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Thread: Blagojevich convicted of lying to feds

  1. #1
    Iridium
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    Blagojevich convicted of lying to feds



    Chicago, Illinois (CNN) -- Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted of a relatively minor charge -- giving a false statement to federal investigators -- but the jury hung on 23 other counts.

    Jurors deliberated for 14 days but could not reach a unanimous verdict on the most serious corruption counts. Jurors also could not decide on the charges against Blagojevich's brother, Robert.

    Legal analysts said the result was a victory for Blagojevich and his defense.

    Attorneys and spectators filed into the courtroom shortly before 5 p.m. ET to hear the verdicts in the corruption trial.

    U.S. District Judge James Zagel said earlier in the day that there was a "possibility" of a verdict soon and asked that the defendants remain within a half-hour travel distance from the courthouse.

    Jurors had two questions for Zagel on Tuesday. First, they asked for a copy of the oath they took when they were sent to deliberate. For that oath, jurors were asked, "Do each of you solemnly swear that you will well and truly try, and true deliverance make, in the case now in trial and render a true verdict according to the law and the evidence, so help you God?"

    The second question was, "If we do not reach a consensus of a specific count, do we leave it blank or report the votes split?" Zagel told jurors if they cannot reach a unanimous verdict on any count, they should write a single statement on each count and each juror should sign the verdict form.

    Last week, the jury sent a note to Zagel indicating they were far from reaching a decision. The panel has decided on only two of the 24 counts against Blagojevich, the note said. Jurors failed to agree on 11 counts and had yet to consider 11 others involving wire fraud charges. Zagel encouraged them to continue deliberating and vote on each charge.

    The former governor faces charges including racketeering, wire fraud, attempted extortion and bribery. A two-term Democrat, he was removed from office in January 2009 amid accusations that he attempted to sell the U.S. Senate seat that had been occupied by Barack Obama before Obama was elected president.

    In one conversation recorded by federal agents, Blagojevich told an aide, "I've got this thing, and it's [expletive] golden. I'm just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing."

    Conviction on the counts of wire fraud, racketeering and attempted extortion could each bring a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, while a conviction on the count of solicitation of bribery would carry a maximum sentence of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. The maximum penalty for bribery conspiracy and false statements is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    Blagojevich's brother, Robert, is standing trial with him on four of the charges.

    Robert Blagojevich testified that his brother was "trying to politically work something to his benefit" in handling the Senate appointment but was thinking in terms of political horse-trading, not corruption.

    "It didn't seem out of the ordinary, because Obama was taking a lot of people from Illinois with him to D.C.," said Robert Blagojevich, who raised money for his brother. He said the governor "was interested in the idea of being the head of Health and Human Services."

    While awaiting trial, the ousted governor asserted his innocence in interviews and on Twitter, as well as during his appearances on the "Celebrity Apprentice" reality show.

    http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/17/...pt=T1&iref=BN1
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  2. #2
    Phoenix
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    Re: Blagojevich convicted of lying to feds

    Lesson: NEVER TALK TO THE FEDS

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    Unobtanium palani's Avatar
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    Re: Blagojevich convicted of lying to feds

    Morpheus: I've seen an agent punch through a concrete wall; men have emptied entire clips at them and hit nothing but air; yet, their strength, and their speed, are still based in a world that is built on rules. Because of that, they will never be as strong, or as fast, as *you* can be.
    Make me one with everything.
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  4. #4
    RJB
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    Re: Blagojevich convicted of lying to feds

    Blagojevich convicted of lying to feds
    Anything you say can and will be MISCONSTRUED against you...

    Blago always struck me as a pompous ass, but I'm actually glad he was for the most part cleared. I always get suspicious when a politician gets pinched for something they all do.

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    Re: Blagojevich convicted of lying to feds

    Any politician who gets smeared by the media and prosecuted is NOT an insider. Our rulers like to go through these little "fall guy" exercises occasionally to fortify the illusion of justice and accountability.

  6. #6
    dysgenic
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    Re: Blagojevich convicted of lying to feds

    Watching the MSN can be an eyeopening experience. Recently I watched a piece on Blago that transparently attempted to smear him for the purposes of convicting him in the public court of opinion. During the piece, they played certain of the tapes. The tapes certainly make him look like an ass, but demonstrated absolutely zero guilt or even the possibility of guilt. Since you know they were offering the best they've got, I can safely say that the guy did absolutely nothing wrong and deserves to be acquitted. Pretty coincidental they decided to go after him the same week that he took on a major bank, huh?

    dys

  7. #7
    Phoenix
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    Re: Blagojevich convicted of lying to feds

    Quote Originally Posted by RJB
    Blagojevich convicted of lying to feds
    Anything you say can and will be MISCONSTRUED against you...

    Blago always struck me as a pompous ass, but I'm actually glad he was for the most part cleared. I always get suspicious when a politician gets pinched for something they all do.
    When he stood up to Bank of America, I was willing to give him every benefit of the doubt and leniency, too.

    He was arrested the day after he said the State of Illinois would no longer do business with BofA.

  8. #8
    Phoenix
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    Re: Blagojevich convicted of lying to feds

    December 8, 2008:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52Pl_maYkQQ


    December 9, 2008:


  9. #9
    Unobtanium Dogman's Avatar
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    Verdicts in 18 of the 20 counts against him.

    Guilty= 18

    Innocent= 0

    Hung counts =2

    He is going to spend some quality time at a club fed resort. For maybe most of the rest of his life! And trying not to Pick up soap in the shower.

    For now free on bond , until sentencing.




    Jury reaches verdict in Blagojevich trial


    By the CNN Wire Staff
    June 27, 2011 1:30 p.m. EDT



    Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, shown in a 2008 booking photo, is accused of public corruption.

    Chicago (CNN) -- The jury considering corruption charges against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has reached verdicts in 18 of the 20 counts against him, a court clerk said Monday.

    The jury is expected to return its verdicts Monday afternoon.

    Charges against Blagojevich include trying to peddle the U.S. Senate seat held by Barack Obama before he resigned to become president. Blagojevich has denied any intention of bribery.

    Last August, after a two-month trial and 14 days of deliberation, jurors deadlocked on 23 of the 24 charges Blagojevich had faced. They found him guilty on one count of lying to FBI investigators, a conviction that could carry a prison sentence of five years. 2010: Blagojevich convicted on one count
    June 2011: Blagojevich case goes to jury


    The accusation that Blagojevich tried to profit as he considered whom to appoint to succeed Obama, among other allegations, prompted his impeachment by Illinois' House of Representatives and his removal from office by the state Senate in 2009.

    Ten of the counts against him in the current trial are wire fraud. The other 10 involve extortion and bribery. Most of the counts have a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

    Blagojevich, 54, was taken into federal custody in December 2008, less than two years into his second term as governor. A federal grand jury indicted in him April 2009.

    At the time of his arrest, prosecutors said court-authorized wiretaps caught Blagojevich offering Obama's Senate seat in exchange for personal gain, including a job with a non-profit or union organization, corporate board posts for his wife, campaign contributions or a post in Obama's administration.

    He expressed frustration, according to prosecutors, that Obama transition officials were "not willing to give me anything except appreciation."
    "I've got this thing and it's [expletive] golden, and, uh, uh, I'm just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing. I'm not gonna do it," prosecutors quoted Blagojevich as saying.

    Blagojevich also considered appointing himself to the post, mulling whether he might be better off being indicted as a senator rather than governor, and saying contacts he would make in the federal job would benefit him later, according to prosecutors.

    Aside from the charges of trying to sell the Senate seat, prosecutors also accused Blagojevich of using his position to obtain financial benefits for himself, his family and his campaign in exchange for jobs, contracts and appointments to state boards to supporters.

    They accused Blagojevich of acelerating the scheme in 2008 to accumulate funds before a new state ethics law would have limited his ability to raise money from people and companies that were doing business with the state.
    Along with Blagojevich, prosecutors charged his brother, Robert Blagojevich, with one count of wire fraud, one count of extortion conspiracy, one count of attempted extortion and one count of bribery conspiracy in connection with his brother's alleged Senate-seat-selling plan.

    But a week after jurors came back deadlocked on most of the counts against Rod Blagojevich and all of the charges against his brother, prosecutors dropped charges against Robert Blagojevich but said they would retry the former governor.

    Blagojevich's defense argued that he just liked to talk and that he ended up with nothing. Attorney Aaron Goldstein said the "law is about intent," CNN affiliate WLS has reported. Goldstein said the prosecution hadn't met its burden of proof.

    The former Cook County assistant prosecutor, state representative and Golden Gloves boxer has remained in the public eye since his removal from office, appearing in a Chicago comedy show, releasing an autobiography, and competing on the TV show "Celebrity Apprentice."

    http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/06/...ojevich.trial/
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  10. #10
    Unobtanium palani's Avatar
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    Does this mean Rahm Emanuel gets put in prison too? After all, Manta.com has him registered as a dba for Rod Blago ....

    http://www.manta.com/c/mm53s5b/congressman-rahm-emanuel

    Congressman Rahm Emanuel Business Information
    Congressman Rahm Emanuel also does business as Congressman Rod R Blagojevich, United States House Of Representatives .

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