Rod Blagojevich

In just hours, Elvis will indeed be in the building - or at least one of the singer's biggest fans will be in the building: former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich . He'll soon arrive at a federal prison in Colorado to begin serving a sentence on corruption charges. Blagojevich left his North Side Chicago home before dawn on Thursday for the trip to the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood outside Denver, where the 55-year-old former invincible iron man of Illinois politics will surrender in the afternoon.

A week after U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. announced he was taking a leave of absence, his office released a statement Thursday saying his condition is "more serious than initially believed" and that he is being treated at an "in-patient facility. " In a statement that contained few details, the Illinois Democrat's office said: "Recently we have been made aware that he has grappled with certain physical and emotional ailments privately for a long period of time. According to the preliminary diagnosis from his doctors, Congressman Jackson will need to receive extended in-patient treatment as well as continuing medical treatment thereafter.

Rod Blagojevich, Illinois' 40th governor, was sentenced to 14 years in prison Wednesday for the attempted sale of a U.S. Senate seat, illegal shakedowns for campaign cash and lying to federal agents. U.S. District Judge James Zagel handed down the sentence after a somber Blagojevich, his voice cracking with emotion, pleaded for a lighter sentence with a round of apologies to the judge, to the jurors who convicted him, to the public and to his family. “I'm here convicted of crimes.

In just hours, Elvis will indeed be in the building - or at least one of the singer's biggest fans will be in the building: former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich . He'll soon arrive at a federal prison in Colorado to begin serving a sentence on corruption charges. Blagojevich left his North Side Chicago home before dawn on Thursday for the trip to the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood outside Denver, where the 55-year-old former invincible iron man of Illinois politics will surrender in the afternoon.

Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said little as he and his wife Patti left their Chicago-area home Wednesday morning on their way to the federal courthouse where he will be sentenced on corruption charges. Blagojevich walked down the front steps hand in hand with his wife around 9:20 a.m. CST and bid the crush of reporters a good morning as they shouted questions at him. They both got into a dark car and the former governor waved to reporters and neighbors as it pulled away.

The Illinois House voted Friday to impeach disgraced Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and send him to trial in the Senate with the aim of removing the two-term Democrat from state public office forever. The governor's Dec. 9 arrest on corruption charges was the trigger, but lawmakers unloaded six years of grievances in a swift 114-1 vote. Their action made the state's 40th governor the first in state history to be impeached.

Re "Illinois Seeks to Curb Explicit Video Games," Dec. 16: Video game makers glamorize graphic, senseless violence and criminal behavior while simultaneously degrading women. The industry needs regulation and a wake-up call. Gov. Rod Blagojevich is to be applauded for his common-sense proposal. Cheryl Kohr Redondo Beach

Closing arguments began in the Chicago corruption trial of Antoin "Tony" Rezko. The case has proved an embarrassment to presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Rezko befriended both Democrats and raised funds for them. Rezko is charged with 24 criminal counts, including mail and wire fraud, attempted extortion and money-laundering. Closing arguments and rebuttal are expected to continue today.

Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich wasn't allowed to appear in a network TV reality show in Costa Rica, so his wife will appear instead. A federal judge barred Blagojevich, who faces federal corruption charges, from being on the NBC show "I'm a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here" because it would send him out of the country. But his wife, Patti, accepted an offer from the network to appear instead. The couple appeared on NBC's "Today" show Thursday to announce the move. Patti Blagojevich said she hopes her appearance on the reality series will help show that she isn't the profanity-spewing person portrayed on federal wiretaps.

Chicago's morning radio airwaves were filled Wednesday with dueling governors, with both Rod R. Blagojevich and Pat Quinn declaring God was on their side as they attacked each other. Impeached former Gov. Blagojevich, a guest host on WLS-AM, declared he was an "instrument" of God and maintained that his successor, Gov. Quinn, and top Democratic lawmakers had removed him to clear the way for a tax increase.

With a final wave from the parking lot, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich walked into the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood in Littleton, Colo., on Thursday and began serving his sentence of 14 years in prison for his conviction on corruption charges. Blagojevich did not go gently into what is expected to be years out of the  limelight he once inhabited so fully. Every step -- beginning with the morning's departure from his Chicago home, to the flight, to an unexpected stop for lunch -- was fully documented by local reporters who have long feasted on the charismatic politician.

Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said little as he and his wife Patti left their Chicago-area home Wednesday morning on their way to the federal courthouse where he will be sentenced on corruption charges. Blagojevich walked down the front steps hand in hand with his wife around 9:20 a.m. CST and bid the crush of reporters a good morning as they shouted questions at him. They both got into a dark car and the former governor waved to reporters and neighbors as it pulled away.

Former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison Wednesday and fined $20,000 for what U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald referred to as a criminal corruption crime spree at the time of Blagojevich's arrest three years ago. Blagojevich was convicted of corruption charges including trying to trade President Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat in exchange for money or favors. He will have to serve a minimum of nearly 12 years under federal rules that say defendants must complete 85% of their sentences.

Weeks before his federal corruption trial, ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich sought Thursday to tie his credibility to that of President Obama by asking that the president be compelled to testify for the defense. The 11-page court filing by Blagojevich's attorneys attempted to protect sensitive details by blacking out references to sealed investigative records. But it became an Internet sensation when a computer glitch enabled people to view the entire document — a mixture of new allegations and old details that created fresh intrigue over charges that Blagojevich sought to sell the Senate seat vacated by Obama after he was elected president in 2008.

Sen. Roland W. Burris (D-Ill.) was rebuked Friday by the Senate Ethics Committee, which issued a "public letter of qualified admonition" for his actions in connection with his appointment by disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich. In the letter, the panel told Burris it had concluded that his "actions reflected unfavorably on the Senate." Questions had arisen over whether Burris had been truthful about his contacts with Blagojevich associates before his appointment. "The committee found that you should have known that you were providing incorrect, inconsistent, misleading or incomplete information to the public, the Senate and those conducting legitimate inquiries into your appointment to the Senate," the letter said.

Christopher Kelly, a key figure in the federal corruption investigation of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has died. A onetime confidant and top fundraiser for Blagojevich, Kelly was accused of using his office to leverage campaign donations and benefits for himself and his family. In a surprise move Tuesday, a day before his scheduled trial, the roofing business owner pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud as part of a kickback scheme to illegally obtain $8.5 million in work at O'Hare International Airport.

Christopher Kelly, a key figure in the federal corruption investigation of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has died. A onetime confidant and top fundraiser for Blagojevich, Kelly was accused of using his office to leverage campaign donations and benefits for himself and his family. In a surprise move Tuesday, a day before his scheduled trial, the roofing business owner pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud as part of a kickback scheme to illegally obtain $8.5 million in work at O'Hare International Airport.

Weeks before his federal corruption trial, ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich sought Thursday to tie his credibility to that of President Obama by asking that the president be compelled to testify for the defense. The 11-page court filing by Blagojevich's attorneys attempted to protect sensitive details by blacking out references to sealed investigative records. But it became an Internet sensation when a computer glitch enabled people to view the entire document — a mixture of new allegations and old details that created fresh intrigue over charges that Blagojevich sought to sell the Senate seat vacated by Obama after he was elected president in 2008.

Former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich blames overzealous prosecutors and political enemies for his downfall in a new book that offers glimpses of his rocky six-year tenure and his upcoming defense against federal corruption charges. "The Governor" describes his arrest on charges that included trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama last year. In keeping with the governor's long-held position that he's been victimized by rivals and "unethical" prosecutors, Blagojevich writes that his guiding thought in selecting a new senator was, "How much do I love the people of Illinois?"