Results tagged “blagojevich”

He just won't go away. And even though he's already started filming on the show, former governor Rod Blagojevich still doesn't know if he'll be allowed on the reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice. Because when you think "celebrity," you think "Blagojevich." Prosecutors allege that the show will interfere with the federal case against him by tainting the potential pool of jurors. According to reports, concerns are over when the show actually airs: it begins airing in March, just a few months before Blago's trial kicks off in June.

It's been just a hair over nine months since Rod Blagojevich was impeached and a little less than that since he was removed from office. And yet we're still learning about what went on behind the scenes of the Blago administration. Today's Sun-Times features an in-depth look into the clout shenanigans that went on with Blago in charge. The two most prolific supporters in terms of hiring were Blago's right hand man, the late Christopher Kelly, and his father-in-law, Ald. Dick Mell (33rd). Mell was the sponsor for 293 positions with 110 of those getting filled. More than 5,700 total candidates supported by almost 400 political sponsors are listed in the Blago database. Stop by the Sun-Times story to check out full details as well as excerpts from Ald. Mell's and Kelly's lists.

With the CTA facing a budget gap in the hundreds of millions of dollars and another potential CTA fare hike looming, everyone involved is looking for ways to save some cash. The Regional Transportation Authority has now suggested tweaking the free rides for seniors program implemented by then-governor Rod Blagojevich. Instead of giving free rides to all seniors, the RTA has suggested providing free rides to low-income seniors who make below a suggested threshold of $22,000 a year. The RTA cited a study by the University of Illinois in Chicago which estimated the CTA lost between $38 million and $112 million from the new program. According to the RTA, setting the new limit would account for a boost of around $37 million for the CTA.

That then-U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel of the 5th Congressional District of Illinois wanted a hand-picked replacement who could essentially serve as a "seat-warmer" when he was selected as then-President-Elect Obama's Chief of Staff is no surprise. That "seat-warmer" would hold Rahm's seat in Congress until Rahm was done working for Obama and could return to his place on the Hill. And that Rahm had contact with Blagojevich about various replacements - including the infamous "for sale" U.S. Senate seat - is also no surprise. Rahm's admitted they talked shop but also maintained he did nothing wrong. But this morning we're getting more specifics courtesy of an investigation by the Sun-Times who reports that Rahm wanted Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool as his "seat-warmer."

It's the scandal that just won't stop. U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., also known as Candidate 5 in the federal indictment of former governor Rod Blagojevich is still the subject of a federal investigation into his role in the whole Blago saga. Previously, it had been alleged that emissaries for Jackson had promised to raise upwards money for then-governor Blagojevich in exchange for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Obama upon his election. Besides the current federal investigation, there's also an ethics committee probe with which Jackson has promised full cooperation. The investigation has now turned to whether or not Jackson improperly used his congressional staff to aid him in his pitch to Blago and that's beginning to "overlap" with the ethics probe, leading investigators to ask the ethics probe to hang back so as not to interfere with their investigation.

Details continue to emerge in the death of former Blagojevich adviser Christopher Kelly including the fact that the Country Club Hills police department concluded the death was "an apparent suicide."

Two days after his death, while pieces of what happened are falling into place, plenty of questions still swirl around Christopher Kelly. An autopsy of former Blagojevich adviser Christopher Kelly proved inconclusive and the Cook County medical examiner's office claims they'll need more tests and investigations before they can rule on an official cause of death. Kelly was found by his girlfriend in his SUV late Friday night, parked in a lumber yard, and having swallowed a large number of pills - the Trib reports, "Tylenol wrappers and a large container of pills were found in Kelly's SUV."

The Chicago Tribune is reporting two sources as saying that Christopher Kelly, a key player in the Rod Blagojevich investigation, is dead.

Itching to get your hands on a copy of Rod Blagojevich's new "tell-all" book The Governor? Yeah, neither are we. But, should you want one, they apparently can be had. WBBM's Steve Miller reports that he was able to pick up a copy early and that stores are already selling it. The AP also got a copy and reports on some of things within, such as Blago admitting he wanted to appoint Lisa Madigan to President Obama's vacant Senate seat and says he picked Burris for the spot because of his big ego. Without reading anything in the book, we can also (probably) boil the rest down: he did nothing wrong, he will be vindicated, it was the fault of others. There you go.

Just a few days after formally announcing that she'll be running for the seat that Roland Burris (maybe) is going to vacate, Cheryle Jackson's name is in the news, and it isn't because she's running for federal office. Her name is coming up in conjunction with emails that Illinois Auditor General William Holland has retrieved as part if his investigation into what may be one of Blago's biggest political fiascoes and certainly a hilarious fuck up.

We mentioned over the weekend that former governor Rod Blagojevich, when not setting up his website that still refers to him as "governor," was making an appearance at Elvis Night and singing "Treat Me Nice" without a trace of irony. Well, here's the proof. Kind of makes you want to order one of these shirts (original link via Gapers Block).

It seems Lollapalooza wasn't the only musical treat happening in Chicago yesterday. Former governor Rod Blagojevich was on hand to perform the Elvis hit "Treat Me Nice" at an annual block party near the Magnificent Mile last night.

U.S. District Court Judge James Zagel announced today he wouldn't be giving a public release to the FBI's tapes of former governor Rod Blagojevich's conversations amassed via wiretaps. Several media outlets had requested the release of documents such as the tapes and transcripts. Zagel is still weighing how much information he'll release in regards to the government's case against William F. Cellini, a request made by the Tribune. [Sun-Times]

Rich Miller, who runs Illinois must-read politics blog CapitalFax is having a little fun with the much touted release of former governor Rod Blagojevich's new book, The Governor. In a post on his site yesterday, he explains that he "created a tag called 'Moron'. Clicking the Moron tag shows that Rod Blagojevich's new book is already the second most prevalent product with that tag at Amazon's entire site. It does have a way to go to overtake the first place contestant, however, but Blagojevich is, in my opinion, far more deserving." And he's encouraging his readers to click the tag if they agree with the sentiment. That's a great one, Rich, but there's still a ways to go if you want to hang with 4chan.

We mentioned yesterday that former governor Rod Blagojevich's book is now on-sale at Amazon for $16.47, which we're pretty sure is less than what he wanted for Obama's U.S. Senate seat. But it also gave us the first look at the book's cover, which is all kinds of magical in a "Land of Leprechauns and Unicorns" kind of way. The Governor is due in bookstores September 8. [via Sun-Times]

The saga of the Loop Lab school looks like it may be solved. And it doesn't look good for the state getting it's money back in spite of an earlier ruling. If you remember, then-governor Blagojevich intended for the money to go to the recently burned down Pilgrim Baptist Church but it seems he mistakenly promised it to Elmira Mayes, who was then leading the Loop Lab School which had been renting space at the church at the time of the fire. After a lot of confusion, the school took the money to buy a new space downtown but then flipped the property. Even shadier, the school's leader, Chandra Gill, had been the recipient of a Blago pardon. Lisa Madigan eventually sued the school and the school eventually agreed to repay the state. But an audit by the Illinois Auditor General's office shows that it's very unlikely the state will see that money, calling out the Blago administration for "a lack of due diligence" on its "bureaucratic mistake."

John Harris, Blago's former Chief of Staff who was arrested along with the ex-governor back in December, is expected to plead guilty to fraud charges at a noon hearing today. Indications are that Harris has been cooperating with prosecutors and plans to testify against Blago at his trial next summer. [WBEZ]

We mentioned the sentencing for former Blago fundraiser Chris Kelly earlier. A judge has sentenced Kelly to 37 months in prison for using work funds to pay off gambling debts and to pay for his house.

As the investigation into the Clout list at the University of Illinois continues, the feds now have reason to look at former governor Rod Blagojevich. The Tribune reports that the U.S. Attorney's office subpoenaed the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University and Northern Illinois University today in connection with the investigation, which is also looking into if any of Blago's people - including Tony Rezko and Len Monk - did the same. The University of Illinois subpoena confirms it is in connection to the criminal case against Blago.

We hope former governor Rod Blagojevich had a good time this weekend appearing at the Second City show that mocks him because he's facing even more legal trouble. Four state casinos have banded together to file a $267 million racketeering lawsuit against Blago for a 2006 law that forced the state's top four casinos to direct three percent of the earnings to the horse-track industry. The Wall Street Journal has the details.

Maybe Saturday morning started out wet and gloomy, but the sun came out by afternoon and stayed out all weekend. So we couldn't blame you if you were outside enjoying the summer weather instead of inside reading us. Here's a look back at some of the stuff you might have missed.

      

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich opened "Rod Blagojevich Superstar," a comedy show satirizing the rise and fall of the impeached and indicted governor's career, Saturday evening at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. A parody of rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar," the hour long production was supposed to end June 14, but was extended to Aug. 9 because of its popularity. A producer said he contacted Blagojevich last week and asked if he would make an appearance to promote the extended run, according to the United Press International. The ousted governor followed through on his promise and was met with wild cheers from the audience when he appeared on stage.

Strange story coming from the Sun-Times' Michael Sneed (so take it with a grain of salt). It seems that while Patti was allowed to go to Costa Rica for that reality show, Blago's received a new offer of his own. William Kelly, host of CSN's "Sports-A-Holic," has allegedly offered Blago $10,000 to participate in a drag race. Yes, a drag race. We...would actually watch that on television (unlike Patti's rumble in the jungle). According to Sneed:

Maybe Senator Burris shouldn't be so relaxed about the release of a taped conversation between him and the governor's brother. The Sun-Times' Natasha Korecki is reporting this afternoon that caught on tape is Burris - before the senate appointment - promising to write the governor a campaign check of $1,500, but Burris attorney contends it was not pay-for-play.

Finally, a hearing has been set in the case of the Loop Lab School, which may find itself having to pay back $1 million in grant money in may or may not have been given by mistake. Way back in '06, after Pilgrim Baptist Church burned down, then-governor Rod Blagojevich claimed he pledged the cool million to the church to help rebuild. At the time, the Loop Lab school was renting space in the church and burned along with it. But then-leader of the school, Elmira Mayes, claims Blago made the promise to her. To add another layer of intrigue, the school's current leader, Chandra Gill, was the recipient of a Blago pardon.

By day, Jeff Coen is the federal court reporter for the Chicago Tribune. But by night over the last year and a half, he's been putting together a historical account of one of the biggest mob trials in this city's - and nation's - history. Family Secrets: The Case That Crippled the Chicago Mob gives the reader an inside look into the trial that brought down the Chicago Outfit, a wide-reaching mob that controlled not only the Chicago area, but reached all the way to Las Vegas (and was the inspiration for the Martin Scorsese movie Casino). Using source material like police reports, interviews, and court transcripts, as well as his own notes from covering the trial, Coen recreates not only the trial of mobsters Frank Calabrese, Sr., Joey "The Clown" Lombardo, James Marcello, Paul Schiro, and Anthony "Twan" Doyle, but he gives us a significant look at Nick Calabrese, Frank Sr.'s brother and Outfit hitman, whose turning states evidence gave us incredible testimony and an unprecedented look into the inner-workings of the Outfit.

As attorneys for ex-gov Rod Blagojevich attempt to deal with a ridonkulous amount of evidence the prosecution plans to use, the defense also learned today how many attorney's they'd be allowed to use in the case (for now). U.S. District Judge James Zagel ruled Blago could hire three attorneys to take the case to trial, though his lead attorney Sheldon Sorosky asked for four trial lawyers and three additional lawyers to help tackle the evidence. [Sun-Times]

With many, many mountains of evidence to climb, lawyers representing former governor Rod Blagojevich are now claiming they're overwhelmed by what the prosecution has turned over to them. With literally millions of pages of documents and hundreds of hours of recorded conversations to review, the lawyers are complaining there's no way they can get the case started on time. According to the Trib:

Both the Sun-Times and the Tribune are reporting that sources close to the Blagojevich case say that former gubernatorial Christopher Kelly may be ready to begin cooperating with federal prosecutors. Kelly, who was a close friend and confidant of the former governor, plead guilty in January to federal tax-fraud charges for hiding gambling losses. Prosecutors have jacked up the pressure on Kelly recently, charging him with taking kickbacks in a scheme to rip off United and American Airlines at O'Hare airport.

This really shouldn't surprise us at this point, but the Sun-Times has uncovered even more money-related shenanigans from our ousted governor Rod Blagojevich. It seems that back in '06, Blago pardoned Anan Abu-Taleb for a past tax-fraud conviction. But Blago took things one step further: besides the pardon, he also permanently wiped the incident from Abu-Taleb's record. Meanwhile, as many as 20 other pardoned folks were denied similar treatment from Blago, and that's probably because they didn't donate campaign cash to the ex-gov.