Blago Aide Pleads Guilty, To Testify For Feds

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Oct 20, 2009 7:20PM

Lon Monk, former chief of staff for ex-governor Rod Blagojevich, reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors which saw him plead guilty today and promise to testify against Blago at the ex-gov's trial next year. Monk pleaded guilty to just one charge involving a shake down of race track owner Johnny Johnston for a $100,000 campaign contribution in exchange for favorable horse racing legislation. As part of the agreement, Monk would face up to two years in prison.

The plea agreement, which you can read in full over at the Tribune, makes mention of a plan by Monk, Blago, Chris Kelly, and Tony Rezko to "make money through the refinancing of $10 billion in pension obligation bonds, which the state contemplated in 2003." The agreement also outlines a plan by Blagojevich and others to profit off a Rezko development at Clark and Roosevelt. Monk joins fellow ex-chief of staff John Harris in reaching an agreement to testify against Blagojevich.