A number of controversies related to Rod Blagojevich, a former governor of Illinois, were covered in the press during and after his administration.Blagojevich Says Indicted Adviser 'Betrayed' Him NBC Chicago, October 11, 2006 In addition to a reputation for secrecy that was noted by the Associated Press, Blagojevich was the subject of political, legal, and personal controversies similar to those of his predecessor, Republican Governor George Ryan. To the surprise of many, Blagojevich said in 2008 that he agreed with the idea of commuting Ryan's federal prison sentence.
Feud with father-in-law A major event of 2005 was Blagojevich's dispute with his father-in-law, Chicago Alderman Richard Mell. Although Blagojevich had been elected largely with Mell's help, the two had a contentious relationship since Blagojevich was elected governor. The feud went public in January 2005 when Blagojevich shut down a landfill owned by a distant cousin of his wife Patti for allegedly accepting waste it was not licensed to take, and it was revealed that Mell had served as an advisor to the cousin. A Cook County grand jury investigated whether Blagojevich's administration overstepped authority in closing the landfill. Legislation was eventually passed giving the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency more authority over landfills and preventing relatives of top Illinois officials from owning landfills. Mell said that Blagojevich "used me" and that he "uses everybody and then discards them."
Regarding his decision to shut down the landfill despite the fact the landfill was owned by a relative, Blagojevich said, "This is the kind of thing that I think frankly separates the men from the boys in leadership. Do you have the testicular virility to make a decision like that knowing what's coming your way? I say I do." This remark was both ridiculed as an undignified comment for a governor as well as criticized for being sexist.
Mell said publicly at the time that Blagojevich's chief fundraiser had traded state jobs for campaign contributions, but recanted after threat of a lawsuit.
Federal investigations Since 2005, Blagojevich has been the subject of at least a dozen separate federal investigations, involving accusations against at least 14 other people, including Blagojevich's former fundraiser Tony Rezko. In 2006, Blagojevich said that he has been targeted for investigation by "scoundrels" due to the change he brought as governor, such as his ethics reform bill.
On December 30, 2005, it was reported that a leasing deal reached for occupants of the rebuilt Illinois Tollway oasis had come under investigation by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. Those who signed the fast food contracts were reported to be connected to Blagojevich campaign fundraising. This was in addition to other investigations in the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Children and Family Services.
On June 30, 2006, it was revealed that state Attorney General Lisa Madigan had received a letter from United States Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, stating that Fitzgerald is looking into "very serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" in the Blagojevich administration, and thanking Madigan for turning over her office's investigation to the federal authorities.Feds Probing Illinois Gov. Office Hiring, CBS News, July 1, 2006
In September 2006, news outlets began reporting that Blagojevich had accepted a $1,500 check from Mike Ascaridis, whom the governor described as one of his closest friends, in 2003. The check was given two weeks after Ascaridis' wife, Beverly, received a state job at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Beverly Ascaridis received this appointment despite having failed a state hiring exam. Blagojevich initially asserted that the check was written as a seventh birthday gift to his older daughter. He later said it was a gift for his younger daughter's christening.Ill. Gov. Questioned Over $1,500 Check - washingtonpost.com Then-U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and the FBIGovernor Breaks Silence On $1500 Birthday Check, CBS2Chicago.com investigated the matter, but Blagojevich was never charged in connection to it. In 2005, Beverly Ascaridis told investigators that she believed she had been hired in exchange for the check.
On October 2, 2006, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that a company that contributed close to $120,000 to Blagojevich's 2002 gubernatorial campaign won a no-bid contract. Even though the contract was awarded by the Illinois' Capital Development Board,CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT BOARD the board still reported to the governor.
Blagojevich was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2009. On August 17, 2010, he was convicted on a charge of lying to the FBI,Chicago Tribune, August 18, 2010, p. 1, "Several panelists dissatisfied, point to lack of smoking gun' by Annie Sweeney, Vikki Ortiz Healy and Noreen S. Ahmed-Uilah. but a mistrial was ordered for the remaining 23 federal charges. On June 27, 2011, following another trial, he was found guilty of 17 charges. In 2020, after Blagojevich had been imprisoned for nearly eight years of his 14-year sentence, President Donald Trump commuted his sentence. On February 10, 2025, Trump pardoned him, clearing his criminal record.
Tony Rezko indictment and trial On October 11, 2006, Antonin "Tony" Rezko and Stuart Levine, both of whom were fundraisers for Blagojevich and Barack Obama, were indicted for participation in a scheme to obtain kickbacks from investment firms seeking business from two state boards. Levine pleaded guilty two weeks later and agreed to testify against Rezko.U.S. Department Of Justice Press Release , October 11, 2008Stuart Levine Pleads Guilty, Chicago Business, October 27, 2008
Blagojevich's wife, Patricia Blagojevich, a licensed real estate broker, had Rezko as a client for at least a decade. In 2004, she received over $38,000 in commissions from Rezko's real estate transactions.cbs2chicago.com - Governor's Fundraiser Pleads Not Guilty
In October 2006, it was revealed that Patricia Blagojevich earned $113,700 in real estate commissions from Anita and Amrish Mahajan. These were the only commissions earned by Patricia Blagojevich that year. Anita Mahajan owned a urinalysis company that held a no-bid contract with the state Department of Children and Family Services. Amrish Mahajan was president of a bank that had two requests pending before state regulators to acquire two out-of-state banks.WBBM 780 - Chicago's #1 source for local news, traffic and weather - *
In December 2007, Blagojevich campaign boss Christopher G. Kelly was indicted on federal charges of tax fraud.Feds indict friend of ex-governor, Chicago Tribune, 13 December 2007. The charges against Kelly were not related to the governor or any political work. However, Kelly has been listed as a "co-schemer" in court filings related to the Rezko case. According to prosecutors, Kelly was involved in pressuring prospective state contractors for "finder's fees" or political contributions.Gov's proposed 'pay-to-play' deals, Chicago Sun-Times, 22 December 2007. At the time of Rezko's indictment, Blagojevich described his relationship with Kelly: "They're two different people, by the way, and it's a different relationship. Chris and I are much closer. Chris is the head of my political campaign. That's someone I talk to a lot more frequently."Q&A: In Blagojevich's Words, The Southtown Star, 14 December 2007. In January, 2009, Kelly, pleaded guilty to the tax charges, and in June, at 50, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, fined $7,500, and ordered to pay more than $600,000 in restitution. He was allowed to stay free on bail pending a September trial "in which he is charged with paying an unnamed consultant $450,000 in kickbacks to get $8.5 million in inflated roofing contracts from two airlines at O'Hare International Airport," according to a report. Prosecutors hoped that Kelly would yet testify on the workings of the Blagojevich administration."Blago Former Fundraiser Gets 3 Years in Prison" Associated Press via The New York Times, June 22, 2009. Retrieved 6/22/09.
Blagojevich was widely rumored to be the unnamed "Public Official A" mentioned in the Rezko indictment. The governor repeatedly denied that he was Public Official A, but on February 26, 2008, the judge in the case issued a ruling which confirmed his identity. A pretrial ruling in the case from U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve named the Blagojevich campaign and confirmed that Blagojevich was the intended beneficiary of at least one of Rezko's extortion attempts. Blagojevich was not charged in the indictment, although prosecutors have asserted in other court filings that he told a top Democratic fundraiser that he could steer contracts, legal work and investment banking in order to help with fundraising.Judge reveals Blagojevich is 'Public Official A', Chicago Tribune, 26 February 2008.Feds link governor to probe, Chicago Tribune, 21 December 2007.
During the Rezko trial, Blagojevich's name came up frequently - first during testimony from Levine, who testified of Rezko's influence with the governor. Blagojevich was not charged in the case, but prosecutors sought to prove that his top advisers were involved in widespread kickback schemes. Levine mentioned Blagojevich by name at least 30 times in one day of testimony, and said under oath that the governor told him, "[Y]ou stick with us and you'll do very well for yourself". Levine took the comment to mean that there was money to be made if he did the administration's bidding. A Blagojevich spokesperson denied that the governor was involved in any illegal activity, saying "Stuart Levine's assertions about the governor are wrong. As we've said before, that's not how the governor does business."Name on Levine's lips at trial: Blagojevich, Chicago Tribune, 20 March 2008.
On April 3, 2008, Levine testified that Blagojevich was aware of a shakedown involving businessman and movie producer Tom Rosenberg in 2004. Levine said that when Rosenberg threatened to go to the authorities over what he saw as an extortion attempt, Rezko and the governor worked out a "damage control" plan. Rosenberg would get the contract, but would get no further business from the state. Levine told the jury that Blagojevich approved of this plan and told Rezko that the contract was "the last thing that Mr. Rosenberg should get from the state". Blagojevich's office responded by again denying that any such conduct took place. "We don't endorse or allow the awarding of contracts based on campaign contributions. We never have. We never will." a spokesman for the governor said.Bob Secter and Jeff Coen, Blagojevich drawn in again Chicago Tribune, April 2, 2008Levine: Blagojevich knew, Chicago Sun-Times, 3 April 2008.
Joseph Cari, Jr., the former finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee, testified that Blagojevich was at one time attempting to form a national fundraising presence in hopes of a run for President of the United States. Cari said that the governor told him that "contracts, legal work, investment banking work and consulting work" would be awarded to "people who helped". The governor's office again issued a denial after Cari's testimony.Blagojevich had big plans, witness says, Chicago Tribune, 15 April 2008.