The attorney for Rev. Eugene Klein engaged in some legal theater as Klein pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges today. more ›

Tanhawwur Rana was acquitted of helping to plot the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, but still faces prison time, as he was convicted of plotting an aborted attack on a Danish newspaper office. more ›

Judge James Zagel gave Rod Blagojevich the proverbial stern warning yesterday regarding former Governor Sound Bite's recent spate of media appearances leading to the start of tomorrow's jury selection in his retrial on corruption charges. Prosecutors complained to Zagel that Blagojevich has used to media appearances to unfairly cast them in the role of heavies, suggesting that they're keeping Blagojevich's team from playing the tapes he believes would acquit him of the charges. more ›

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's office wanted to remind voters and candidates that they will be keeping tabs on next week's election for any Chicago-style voting shenanigans. Those of you who bring your dead uncle's voter registration to the polls, you've been warned. more ›

PRosecutors in Rod Blagojevich's retrial filed a 34-page complaint yesterday against the former governor's former attorneys, Sam Adam, Sr. and Sam Adam, Jr. more ›

Prosecutors have filed indictments on the grounds that instead of paying America $80 million in taxes for honey, alleged conspirators smuggled it onto the market. Most of the individuals and companies charged are connected to the German based conglomerate Alfred L. Wolffe. Between 2002-2009 the scheme had over 600 barrels of Chinese honey imported into the U.S. with their destination of origin improperly marked. more ›

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald isn't spending all his time going after former governor and convicted felon Rod Blagojevich, his office also currently has its sights set closer to home. Dubbed "Operation Crooked Code," the feds are conducting an on going investigation of corruption in the City of Chicago Departments of Building and Zoning, and have already netted over two dozen indictments and 17 convictions. more ›

We're just six weeks from what is sure to be one of the more surreal, highly publicized trials we've seen in years (and that includes R. Kelly) and we hadn't heard a whole lot from our ex-gov since he was booted from The Celebrity Apprentice a few weeks back. Until now. Blago is back and, holy Hell, is he pissed. Former governor Rod Blagojevich came out swinging yesterday, laying down the thunder in a scheduled appearance before the press. Referring to the Santiago proffer, the document laying out the government's case against him, an outraged Blago called the feds "cowards and liars" and had particularly strong words regarding the alleged involvement of wife Patti, accusing the feds of "hitting below the belt" and defending her as, "a devoted mother; she's a loving wife...and all that money she earned she worked for." Blago than lambasted U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, accusing him of shenanigans for not wanting all 500 hours of surveillance tapes played because the accusation against him was "a lie" and continued, "the reason they won't play all those tapes is because they're covering up that big lie that foreseeably led to a chain of events that stole a governor from the people of Illinois and undid the will of the people." more ›

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is set to prosecute the cases against Tahawwur Rana and David Headley, the two Chicago men charged in the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. It'll be Fitzgerald's second case as prosecutor since coming to Chicago from New York in 2001. Rana and Headley are also accused of plotting an attack in Denmark in retaliation for the controversial 2005 Prophet Muhammad cartoons. [Sun-Times] more ›

Frank Castaldi of northwest suburban Prospect Heights entered a guilty plea this afternoon to federal charges stemming from the accusation that he had bilked investors out of tens of millions of dollars in a lengthy Ponzi scheme. According to court documents, Castaldi managed to convince over 450 people to give him $77 million dollars to purchase 6 month promissory notes, which Castaldi guaranteed would net a 10% - 15% return on their investment. more ›

U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald is calling today's unsealed indictments of 36 members of three drug cartels - including two leaders of feuding cartels - "the most significant drug importation conspiracies ever charged in Chicago." The three biggest figures charged are Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman-Loera (#701 on Forbes' list of the world's richest people), Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada-Garcia, and Arturo Beltran-Leyva. The Tribune has much more background on the story and also has the actual indictments. more ›

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald told attendees at the City Club of Chicago yesterday that hiring felons was a way to help fight crime. Promoting the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, which helps find paroled ex-cons jobs, Fitzgerald pointed out that participants in such corporate programs are less likely to return to jail. According to the Sun-Times' Natasha Korecki: more ›

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who gave us the classic, "would make Lincoln roll over in his grave" line after Blago's arrest, is staying in Chicago. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin made the announcement in a letter addressed to Illinois Congressmen, saying, "...Patrick Fitzgerald has agreed to continue his service as U.S. attorney in the Northern District." Fitzgerald was confirmed in October 2001. [CBS 2] more ›

If you wish "The Sopranos" were back on the air, tune into the John Ambrose trial. It has all the action, intrigue, betrayal and violence that the show used to have, except for one plot twist: This is all real. It's like "The Departed," if everyone hadn't died at the end of the movie and instead went to court. To get you up to speed, read below-- more ›

• 27-year-old Terry Sedlacek has been charged in the murder of Pastor Fred Winters. Sedlacek allegedly stormed into First Baptist Church of Maryville yesterday and shot Winters multiple times. Sedlacek is also charged with injuring two worshippers with a knife when they tried to restrain him after the shooting.
• Blago can't shake U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald; a federal judge has rejected the former gov's request to bump Fitzy off the case.
• Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis appeared in court to day and apologized for refusing the court order to hand over a list of all police officers who have had five or more complaints filed against them since 2000.

Just as former alderman Arenda Troutman was sentenced to four years in prison for bribery/fraud charges this week, it looks like U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is focusing his attention on another City Council member: Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th). The Sun-Times is on the case: more ›

Image of House Impeachment Committee AP Photo/Seth Perlman

We're mesmerized by the "debate" happening in the state house right now - watch it for yourself here. One of the congressmen noted that today is Nixon's birthday and several others have compared Blago to Tricky Dick. All it takes is 60 votes of "yes" to impeach the governor and send the case to the Senate. It's going to be a long day, so let's do this quick hits style.

• The AP has a nice, simple run-down that amounts to "The Dummie's Guide to the Blagojevich Charges."
• Blago Attorney Ed Genson is trying to get U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald removed from the case, quoting Fitzy's emotional response at the press conference on Dec. 9 as proof that he's unfit to try the case. But as attorney Patrick Cotter told the Trib, "What, they want a prosecutor who thinks their client isn't guilty?"
• In spite of the request by the committee that recommended impeachment, no one will be hearing those Blago tapes anytime soon. Blago's attorney's have successfully gained more time to look into the matter and an official decision has been put off until January 23.

AP Photo/Paul Beaty more ›

Ed Genson, attorney for embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich, has asked the State House Committee investigating Gov. Blagojevich on potential impeachment charges to issue subpoenas to several Obama staff members including Valerie Jarrett and Rahm Emanuel. State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, who is heading the committee, confirmed the request but it doesn't appear very likely it will happen as U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has already turned down a similar request by the committee claiming such interviews could hamper his criminal investigation. U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. is also among those that Genson wants subpoenaed. more ›

We should know by tomorrow whether or not U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald will allow the Illinois State House panel investigating Gov. Rod Blagojevich for impeachment to hear the original taped conversations that led to Blago's arrest. The request is, according to a letter from Fitzgerald, "still under active consideration." Fitzgerald also expressed some concern with the panel's investigation, saying that any interviews of Blago aides by the panel could "compromise" his investigation and he continues to refuse naming specific people named in the federal complaint. The panel, meanwhile, has been dismissed for the holiday and will reconvene next Monday. It's been suggested a recommendation of impeachment could come as early as the first week of January, though we're not holding our breath. more ›

Okay, we know that the wheel of justice turns slowly, but when Mike Madigan says that he'll be working every single day except for holidays on the impeachment proceedings of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, we really expected more than 60 minutes of real reportable work. The Old Grey Lady is reporting that Federal prosecutors and Blago's defense people sat down for just an hour of hearings before adjourning til' tomorrow morning. more ›

Former police commander Jon Burge, whose name has become synonymous in this city with police torture, was arrested this morning at his home in Tampa, Florida. He's been charged with perjury and obstruction of justice, charges which carry decades of jail time if Burge is convicted. more ›

[Peraica] lavished praise on Fitzgerald and said he only meant to emulate his corruption-busting approach. more ›

The U.S. Attorney's office filed a report on Cook County Jail today, and their findings are horrific. According to the report, living conditions in the jail violate inmates' human rights. more ›

The feds arrested 67 people in Chicago today for mortgage fraud. "Operation Malicious Mortgage" is trying to bust people who cost borrowers around $1 billion, according to the Justice Department. More than 400 people have been arrested nationally in 144 fraud cases, and locally, 33 people have been charged in two related schemes that involved $111 million in fraudulent loans. more ›

US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who's in desperate need of a nickname, said there's "every reason to think there are more charges to come in the future," following the arrest of 15 people, including several city employees, charged with giving and receiving bribes in the zoning department. The investigation is called "Operation Crooked Code," which is amazing. more ›

It seems like everybody in town knows Tony Rezko's name. And why not? Besides being under federal indictment, he's a big player in Illinois politics. He's also gotten some national attention, with Former Gov. Jim Edgar musing that Rezko isn't really Obama's problem, and a photo of him with former President Bill Clinton surfacing on the Today show. more ›

21st Ward Alderman Howard Brookins accepted Jesse Jackson's endorsement for Cook County State's attorney Sunday at Jackson's South Side Rainbow/PUSH headquarters. more ›

Sangamon County Circuit Judge Patrick Kelley ruled Wednesday that Governor Blagojevich's administration must disclose subpoenas from federal prosecutors in the ongoing investigation into state hiring. When the governor's office denied a Freedom of Information Act request for copies of the subpoenas last year, the Better Government Association, a Chicago-based government watchdog group, sued. US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is investigating charges that the Blagojevich administration traded state jobs for campaign contributions. more ›

Former governor Jim Thompson came to the defense of the current administration this weekend, specifically on behalf of Illinois’ first lady, Patty Blagojevich. Thompson was prompted by a report on Friday that the feds have started sniffing around Mrs. Blago’s real estate deals –- deals that have been worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in commissions brokering transactions for Springfield connected clients such as state contractors and contributors to her husband’s campaign. So why would... more ›