The 75-page indictment repeats all the charges listed in the criminal complaint, including the governor’s alleged attempts to sell President Obama’s old Senate seat to the highest bidder, and also adds several new charges.
The charges are part of a wide-ranging public corruption investigation of “pay-to-play” schemes out of the governor’s office, where influence and access were allegedly routinely exchanged for campaign contributions.
A statement from the office of Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said Blagojevich allegedly used his office to “seek or obtain such financial benefits as money, campaign contributions, and employment for himself and others, in exchange for official actions, including trying to leverage his authority to appoint a United States Senator….”
Yesterday's news shows that a federal indictment has lodged corruption charges against ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his brother Robert Blagojevich . The indictment also names four co-defendants, two of which are former top aides and one is a prominent Downstate businessman.
I wonder how many other names of Illinois politicians will end up being dragged through the mud and who else will be facing criminal indictments and charges.
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