Rod Blagojevich – News Stories About Rod Blagojevich - Page 8

Blago Hires Drew Peterson's PR Firm, Plans Media Blitz

Jan 25, 2009 10:06 AM CST

Blago Hires Drew Peterson's PR Firm, Plans Media Blitz

(Newser) - This may not come as a big surprise, but you haven't heard the last of Rod Blagojevich. The soon-to-be-impeached Illinois governor has hired the same PR firm that represents none other than suspected wife-killer Drew Peterson, the Chicago Tribune reports. Tomorrow—the same day his Senate trial begins—Blagojevich plans...

Blago's Top Lawyer to Quit

Jan 24, 2009 7:10 AM CST

Blago's Top Lawyer to Quit

'I require clients to at least listen'

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich’s top lawyer in his criminal case is jumping ship, the Chicago Tribune reports. He told reporters as much in a statement just after a judge ruled that undercover Blago tapes could be passed to the state legislature. “I never require a client to do what I...

Ahead of Trial, Blago
Paints Himself as Victim

Jan 23, 2009 4:30 PM CST

Ahead of Trial, Blago Paints Himself as Victim

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich addressed his public again today, warning the citizens of Illinois that if he goes down they are all in danger, the Chicago Tribune reports. Blago likened his Senate impeachment trial, which he will boycott when it starts Monday, to a “hanging” and “a gross violation of...

Blagojevich: Arrest Was
My Family's Pearl Harbor

Jan 23, 2009 9:40 AM CST

Blagojevich: Arrest Was My Family's Pearl Harbor

Impeached governor plans to fight to the end, but won't appear at Senate trial

(Newser) - Say this for Rod Blagojevich: He doesn’t embarrass easily. In an interview yesterday with the AP, he compared his arrest to Pearl Harbor: “Dec. 9 to my family, to us, to me, is what Pearl Harbor Day was to the United States. It was a complete surprise, completely...

Impeachment Is
'Sham': Blago

Jan 22, 2009 4:30 PM CST

Impeachment Is 'Sham': Blago

Illinois governor says his attorneys are being denied due process

(Newser) - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich says he is being denied due process and accused the Illinois legislature of trying to “thwart the will of the people” by impeaching him, the Chicago Tribune reports. Blagojevich added that he wants to call White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to testify on...

Blago's Wife
Axed by
Charity

Jan 22, 2009 1:49 AM CST

Blago's Wife Axed by Charity

Patti Blagojevich paid $100K as fundraiser

(Newser) - The wife of embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been fired from her $100,000-a-year job as development director of a Chicago charity that runs a state-of-the-art homeless shelter, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Patti Blagojevich had been hired to help double the million dollars raised annually by the Christian Industrial...

How Blago Celebrated Inauguration

Jan 21, 2009 9:29 AM CST

How Blago Celebrated Inauguration

Ill. guv played hooky from impeachment, got fingerprinted

(Newser) - Yesterday was special for a certain Illinois politician—and not just the one you’re thinking of. While Barack Obama was being sworn in, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was getting his fingerprints taken, reports the Chicago Tribune. Blagojevich also failed to enter a plea in his state Senate impeachment trial; he’...

Pelosi Open to Prosecuting Bushies

Talk show ROUNDUP

Jan 18, 2009 11:50 AM CST

Pelosi Open to Prosecuting Bushies

Emanuel: Blago didn't imply anything shady in talks with me

(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi would consider prosecuting some Bush White House officials, she told Fox News Sunday, even though Barack Obama has signaled that he doesn't favor such a move. "We cannot let the politicizing of, for example, the Justice Department to go unreviewed," says the speaker of the House....

Blago's Impeachment
Lawyers Jump Ship

Jan 16, 2009 4:25 PM CST

Blago's Impeachment Lawyers Jump Ship

(Newser) - Ten days before Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial in the Illinois senate is scheduled to begin, the disgraced governor’s legal team has stepped down, the Chicago Tribune reports. A short timetable and the fact they can’t call witnesses make the situation “fundamentally unfair,” said the attorneys,...

Burris Sworn in
as Senator

Jan 15, 2009 1:35 PM CST

Burris Sworn in as Senator

(Newser) - Roland Burris was sworn in and seated in the Senate today as the junior senator from Illinois. Democrats had been loath to accept an appointee of Rod Blagojevich's, but the continued hubbub around the former Illinois AG was seen as a distraction. And Burris’ heroic attempts to get his credentials...

Ill. House Impeaches Blagojevich—Yes, Again

Jan 14, 2009 2:39 PM CST

Ill. House Impeaches Blagojevich—Yes, Again

New class of lawmakers upholds decision, with governor's sister-in-law lone dissenter

(Newser) - The Illinois House voted today for the second time in less than a week to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Chicago Tribune reports. The newly sworn-in lawmakers voted 117-1 to uphold last Friday's decision, with the lone dissenting ballot cast by Chicago Democrat Deb Mell—the disgraced governor's sister-in-law. Today's...

Burris Joins Senate Thursday

Jan 13, 2009 6:20 PM CST

Burris Joins Senate Thursday

(Newser) - At least one aspect of the Rod Blagojevich soap opera will end Thursday: Roland Burris will be sworn into the Senate at 2pm EST, the Hill reports. Dick Cheney will do the honors in the Senate chamber, and a ceremonial re-enactment will follow elsewhere in the building for Burris' family...

Senate Lawyers OK Burris

Jan 12, 2009 3:24 PM CST

Senate Lawyers OK Burris

Obama replacement will be sworn in this week, 'barring objection' from GOP

(Newser) - Senate Democrats today accepted Roland Burris as the senator-designate from Illinois, and he will likely be seated later this week, the Chicago Tribune reports. “Barring objections from Senate Republicans,” said a statement from Sens. Harry Reid and Dick Durbin, “we expect Senator-designee Burris to be sworn in....

He's a Heartbeat Away From Junior Senator

Jan 12, 2009 10:14 AM CST

He's a Heartbeat Away From Junior Senator

Lawyers meet today; Durbin says Senate will back ruling on Burris

(Newser) - A ruling could come today on whether Roland Burris can take Barack Obama’s Illinois Senate seat, Politico reports, with his lawyers meeting with the Senate’s legal counsel to discuss various documents certifying him for the job. Illinois’ secretary of State didn’t sign papers from embattled Gov. Rod...

Blago, Burris Kick Off SNL's '09

Jan 11, 2009 11:14 AM CST

Blago, Burris Kick Off SNL's '09

Comedian Jason Sudeikis is the Illinois gov's hair apparent

(Newser) - Saturday Night Live doesn’t have Sarah Palin to ape anymore, so the cast started 2009 with new impressions of Rod Blagojevich, Roland Burris, and Rachel Maddow, the Huffington Post reports. Last night’s show began with Maddow (Amy Elliott) grilling wannabe-senator Burris (Keenan Thompson) and embattled Illinois governor Blagojevich...

Outgoing Chicago Dem Is Lone Nay in Blago Vote

Jan 9, 2009 3:09 PM CST

Outgoing Chicago Dem Is Lone Nay in Blago Vote

Milton Patterson won't say much beyond having 'gut feeling' about proceedings

(Newser) - The one nay vote in today’s Illinois House impeachment of Rod Blagojevich was from Chicago Democrat Milton Patterson, the Chicago Tribune reports. Patterson said he wasn’t defending the disgraced governor. “I went by my own gut feeling,” he said. The lone “present” vote belonged to...

Blago Remains Defiant, Quotes Tennyson

UPDATED

Jan 9, 2009 2:49 PM CST

Blago Remains Defiant, Quotes Tennyson

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich says he's not surprised by today's vote to impeach him because the Illinois House has been out to get him for a year now, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. "It happened kind of fast," said the Illinois governor, who called a defiant news conference to reassert his...

Ill. House Votes
to Impeach Blago

Jan 9, 2009 10:57 AM CST

Ill. House Votes to Impeach Blago

114-1 vote marks first for state

(Newser) - The Illinois House wasted little time today in voting to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, with just one representative in the 115-member chamber voting against the measure. It’s the first time in Illinois history the governor has been impeached. A Blagojevich spokesman says the governor won’t resign, which means...

Panel Backs Impeachment;
Burris: No Favors Asked

updated

Jan 8, 2009 5:43 PM CST

Panel Backs Impeachment; Burris: No Favors Asked

(Newser) - Roland Burris told Rod Blagojevich's impeachment panel today that no shady business was involved in his Senate appointment, Bloomberg reports. “I would never participate in anybody’s quid pro quo,” Burris told Illinois lawmakers. Hours after he testified, the 21-member panel voted unanimously to recommend impeachment, the Tribune ...

Obama Serves Reid Humble Pie, Chicago Style

OPINION

Jan 8, 2009 2:02 PM CST

Obama Serves Reid Humble Pie, Chicago Style

President-elect's reversal on Burris straight from rough-and-tumble Windy City roots

(Newser) - Barack Obama served Harry Reid up a Chicago-style, deep-dish slice of humble pie this week, telling the Senate majority leader to seat Roland “Tombstone” Burris, John Kass writes in the Chicago Tribune. Reid, for his part, “scarfed it down in front of reporters, without a fork, all but...