov. Pat Quinn unveiled a sweeping blueprint for change Tuesday, calling for curbs on the types of political corruption expected to be detailed in an impending indictment of ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The commission's recommendations for legislative action include capping individual campaign contributions at $2,400, protecting procurement officials from political pressure and strengthening the Freedom of Information Act to provide greater transparency under the proposals.

• Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque)
• April 01, 2009

• Fundraiser for Governor Indicted in Fraud Scheme

CHICAGO - A top adviser and fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich was charged in a federal indictment unsealed Wednesday with scheming to collect millions of dollars in kickbacks from companies seeking to do business with the state. Businessman Antoin "Tony" Rezko was charged with operating a fraud scheme in which he, millionaire political contributor Stuart Levine and other insiders used Mr. Levine's position as a member of two state boards to pressure companies to pay kickbacks in exchange for state business.

• Augusta Chronicle, The
• October 17, 2006

• Pension Reform Bill Advances in General Assembly

SPRINGFIELD - With talks of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's indictment on federal corruption charges front-and-center, an effort to clean up Illinois' scandal-plagued state employee pension systems advanced Thursday in the General Assembly. A plan approved by the Illinois House and Senate would remove Blagojevich appointees from the Teachers Retirement System, State Universities Retirement System, State Employees Retirement System and Illinois State Board of Investment.

• The Pantagraph Bloomington, IL
• April 03, 2009

• Blagojevich Indictment Expected As Early As Today

CHICAGO - An indictment is expected as early as today charging ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich with presiding over state government awash in political corruption. The indictment U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald is expected to produce would replace a complaint charging Blagojevich with plotting to trade or sell President Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat and a host of other corruption.

• Charleston Gazette
• April 02, 2009

• Judge Gives More Time for Indictment

CHICAGO (AP) - A federal judge on Monday gave prosecutors an additional three months to obtain a corruption indictment against Gov. Rod Blagojevich, saying the complexity of the case against him makes it "unreasonable" to expect the indictment sooner. Chief Judge James F. Holderman's decision to grant the extension was expected, came without any opposition from defense attorneys and didn't indicate any slowdown in the government's corruption investigation of Blagojevich and his administration.

• Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque)
• March 10, 2009

• Futuregen Event Brings to Mind Several Scandals

Noone can accuse Gov. Rod Blagojevich of going completely into hiding in the wake of the indictment of his pal Antoin "Tony" Rezko. While the early odds had the governor doing a David Copperfield impression in the final run-up to Election Day, he has actually been out and about at a few well-scripted events, making sure voters don't perceive him as shrinking from the public eye.

• The Pantagraph Bloomington, IL
• March 30, 2007