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Rod Blagojevich officially facing federal corruption charges

Steve9347

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Steve9347 Grand Master

Steve9347

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Blagojevich's Senate selection process investigated

Federal probe widens to Obama's vacant seat

 

By Jeff Coen, David Kidwell and Monique Garcia

 

Tribune staff reporters

 

5:35 AM CST, December 9, 2008

 

UPDATE: Source: Feds take Gov. Blagojevich into custody

 

A source said today that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was taken into federal custody at his North Side home this morning. The U.S. attorney's office would not confirm the information, and a spokesman for the governor did not immediately return a phone call for comment.

 

A three-year federal corruption investigation of pay-to-play politics in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration has expanded to include his impending selection of a new U.S. senator to succeed President-elect Barack Obama, the Tribune has learned.

 

Federal authorities got approval from a judge before the November general election to secretly record the governor, sources told the Tribune, and among their concerns was whether the selection process might be tainted. That possibility has become a focus in an intensifying investigation that has included recordings of the governor and the cooperation of one of his closest friends.

 

The governor has not been accused of any wrongdoing. The specific contents of the recent recordings have not been disclosed. Blagojevich has said the appointment of a Senate successor, which is his choice alone, could come in a matter of weeks.

 

Speaking to reporters Monday for the first time since the Tribune revealed federal investigators had recorded him and others as part of their corruption probe, Blagojevich said his discussions were "always lawful." He also defended close confidant John Wyma, whose cooperation with federal agents helped lead to the recordings, as "an honest person who's conducted himself in an honest way."

 

"I should say if anybody wants to tape my conversations, go right ahead, feel free to do it," he said. "I appreciate anybody who wants to tape me openly and notoriously, and those who feel like they want to sneakily, and wear taping devices, I would remind them that it kind of smells like Nixon and Watergate."

 

Unlike the recordings that the federal government has of Blagojevich, the tapes that led to President Richard Nixon's 1974 resignation over the burglary of Democratic offices at the Watergate complex and the ensuing coverup were made by Nixon himself.

 

Regardless of "whether you tape me privately or publicly, I can tell you that whatever I say is always lawful and the things I'm interested in are always lawful," Blagojevich said. "And if there are any things out there like that, what you'll hear is a governor who tirelessly and endlessly figures out ways to help average, ordinary working people."

 

Blagojevich's comments came amid increasing concern by Democrats that the governor's pending appointment of a Senate successor may become politically tainted as a result of the investigations surrounding his administration. Federal investigators have been looking into allegations of corruption regarding state jobs, appointments and contracts in connection with Blagojevich's prolific fundraising.

 

Blagojevich has not been charged with any wrongdoing and contended that if federal investigators areƒs "going to those lengths and extents [of obtaining recordings], if in fact that's true, that would suggest all the past has been pretty good."

 

"I don't believe there's any cloud that hangs over me. I think there's nothing but sunshine hanging over me," the governor said.

 

Blagojevich made the remarks at a Monday morning visit to laid-off workers staging a sit-in at the Republic Windows & Doors plant on Goose Island.

 

Later Monday, he met for 90 minutes with Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., the South Side and southwest suburban congressman who has been the most visibly active campaigner for the appointment to replace Obama. Jackson, who was among the last high-profile Senate successor candidates to speak with Blagojevich, has had disagreements with the governor and is not close to him.

 

Blagojevich issued a strong defense of Wyma and accused the Tribune of publishing misinformation and possibly defamatory material.

 

"To begin with, they didn't get it right," he said. "John Wyma's lawyer put out a statement. The Tribune was wrong and very well may have defamed him."

 

But the statement from Wyma's lawyer did not directly address the Tribune story and instead appeared directed at media outlets and others who reported Wyma wore a wire.

 

The Tribune noted that Wyma's cooperation with federal investigators helped lead to recordings of Blagojevich but did not report that he wore a wire.

 

Wyma's lawyer also did not respond to the Tribune's report that Wyma was cooperating with investigators. "John Wyma is a friend of mine, he was my chief of staff, and I'm sure whatever he does, he does ethically and follows the rules," the governor said.

 

Blagojevich said he would not remove Wyma from his inner circle of advisers. He also told the Tribune that Wyma was not involved in the deliberations over an Obama successor. "No, I consider him a friend. and I don't consider him as anything but a friend. And to someone who, as I've known him, always has been an honest person who's conducted himself in an honest way," Blagojevich said of Wyma. "That's the John Wyma I know and it's the John Wyma that [Obama's incoming chief of staff, Rep.] Rahm Emanuel knows and a lot of other people know."

 

Blagojevich said he had last spoken to Wyma the day before Thanksgiving, when he offered holiday wishes and "talked a little bit about the plight of the Detroit Lions. He's from Michigan."

 

And the governor indicated he was not concerned about Wyma cooperating with federal investigators. "Look, I believe everybody should just tell the truth and pursue the truth and be truthful and then you do that and everything's fine," he said.

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shipps Grand Master

shipps

Posted
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QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 08:21 AM)
Wow. If he is involved in corrupt activity to replace Obama, he might be the planet's biggest idiot. How could you think it would be a smart idea to pull a stunt WHEN THE ENTIRE WORLD IS WATCHING YOU?

 

He deserves whatever he gets, and probably more.

 

He has proven this time and time again.

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Texsox Grand Master

Texsox

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QUOTE (lostfan @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 08:39 AM)
Obama better not pardon him when he winds up in the slammer either... Obama owes him nothing.

 

You never know what favors came early.

 

IIRC the Feds rarely slip up at this level.

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StrangeSox Grand Master

StrangeSox

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QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 08:46 AM)
Wow - a sitting governor taken into federal custody. Yikes.

 

But, good. Blago deserves it.

 

By the way, I'd be this isn't just about the Senate thing - too quick. This is from years of investigations.

 

Must have missed it -- what senate thing?

 

edit: NM. Tribune's article detailed it.

Edited by StrangeSox
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clyons Grand Master

clyons

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To quote Mr. Potter from 'It's a Wonderful Life,' "Merry Christmas to you, IN JAIL!" (Even though he certainly won't be behind bars for the actual holiday).

 

Even though I welcome this news, all things considered, it is embarassingly and depressingly bad. Illinois' last governors are now 2 for 2, continuing a long, disgusting tradition. Our state is vile cesspool, seemingly without equal.

Edited by PlaySumFnJurny
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Texsox Grand Master

Texsox

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QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 08:57 AM)
Must have missed it -- what senate thing?

 

The Senator from Illinois resigned to pursue a Federal job, it was in all the papers ;) Blago needs to name a replacement.

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lostfan Grand Master

lostfan

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QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 10:01 AM)
Holy s*** is Blago stupid.

 

Get this... apparently, he is in trouble partially because he tried to bribe friggin Obama, about the Senate seat. Blago wanted to be HHS secretary, and offered certain things in exchange.

 

Per the Trib.

 

What idiot does that, while under investigation?

I must have missed something because the only thing I saw was that Blagojevich offered to appoint a union-friendly candidate in exchange for a position in the Obama administration... sounds like Politics 101, not really illegal unless I neglected to read something else.

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NorthSideSox72 Grand Master

NorthSideSox72

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QUOTE (lostfan @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 09:07 AM)
I must have missed something because the only thing I saw was that Blagojevich offered to appoint a union-friendly candidate in exchange for a position in the Obama administration... sounds like Politics 101, not really illegal unless I neglected to read something else.

Read further down the article. There's more. Lots more.

 

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lostfan Grand Master

lostfan

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QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 10:08 AM)
Read further down the article. There's more. Lots more.

I see all that, offering jobs, basically putting the Senate appointment up to the highest bidder, etc. I don't see the attempt to bribe Obama though besides trying to get his foot in the door. Which is funny since Obama probably wouldn't touch him with a 10-foot pole, and I can't recall any time during the campaign where he was seen with Blago in public either.

Edited by lostfan
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NorthSideSox72 Grand Master

NorthSideSox72

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QUOTE (lostfan @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 09:11 AM)
I see all that, offering jobs, basically putting the Senate appointment up to the highest bidder, etc. I don't see the attempt to bribe Obama though besides trying to get his foot in the door.

OK, I see what you are saying. You are correct, the "bribe" of Obama in itself is probably not illegal, if he literally was just saying "I'll nominate who you want for your seat, if you make me SecHHS". So maybe I shouldn't have said "bribe".

 

What I was trying to illustrate was... what moron, while under a known federal investigation, makes ANY kind of a quid pro quo offer like that, to the friggin President Elect.

 

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NorthSideSox72 Grand Master

NorthSideSox72

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QUOTE (PlaySumFnJurny @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 09:14 AM)
Sorry for the hijack, but what's with that "Colonel Tribune" character wearing the paper hat on the Trib's website? God, that's silly and lame.

They've been using that icon on Twitter and Facebook and Digg and what not, to try to drive web traffic.

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