Illinois Governor Toll Road Scandal Trial Continues
US District Court Judge James B. Zagel on Wednesday unsealed documents filed in the case against former Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich (D). The 91-page document lays out in greater detail the evidence in the prosecution’s corruption case against a man charged with using his office to line his own pockets. One of the central money-making schemes alleged is a multi-billion deal to install High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes inside an existing toll road. Blagojevich announced the program in 2008.
“There were occasions after Blagojevich became Governor that Blagojevich, (Christopher) Kelly, (Alonzo) Monk, and (Tony) Rezko all met to discuss their efforts to make money from state action,” Assistant US Attorney Christopher S. Niewoehner wrote in the court filing. “As Rezko talked, he indicated how much money Blagojevich, Kelly, Rezko, and Monk could hope to make from the different ideas. The amounts that were associated with the different ideas were typically in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per deal, which would be evenly split four ways.”
According to the document, Blagojevich’s Chief of Staff Alonzo Monk was charged with raising funds for the Friends of Blagojevich campaign account by squeezing toll road builders and engineering firms. Specifically, Monk was to demand $500,000 from a cement company executive in return for approval of a $1.8 billion tollway expansion project. Blagojevich would approve a $5 billion plan if the next year if he was satisfied with the kickbacks, according to prosecutors.
“I’ve got Lon going to [Construction Executive] and asking for $500,000,” Blagojevich said in a wiretapped conversation on October 6, 2008, according to court filings. “I could have made a larger announcement but wanted to see how they perform by the end of the year. If they don’t step up, [expletive] ’em. I won’t do the bigger announcement in January.”
Blagojevich had the authority to approve both projects without seeking the approval of the state legislature. He came up with the idea of calling the toll road within a toll road concept “Green Lanes” to entice the support of environmentalists. He also sought to raise additional revenue by ensuring automated cameras would be used to mail tickets on the new lanes.
The man identified only as “Construction Executive” was a major Blagojevich fundraiser, but he balked at raising the large sums for the tolling project. The executive told his contacts in the governor’s office that he was working on the donations when, according to prosecutors, he had no intention of coming through with the cash. Prosecutors intend to use the taped conversations regarding the toll road plan as evidence of a wider “Pay to Play” conspiracy designed to use the contracting power of the state government to generate campaign donations and other lucrative offers.
Blagojevich claims he is innocent. His trial is scheduled to begin in June. A copy of the court filing is available in a 240k PDF file at the source link below.
Evidentiary Proffer for US v. Blagojevich (US District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 4/16/2010)
[Courtesy: Thenewspaper.com]
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Political corruption has been a special interest for me ever since I worked for a reform mayor who was so squeaky clean she wouldn't even give a friend a business card because it might wound up being used to imply her endorsement of a job applicant. When corruption is widespread people take it for granted. A major sting operation in the 80's nabbed hundreds of current and former county commissioners. The commissioners had wide discretionary authority over purchasing and road maintenance, and that enabled the crooked ones (was there any other kind?) to become rent-seekers. Over time it got seen as a perquisite of office. For example, a commissioner for Pottawatomie County made weekly visits to a lumber yard to pick up his "commission." (Almost uniformly across the state commissioners demanded a 10% kickback.) When the commissioner came into the store, he was greeted jovially by the manager, who immediately set to going over the past week's invoices to figure the kickback. Then the manager would open the cash register, pull out the sum, and hand it to the commissioner. All this took place in open view of everyone in the store. Iowa has a reputation for clean politics. When Oklahoma was thinking about installing a central computer database for all state jobs, a potential bidder brought down a guy from Iowa to talk about how well the system worked for them. Their central personnel agency had up-to-date information on the status of every state position: whether it was vacant or filled, who was in it, the salary, etc. Oklahoma agency heads were cool to the idea. I asked the Iowan how often he was asked by legislators about a position's status. He replied he didn't recall anyone ever asking. Jaws dropped all around the room. The idea that a state senator wouldn't want to control every job in his district was incomprehensible to the Sooners. By and large, political scientists give insufficient attention to the corruption's role public policy decisions. I think it's because they tend to be in love with government. It's hard to see the warts on one's sweetheart.
Ha (well not really), I remember when this was announced. After just having tons of construction on toll roads that were supposed to go free after construction was paid for decades ago finished, they announced this HOV idea.....ya know, to save the earth....despite proof from all over the country these lanes cause more accidents and don't save fuel. The idea was that you'd have HOV lanes, and SURPRISE SURPRISE, you would/could pay to use them....the more congestion, the more you pay....and you could even pay if you were the only one in the car, all you have to do is pay more money. All over Chicago, instantly people smelled the dirt in this idea. From day 1, we all knew it was filthy. Now we have the proof. I wanna see Blago in prison, all his cronies in prison, and the current "leaders" so scared s**tless that they knock off these activities. Blago and Rezko are just the tip, so many more filthy politicians in Illinois and Chicago politics it isn't even funny. Love my adopted hometown, it truly is one of the greatest cities in the world, but this kinda stuff, spending like there is no tomorrow, and whoring yourself out or taxing people to no end to fill budget gaps is KILLING this place. Hopefully throwing people in jail will help solve some of this. On the flip side, you'll still get a dirty democrat with a moron republican up against them....which one you gonna choose?