CHICAGO — Former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, his brother and a former top fundraiser were among six men indicted Thursday on political corruption charges, the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago announced.
The sweeping indictment comes four months after Blagojevich was arrested and charged with engaging in pay-to-play politics in a major federal complaint that accused the Democrat of trading state jobs, contracts and regulatory favors for campaign contributions.
The others indicted Thursday were Robert Blagojevich, 53; fundraiser Christopher Kelly, 50; Lon Monk, 50, a lobbyist and former Blagojevich chief of staff; John Harris, 47, also a former chief of staff to Blagojevich; and William Cellini, 74, an insider for decades in Springfield, the Illinois capital.
The December criminal complaint charged Blagojevich with attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat that was to be vacated by President-elect Barack Obama and with seeking the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial writers in return for state help on the sale of Wrigley Field. The ballpark and newspaper are owned by Tribune Co., which also owns the Los Angeles Times.
Thursday's 19-count indictment -- which includes those accusations -- adds allegations that convicted insider Antoin "Tony" Rezko paid Monk cash for a car and home improvements and that he steered real estate commissions to former first lady Patti Blagojevich although she performed no work. The indictment claims that Blagojevich attempted to extort a congressman for campaign cash by withholding a $2-million state grant to a public school in the congressman's district. A White House aide confirmed that the congressman was Democrat Rahm Emanuel, now the White House chief of staff.
All told, the ex-governor faces 16 felony counts, including racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, extortion conspiracy and lying to federal agents. The government is seeking forfeiture of $188,370 from Blagojevich and will try to take his Ravenswood Manor home in Chicago if needed.
"I'm saddened and hurt, but I am not surprised by the indictment," Rod Blagojevich said in a statement. "I am innocent. I now will fight in the courts to clear my name. I would ask the good people of Illinois to wait for the trial and afford me the presumption of innocence that they would give to all their friends and neighbors."
