They say a leopard can’t change his spots, and that seems to be a good way of explaining the corruption charges facing Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. The son-in-law of famous Chicago Alderman Dick Mell, Blagojevich is well schooled in the corrupt “pay-to-play” schemes of Chicago politics. Allegations of corruption started surfacing against him in 2005, during Blagojevich’s first term, with the first hints coming from Mell himself, after Blagojevich shut down a landfill that was owned by a relative of Mell’s wife.
Mell was furious at Blagojevich, and in the middle of their public squabble, Mell accused the Governor’s chief fundraiser of selling state jobs for campaign contributions. While Mell later recanted the accusations, they still caught the ear of Illinois State’s Attorney Lisa Madigan who alerted U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald about them.
Fitzgerald then launched an investigation that first became public in 2006 when long time Blagojevich political advisor and fund-raiser, Tony Rezko, was indicted on corruption charges stemming from an alleged kickback scheme involving state pension funds. The charges made national news later when it was discovered that Rezko also had ties to then Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Obama was never charged with any wrongdoing, but that didn’t stop his political opponents from trying to make it an election issue.
This was only the tip of the iceberg for Blagojevich though, and in December of 2008, claiming the Governor of the State of Illinois was involved in a “political corruption crime spree,” U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald had Federal Agents arrest him outside his Chicago home. Although the charges weren’t made public, the Federal Prosecutor laid out such a long list of alleged scams and frauds that it would even make jailed ex-Governor George Ryan blush.
Among the biggest allegations made public was a charge that Blagojevich had tried to sell the appointment to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Obama. The attempt was so blatant and despicable that U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald felt compelled to remark that, “the (Governor’s) conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave.” Blagojevich also allegedly tried to extort the Tribune Co. by threatening to withhold state funds to the bankrupt media giant if they didn’t fire Tribune editors critical of the Governor. Apparently, Blagojevich is not a believer in the constitutionally protected freedom of the press.
As if that’s not appalling enough, Blagojevich also allegedly tried to shake down Children’s Memorial Hospital in an effort to get a kickback from the $8 million dollars the state gave to the hospital to help fund pediatric care for needy children. A statement released by Children’s stated that the hospital refused to participate in the Governor’s scheme and that “if such allegations are true, Children’s Memorial, pediatric physicians and the children of Illinois have been victimized” by Blagojevich.
You might think that with all these horrendous charges facing the Governor that he might consider putting the people of Illinois first and stepping down from his post, but that’s not how machine politics work in this state. In a defiant, almost comical press conference, Blagojevich claimed the federal charges were the fabrication of a “political lynch mob.” The fact that the charges were federal, not to mention apolitical, had no bearing on his bizarre claim.
The cherry on top of Blagojevich’s miserable Governorship was his direct refusal of President-elect Obama’s wish he not appoint anyone to his vacated U.S. Senate seat. In a clear rebuke of the future President, as well as of many other state politicians, Blagojevich nominated Roland Burris to the vacated Senate seat. The move so revolted members of Congress that the Senate has blocked him from taking his seat there. Like many other politicians from our state, including Senator Dick Durbin, Obama has also called for the Governor to step down.
The black eye given to our state by this apparent scandal should not be underestimated. So shocking are the allegations against Blagojevich that the F.B.I. special agent assigned to the case, Robert Grant, boldly stated that, “if (Illinois) isn’t the most corrupt state in the United States, it’s certainly one hell of a competitor.” Welcome to machine politics, Illinois style, special agent Grant. It’s a place where corrupt politicians are the norm and clean politicians are the exception. What a shame.
Blagojevich has learned much of his political trickery from a master in Chicago machine politics, boss Dick Mell. However, he wasn’t smart enough to learn a lesson from the last Governor of the state, who is doing time right now in a federal prison on corruption charges himself. Perhaps it was just too hard for Blagojevich to change his spots, but I bet this leopard will soon be wearing stripes in jail, right where he belongs.