Rod Blagojevich indicted on Felony Corruption Charges 

Blagojevich, his brother, top aides indicted

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, his brother Rob and Christopher Kelly, a former top fundraiser for Blagojevich, were all indicted today on corruption charges, the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago announced.

Also charged in the indictment were Lon Monk, a lobbyist and former Blagojevich chief of staff; John Harris, also a former chief of staff to Blagojevich; and William Cellini, a Springfield insider for decades.

Fantasy land and wild rides, sound pretty appealing, when you're facing 16 felony counts of government corruption, that's exactly the situation former Governor Rod Blagojevich is in.

And yes, he's in Disney World as the allegations came down.

Meanwhile, federal prosecutors filed a 75 page indictment with details of their investigation.

Not only that, five others were charged in connection with Blagojevich including two top aides, two other businessmen, and his brother Robert.

U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney Northern District of Illinois

Patrick J. Fitzgerald Federal Building United States Attorney 219 South Dearborn Street
5th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 353-5300

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS CONTACT:
THURSDAY APRIL 2, 2009
Randall Samborn
www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln
U.S. Attorney’s Office
(312) 353-5318

FORMER ILLINOIS GOV. ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, HIS BROTHER, TWO FORMER TOP AIDES AND TWO BUSINESSMEN INDICTED ON FEDERAL CORRUPTION CHARGES ALLEGING PERVASIVE FRAUD
CHICAGO – Since 2002, even before he was first elected governor that November, and continuing until he was arrested on Dec. 9, 2008, former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and a circle of his closest aides and advisors allegedly engaged in a wide-ranging scheme to deprive the people of Illinois of honest government, according to a 19-count indictment returned today by a federal grand jury. Blagojevich, 52, of Chicago, was charged with 16 felony counts, including racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, extortion conspiracy, attempted extortion and making false statements to federal agents. He allegedly used his office in numerous matters involving state appointments, business, legislation and pension fund investments to seek or obtain such financial benefits as money, campaign contributions, and employment for himself and others, in exchange for official actions, including trying to leverage his authority to appoint a United States Senator, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
Also charged as co-defendants in the same indictment are:
John Harris, 47, of Chicago, Blagojevich’s chief of staff from late 2005 until last
December after he was arrested along with Blagojevich. Through his attorney, Harris,
who is charged with a single count of wire fraud, has authorized the Government to
disclose that he has agreed to cooperate with the United States Attorney’s Office in
the prosecutio...

It’ll shock virtually no one, but former Illinois Rod Blagojevich is indicted for even more crimes than initially thought. Federal prosecutors have concluded that Blago tried to run the state as a Mafia-business.