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According to a 12-page press release from Patrick Fitzgerald, US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were arrested today by the FBI on federal corruption charges. Here is a link to the 76-page FBI complaint and affidavit.The Associated Press story is reported by the Seattle Times under the headline Ill. Gov. arrested in Obama successor probe. |
The new Illinois state ethics laws mentioned in the US Attorney’s press release explicitly target “pay-to-play”, the practice of contractors bribing public officials to win lucrative contracts.
Here’s a link to the Illinois Attorney General’s website which contains links to PA 93-0615 and PA 93-0617. Together the two are the new Illinois ethics laws.
What was also interesting on the Illinois AG’s website was a link to a Model Ethics Ordinance and A Guide to the Implementation of the Model Ethics Ordinance.
Clearly the Illinois AG felt it was necessary for local governments to incorporate the new state ethics laws into their own ordinances.
From Casablanca (1942):
I’m just happy to know that we live in a community where such a thing would never happen.
Comment by Dan — December 9, 2008 @ 9:29 am
Dan, I sense sarcasm dripping from your words.
Comment by mary — December 9, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
Shockingly the man was open and bold in his proposals, as though not an eyelash would bat anywhere. If not for the wiretap would this have proceeded as he had expected? How many toadies sit in high places? This is really quite scary. And how could an honest politician survive in such an environment? Why did Obama rise to the top so quickly amidst these people?
Comment by Wallypog — December 9, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
How many more tainted and questionable Obama “associations” will be uncovered before people start to question how he could rise so far so fast without ever earning his way through real accomplishments and successes?
Comment by mary — December 9, 2008 @ 5:48 pm
his (blagthief’s) predecessor was a gent named geo. ryan. as governor he was arrested, tried and convicted of bad things. he is now in federal prison. his predeccesor left office under a cloud and is now toast somewhere. blagthief’s money man tony rezcko has a lot of ties to the zero we got as president-elect. how much sticks we shall see. merry fitzmas though, the prosecutor is a bulldog.
Comment by TheWiz — December 9, 2008 @ 5:49 pm
what did zero bama know? when did he know it? what did rahm emmanual know? when did he know it? did zero report contacts about selling a senate seat to the fbi? did he misprision a felony? enquiring minds want to know!
Comment by TheWiz — December 9, 2008 @ 6:37 pm
Wallypog and Wiz,
If you read SA Cain’s affidavit very carefully, many of your questions will be answered more fully than you can imagine. There’s a wealth of information in it. This complaint and affidavit are just the beginning. All SA Cain needed to do was satisfy the Magistrate that probable cause existed to issue a complaint and arrest warrants. He didn’t need (or want) to lay out the entire case for the Magistrate.
Comment by Bill — December 10, 2008 @ 7:14 am
I just returned from visiting family and friends in Southern Illinois, where the theory that power corrupts is yet again being tested with the arrest and charges brought against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. This is nothing new for Illinois. Former Governor, Otto Kerner, perhaps best known for his drinking was convicted on bribery charges which came to light when the manager of the Horse Racing Track, Arlington Park filed tax returns which stated that bribery was a business expense in Illinois. Former Governor, Dan Walker, best remembered for walking across the state during his campaign was convicted of fraud involving two Illinois Savings and Loans. Former Governor, George Ryan who commuted the death sentences all of the inmates on death row in Illinois just prior to leaving office was convicted of accepting bribes while serving as Illinois Secretary of State. Ryan’s crimes which were uncovered after a fatal accident involving a truck driver who had “purchased” his license caused many in Illinois to recall another Secretary of State, Paul “Shoebox” Powell. Powell kept the cash of his ill gotten gains in shoeboxes. Now Governor, Blagojevich has been accused of selling state jobs and attempting to silence his critics in the press by having them fired. Racketeering, bribery, extortion, money laundering and tax fraud can happen anywhere when elected officials put their interests before the interests of the citizens they represent. Is Illinois corrupt? Very probably. The state also has a proven history of aggressive prosecution when ethical standards are compromised. There should be no leniency involving these sort of crimes whether you live in Illinois or Idaho. Conflicts of interest for personal gain should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Citizen watchdog groups are the first line of defense against abuses of political power by staying informed on local, state, regional and national issues. Lost in the headlines in Southern Illinois this week was the story from O’Fallon, Illinois where the School district may sue the city if a new tax increment finance district is formed. The rationale is that it is unfair to force district taxpayers to pay more to make up for the money the school loses because of tax increment financing and that it is unfair that a city can pass an ordinance that affects tax bills of those who do not live within their boundaries or jurisdiction. School districts throughout the United States including here in Idaho have sued Urban Renewal Districts, yet in Coeur d’Alene School District #271 continues to partner(request money) with the Lake City Development Corporation. Lawsuits are expensive for all concerned, so I’m glad that they are not going on here; but what is different? Am I missing something?
Comment by doubleseetripleeye — December 11, 2008 @ 12:29 pm
2c3i,
Great comment. Thank you.
I want to emphasize one thing 2c3i said:
One of the most important watchdog groups is the press. If the press is not aggressive, if its reporters are not immersed in the details, or if the press is a beneficiary of the abuse of power, many abuses of power will be overlooked.
If some of the public accepts that abuses of political power are a normal and accepted part of life in their community, then those members of the public are complicit in the problem. If some of the public accept that it’s acceptable for an official to steal a little money from the public because that official appears to give generously to local charities, then they are part of the problem.
Public officials have a “…duty of honest services…” to the people who they represent.
Comment by Bill — December 11, 2008 @ 2:32 pm