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Feds Pull Out RICO On Blago, Team
The indictment of Rod Blagojevich and his associates includes one RICO conspiracy count. From the DOJ's press release:
The RICO conspiracy count alleges that Blagojevich personally, the Office of the Governor of Illinois and Friends of Blagojevich were associated and, together, constituted the "Blagojevich Enterprise," whose primary purpose was to exercise and preserve power over Illinois government for the financial and political benefit of Blagojevich, both directly and through Friends of Blagojevich, and for the financial benefit of his family members and associates. Blagojevich and Kelly, the only RICO conspiracy defendants, allegedly conspired with Monk, Cellini, Harris, Robert Blagojevich, Rezko and previously convicted cooperating defendant Stuart Levine, to conduct the Blagojevich Enterprise through a pattern of multiple acts of mail and wire fraud, extortion, attempted extortion and extortion conspiracy, and state bribery.
What's the significance of RICO? In a nutshell, it's a particularly powerful (some might say, punitive) tool, which carries strong asset forfeiture provisions and serious jail time under sentencing guidelines. Fitzgerald successfully convicted former Illinois Gov. George Ryan on RICO charges.
So there's no good news here for Blago.

















It's my understanding that Blago has chosen music to be played as he enters and exits the courtroom: "Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina & The Waves.
April 2, 2009 8:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, Gov Ryan was convicted on multiple charges of racketeering and fraud, but he was only sentenced to 6 1/2 years, and Ryan committed much worse acts than Blagojevich. Let's hope for a better judge than Pallmeyer this time.
April 2, 2009 10:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
OK, Rod Blagojevich is some kind of low life, bottom feeder and quite possibly not in possession of all of his faculties. But, this is very interesting:
On December 8, 2008 Blaggo ordered all state agencies to stop doing business with Bank of America over their foul treatment of union members.
On December 9, 2008 Blaggo was arrested by the Bush Justice Department.
Justice obviously had not yet completed putting their case together and the arrest seemed premature. I don't think the timing is a coincidence.
April 3, 2009 9:23 AM | Reply | Permalink