AP: Fundraiser for Ill. Governor Indicted

[Eugene]

Fundraiser for Ill. Governor Indicted

By MIKE ROBINSON

CHICAGO Oct 11, 2006 (AP)— A top adviser and fundraiser for Gov.
Rod Blagojevich was charged in an 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 in the federal
indictment with operating a fraud scheme in which he, millionaire
political contributor Stuart Levine and other insiders used Levine's
position as a member of two state boards to pressure companies to
pay kickbacks in exchange for state business. Levine is among those
previously charged in the case.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said federal investigations interrupted
the plan, and Rezko and Levine only collected $250,000 despite seeking
much more. He said Levine plans to plead guilty and is cooperating with
the investigation.

-snip-

The governor insists he has no involvement in any corruption, and he has
not been charged. A spokeswoman for Blagojevich did not immediately
return a message seeking comment.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2554438

[Gidney N Cloyd]

1. Blagojevich is going to blow this yet.

[Monkeyman]

8. Don't forget Feds are looking at Barr too

[olshak]

9. Blago

As liberal as I am becoming, Rod is NOT a good governor, and I cannot bring myself to cast a vote for him. He is incredibly divisive, has Bush's stubborness, and slashed funding to higher education. I have very little use for the man.

[Monkeyman]

11. So you want Judy Barr instead hmmmmm

[olshak]

12. No...

I'm actually thinking about a protest vote for that race.

[Critters2]

14. Me, too

I know Whitney won't win, but his positions are closer to my own, and no history of corruption.

[Ian David]

2. Must be a Republican, or else the headline would have the word "Democrat"

[TroglodyteScholar]

3. Ehh no, this one's a Dem. n/t

[Ian David]

4. Shit. That's something you don't see every day. I know...

Let's just change the Chyron and put an "R" next to his name when he's on TV.

[kestrel91316]

5. Well, Dem or not, we DON'T NEED JERKS LIKE HIM if he

did this.

[3waygeek]

6. Well, at least we know now

what Fitzgerald's been up to.

[olshak]

10. Fitzgerald

Actually, Fitzgerald is not a Republican with an agenda, other than doing what is right. When he was the Republican senator from Illinois, he broke ranks with other Republicans a lot... they did not like him and were not inclined to support him for re-election. But Fitzgerald promised he would only serve one term, and he lived up to it.

There is a culture of corruption in Illinois politics. Former Gov. Ryan is going to prison, and I won't be surprised if Blago joins him later on. The best governor we have had in a long time was Jim Edgar, who is Republican, but acted more like a Democrat than Blagojevich.

This is just a strange state.

Having said that, I think Durbin and Obama are both tremendous Senators.

[Critters2]

13. Different Fitzgerald

The prosecutor is Patrick Fitzgerald. The Senator was Peter Fitzgerald.

[gatlingforme]

7. Mr. B is going to ruin this for all - what is up with this guy??????