Illinois governor charged in 'coruption crime spree'
December 10, 2008
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested yesterday on charges he brazenly conspired to sell or trade the United States Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest bidder in what a federal prosecutor called a "corruption crime spree".
However, a federal judge in Chicago ordered Blagojevich released from jail after the Democrat was hit with federal corruption charges.
He was released on a signature bond that specifies that he'll forfeit $4,500 bond if he does not appear in court. Blagojevich was also ordered to relinquish his passport and his firearm owner's identification card.
US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald told a news conference prosecutors make "no allegations" Obama was aware of any alleged scheming.
Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to Tribune Company, the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in the sale of Wrigley Field, according to a federal criminal complaint. In return for state assistance, Blagojevich allegedly wanted members of the paper's editorial board who had been critical of him fired.
New low
"We were in the middle of a corruption crime spree and we wanted to stop it," Fitzgerald said yesterday, calling the corruption charges against Blagojevich "a truly new low"....
Author: Gleaner Reporter
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
