#Blagojevich's sentence is one of the stiffest penalties for corruption in a state with a history of crooked politics. Obama personally asked a union leader to approach then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich about appointing confidant Valerie Jarrett to his Illinois Senate seat – testimony Republicans say clearly contradicts the Obama team’s version of events.
CHICAGO -- Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison plus a $20,000 fine Wednesday for his 18-count corruption conviction, FOX News Channel reported.
Over the course of two trials, Blagojevich was convicted of a total of 18 counts of corruption, most notably for attempting to sell President Barack Obama's former Senate seat for $1.5 million in campaign contributions.
The disgraced former Illinois governor told a judge Wednesday that he made "terrible mistakes" and acknowledged that he broke the law when he tried to sell an appointment to President Barack Obama's former Senate seat.
After protesting his innocence for years, Blagojevich's plea on the second day of his sentencing hearing came as he hopes to avoid a prison term of up to 20 years. Judge James Zagel was expected to deliver his sentence Wednesday.
"I'm here convicted of crimes ... ," Blagojevich said, "and I am accepting of it, I acknowledge it and I of course am unbelievably sorry for it." Read the rest at The New York Post
Another story the corrupt, activist media never pursued -- scroll here.
The Blago/Obama/Blackwell pay-to-play circleObama and BlagoThe news media reported this in pieces but never put the whole thing together. Essentially, Chicago entrepreneurs Robert Blackwell Jr. and Sr. were good friends to Barack Obama and Rod Blagojevich (campaign contributions) and Obama and Blagojevich were good friends to the Blackwells.
A chronology:
2001–Barack Obama gets an $8,000 a month legal consulting contract from a company owned by Robert Blackwell Jr. at a time that Obama is low on money.
2002–Barack Obama writes a letter to the State of Illinois urging a state grant be given to another company owned by Robert Blackwell Jr.
2002-2004–Blackwell Jr.’s company was given $320,000 in grants by the state of Illinois. The grants increased greatly under Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
2005 — Robert Blackwell Sr. gets a $650,000 computer consulting contract from the University of Chicago Medical Center that is hailed in the hospital’s annual report as an example of minority contracting. Part of Michelle Obama’s job description is encouraging minority contracting.
Blackwell Jr.’s paid advisor was Obama’s first political director and was close to Blagojevich’s most important ally in Springfield, the former state Senate President.
Obama’s people continue to insist that Obama has no real ties to Blagojevich but the Blackwells show once again that claim is false.
Federal prosecutors were successful in revoking Tony Rezko’s bond in early 2008 when they found out the infamous Illinois fixer had taken $3.5 million from British/Iraqi billionaire Nadhmi Auchi without telling the court. Auchi is a controversial figure closely linked to Saddam Hussein over the years. For background on Auchi, check here and here. It’s [...]
