2008 Woodie Awards
R-Blag's name surfaces in scandal
Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: News Briefs
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's name first surfaced in the federal pay-to-play scandal in broad brush strokes: Witnesses said he spoke vaguely of taxpayer-financed rewards for loyalty.
Now he has been painted clearly into the scene. A witness claims Blagojevich was present to receive a $25,000 campaign contribution and asked whether a state job had been offered in return.
Details behind the guilty plea of former state official Ali Ata in federal court this week, if true, weave Blagojevich more firmly into a mosaic of corruption in which prosecutors say his administration was created.
Ata, the former executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority, admitted he lied to the FBI in December 2005. He told a federal agent that he did not owe his $127,000 job to his donations to Blagojevich or to the influence of the governor's friend and fundraiser, Antoin "Tony" Rezko.
In a separate case, Rezko is on trial in federal court in Chicago, charged with scheming to milk kickbacks from businesses seeking state business with a teachers pension fund or approval from a state regulatory panel.
Blagojevich has not been charged with wrongdoing. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.
If Blagojevich is telling the truth, there are several people who must be lying or terribly mistaken:
Ata, who says he twice spoke directly to Blagojevich about getting a state job after delivering campaign contributions.
Joseph Cari, a former national Democratic fundraising heavyweight, who testified at Rezko's trial that Blagojevich told him that people who helped him build a presidential campaign organization would benefit from government contracts.
Stuart Levine, a millionaire attorney and Republican who backed Blagojevich's 2002 opponent, who told Rezko's jury that Blagojevich told him, "Stick with us and you will do very well for yourself."
Previously, the testimony of those who had contact with Blagojevich relied on their interpretation of what Blagojevich meant. Levine said he thought Blagojevich meant Levine could make a lot of money. Cari said he thought Blagojevich wanted Cari to raise money for a White House bid and get state contracts in return.
Now he has been painted clearly into the scene. A witness claims Blagojevich was present to receive a $25,000 campaign contribution and asked whether a state job had been offered in return.
Details behind the guilty plea of former state official Ali Ata in federal court this week, if true, weave Blagojevich more firmly into a mosaic of corruption in which prosecutors say his administration was created.
Ata, the former executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority, admitted he lied to the FBI in December 2005. He told a federal agent that he did not owe his $127,000 job to his donations to Blagojevich or to the influence of the governor's friend and fundraiser, Antoin "Tony" Rezko.
In a separate case, Rezko is on trial in federal court in Chicago, charged with scheming to milk kickbacks from businesses seeking state business with a teachers pension fund or approval from a state regulatory panel.
Blagojevich has not been charged with wrongdoing. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.
If Blagojevich is telling the truth, there are several people who must be lying or terribly mistaken:
Ata, who says he twice spoke directly to Blagojevich about getting a state job after delivering campaign contributions.
Joseph Cari, a former national Democratic fundraising heavyweight, who testified at Rezko's trial that Blagojevich told him that people who helped him build a presidential campaign organization would benefit from government contracts.
Stuart Levine, a millionaire attorney and Republican who backed Blagojevich's 2002 opponent, who told Rezko's jury that Blagojevich told him, "Stick with us and you will do very well for yourself."
Previously, the testimony of those who had contact with Blagojevich relied on their interpretation of what Blagojevich meant. Levine said he thought Blagojevich meant Levine could make a lot of money. Cari said he thought Blagojevich wanted Cari to raise money for a White House bid and get state contracts in return.
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