Blago indicted
Ehud Olmert's facing at least 3, and Blagojevich is too, along with 5 others. From the Wall Street Journal:
The 75-page, 19-count indictment charged Mr. Blagojevich, 52 years old, Robert Blagojevich, 53, two of the ex-governor's former aides and two business associates with a variety of felonies, including allegations the former governor schemed to auction off the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.Blago is such a disgrace, and should be banished from Illinois altogether.
Prosecutors say the six men named in the indictment sought to profit from the governor's authority to award money and jobs in construction, legal work, consulting and investments.
Mr. Blagojevich, a Democrat, was charged with 16 felony counts, among them: racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, extortion conspiracy and lying to federal agents. [...]
Authorities charged that Mr. Blagojevich and his associates schemed to direct business to a company involved in refinancing billions of dollars of state pension bonds in exchange for kickbacks.
Prosecutors also allege Mr. Blagojevich tried to extort a U.S. congressman, whose name is not listed in the court document, for campaign contributions by delaying a $2 million state grant to a public school in the congressman's district. The indictment also claimed that Antoin "Tony" Rezko, an associate of the former governor who has been convicted on federal charges, steered a $14,396 real estate commission to Mrs. Blagojevich, even though she did no work to earn it. He later hired her at a salary of $12,000 a month plus another $40,000 fee, the indictment said.
As part of the racketeering conspiracy, authorities charged that Mr. Blagojevich permitted Christopher Kelly, Mr. Blagojevich's campaign fund chairman in 2004 and 2005, and Mr. Rezko to influence state boards and commissions to enrich themselves and their associates. In return, the pair generated millions of dollars for Mr. Blagojevich's campaign and his family.
Labels: political corruption, United States
