U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald filed a motion to seek a 90-day extension for the indictment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Normally, there is a 30 day window period between charging and filing an indictment against a defendant. That deadline is a week away, and the extension would give prosecutors until April 7, 2008.
If granted, the circus goes on. Senate democtrats will be fighting the newly appointed Senator, the media will continue to cover Blago - not the war, job losses, or anything else.
This extension has been seen as yet another clue that the prosecutor does not have enough evidence against the Gov. From the start of this on 12/9, prosecutors have not told the public what crime, exactly, did theh governor commit? Spitballing about what you can in return for something is not actually a crime. There is a fine line between corruption and quid pro quo. Quid pro quo happens every day in politics. Endorse me and I will appoint you. Whether implicit or explicit campaign donations imply return of favors. If you are in the illusion that people who donate tens of thousand of dollars to political campaign are doing it because they like a candidate, then yes, Blago is guilty as charged. Of what? Quid pro quo?
Unless they present more evidence here, this case is going nowhere.
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Comments: 18
Or, I suppose, it could be a sign that the prosecutor has so much evidence of so many cases against Blagojevich that he needs more time to compile it? Or maybe he just needs more time because half his staff has been on holiday since Thanksgiving?
I think the "Senate seat for Sale" case is only a portion of what they are investigating, and it appears there are a lot of people targeted besides Blagojevich, some of whom are trying to broker deals in exchange for testimony. Fitzgerald does apparently have a ton of phone conversation recordings with a variety of people related to several issues.
Intent, here, may therefore, indeed, be criminal intent.
Getting his wife a high paying job is not renumeration. It's a favor. Contribution to campaign coffers is not paying someone as campaign money can only be used for campaign. The only money mention going to Blago was that $1 million dollar from the emissary of Senate candidate 5 (Jackson).
You go to trial. The trial date will be sets many months from the indictment date. Had Blago not appointed a Senator, this would mean until April 7 at least for Illinois to get a Senator. That's not accpetable. If Blago believes that he is innocent, he should not resign and they have no right to drag his name out there until April 7.
Blagojevich said something in his press conference announcing Burris that intrigued me. He said "Please, don't allow the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man."
When he said that my subconcious heard at the end "..., unlike me."
Guess we'll have to wait and see whether the case falls apart or gets stronger.
I agree with you there. Until he either quits, is impeached, or is convicted, he is still in office and has an obligation to appoint a successor. Congressional swearing in is next Tuesday, so he had to make the appointment now.
I'm actually not sure what law is the determining factor here, whether state or federal.
This motion will be denied. Go with it now. He deserves a trial. The people of Illinois deserve a speedy trial. They don't want to impeach him. So, let him govern.
You either impeach the guy or let him govern. That's on the appointment front. On Fitztgerald front, make up your mind budy. Indict the guy and present apologies.
Conspiracy to commit a crime is a crime. So yes, you can go to the slammer for just talking.
Fitzgerald said at the original news conference that he was looking for input from others that could confirm elements of what he termed a "crime spree." In addition there are many hours of tape that apparently have to be analyzed. If there is anything to complain about with regard to Fitzgerald's actions, it is that he miscalculated the depths of self-absorption and cynicism of the governor. His going public when he did, ostensibly to avert the tainted appointment, begins to look lame when Gov. F-Word goes ahead and makes the appointment anyway, while state legislators scurry about, as if excited hens. There has not been an effective body block to the continuing Blago rampage and everyone--criminal justice, the state, the Senate, and yes, you and I, continue to look more and more like ninnies until the rogue specimen is put down.
The criminality comes in when the offices of government are used to trade government services and favors for the personal gain of the officeholder. That goes for the personal gain of the officeholder's family members as well.
I completely understand that the issue of access, based on campaign contributions, looks suspiciously like the kind of pay to play crime that is alleged here. No question that ethics reform and campaign finance reform need more work. Fitzgerald's allegations go to behavior that crosses the line into personal gain for favors from the government. Even though Chicago had "the Boss" in the person of the current mayor's dad, Richard J. Daley, most Illinoisans still favor democracy over an oligarchy.
Of course I got all my information from the news. The news is 90 % lies and the rest supposition, or is it the other way around?
I doubt that the governor will go to trial let alone be convicted. Either the local polical machine removes him (impeachment, or I suspect he would take some new opportunity) or the Illionois will have him for the next couple of years.
Since this seems to be a pattern in Chicago politics, does anyone think this will change it or can we hold our breath until the next perosn holds the governor's seat for one more headline and talk of a trial?
I have to say since Louisiana elected a new Governor (not from the old machine) there seems to be hope.
It would be awkward if he is accquited in a trial though wouldn't it?