Elias Wilkey's Full Report on Rod Blagojevich (not supposed to be funny)

2008-12-19T21:34:00.000-08:00

Blagojevich-gate?

CHICAGO: On December 9, Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois was woken up by a pre-dawn phone call from the FBI. Now he faces up to 30 years in prison on charges to “commit mail and wire fraud and soliciting bribes.”

He has been under secret investigation/wiretapping by Patrick Fitzgerald, the whose U.S. Attorney ruthless prosecution was the downfall of Scooter Libby in 2007, since mid-October. By mid-November, TIME magazine says, he was able to hear that Blagojevich was auctioning Barack Obama’s senate seat to the highest bidder. Blagojevich is also being accused of trying to make the Chicago Tribune fire editorial writers in exchange for about $100 million in tax breaks, and threatening to withdraw millions of dollars in funding for a children’s hospital if the CEO did not donate $50,000 to Blagojevich’s campaign.

In one incident, Blagojevich had contact with an emissary from a potential senate appointee, identified as Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. The governor allegedly planned to solicit a bribe of $1.5 million in exchange for the senate seat. Jackson has since denied initiating or authorizing this emissary to act on his behalf.

Governor Blagojevich was recorded as saying that “I’ve got this thing [the senate seat] and it’s ____ golden. I’m not giving it up for _____ nothing.” He also complained that “Obama’s people are not giving me anything but appreciation” apparently implying that they owed him something more than appreciation.

The governor was at work the day after his rude awakening on December 9. He is maintaining his innocence, despite the evidence piled against him. Ironically, he still has the power to appoint Obama’s senate replacement until he is convicted.