Illinois Governor Arrested on Corruption Charges

Illinois Governor Arrested on Corruption Charges


Reps. Danny Davis and Jesse Jackson Jr.

Federal prosecutors have investigated Blagojevich’s administration for at least three years, writes the Associated Press. They’ve been looking at everything from how he hired people for state jobs to the actions of friends and contributors.

During the recent presidential elections, Illinois Republicans sought to tie ongoing investigations into Blagojevich’s ethics to Obama.

Last week, FBI agents searched two Joliet drugstores owned by a major Blagojevich fundraiser who was the focus of an Illinois investigation into whether campaign donations were made in exchange for favors.

The governor has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. On Monday, Blagojevich said he has done nothing wrong in his stewardship of the state and challenged critics to record him because his discussions were “always lawful.”

Blagojevich was sworn in to serve a second term as the 40th governor of Illinois on Jan. 8, 2007. Prior to his election, Blagojevich was a Cook County assistant state’s attorney, where he prosecuted domestic abuse cases and felony weapons charges.

In 1996, he was elected to represent Illinois’ 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Timeline of the Blagojevich investigation

Deborah Creighton Skinner is the editorial director at BlackEnterprise.com


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