Roland Burris

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, accused of conspiring to sell his office and barter President Barack Obama's old Senate seat, will try to persuade jurors in the defense phase of his corruption trial next week he was only engaging in politics as usual. It's an open question whether the tarring of Illinois' political culture -- the state's last two governors have been charged with corruption -- will rub off on President Obama and those of his senior staff who call...Read Full Story

Emanuel with Obama - Emanuel - Sacrificial Lamb? As the trial for former Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich continues, FBI tapes played in court, and testimony from Blagojevich’s deputy, John Harris, has led to some interesting assertions regarding the sale of a Senate Seat and retail politics at the Chicago level. From CBS 2 Chicago comes the revelation: “A week before the election, Blagojevich and Obama had met with two top union officials, apparently sent on Obama's behalf, who told them...Read Full Story

Sen. Roland Burris has turned to the U.S. Supreme Court in his battle to avoid being pushed out of office in November, his attorney said Friday. Timothy Wright said Burris filed a motion asking the Supreme Court to block plans for a special Senate election that would exclude Burris. The election will decide who serves out the final two months of the term that began when Barack Obama entered the Senate in 2005. If the Supreme Court were to step in, it could create confusion when the ballot is...Read Full Story

Prosecutors urged jurors Monday to convict ousted Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich on a string of corruption charges, including a failed attempt to sell Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat. "The law doesn't require you to be a successful crook, it just requires you to be a crook," Assistant US Attorney Christopher Niewoehner told jurors in closing arguments to the Chicago court. "You heard that defendant Blagojevich tried to shake down president-elect Barack Obama. You heard ... 'I'll appoint...Read Full Story

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Even Rod Blagojevich's lawyer finds him a bit strange, which may provide the key to the former Illinois governor's strategy at his upcoming corruption trial -- he was all talk, but no action. Among the 24 counts of fraud, conspiracy, bribery and racketeering that could land Blagojevich a long prison sentence are charges he dangled President Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder or demanded a cabinet post for himself in exchange for naming an Obama...Read Full Story

Jurors mulling the fate of the ousted Illinois governor accused of trying to auction off President Barack Obama's vacated senate seat asked a judge for help Wednesday after they were unable to reach a verdict. Judge James Zagel sent them a note asking for clarification and was expected to instruct them to continue deliberations until they could agree on at least some of the charges. Rod Blagojevich, 53, faced 24 criminal counts including racketeering, bribery, attempted extortion, wire fraud...Read Full Story

Outgoing U.S. Sen. Roland Burris (D.-Ill.) had choice words in his farewell speech about the incoming lily white senate due to commence in January 2011. Burris is set to be replaced by newly-elected Republican Mark Kirk later this month. With senators set to leave town in the coming days for a week-long Thanksgiving break, Burris today took the chance to give some final remarks. His departure means there will be no black senators for the next two years, a fact that he lamented this morning...Read Full Story

Rod Blagojevich The prosecutor in the criminal trial of former Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich, has announced he will retry the politician, who was convicted on 1 of 24 charges - lying to the FBI. Yesterday, a legal analyst estimated a retrial will cost $30,000,000, which is a gross waste of taxpayer money. Me personally, I don't want Blago that badly. Have you any idea how many jobs one can create with $30,000,000. Blagojevich is not the most heinous criminal in America. To waste that...Read Full Story

There will be no Blacks in the U.S. Senate when he leaves office on December 30, a fact outgoing Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) called "unacceptable" in his farewell speech. Burris was the controversial appointment by the disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich who was impeached and convicted. Burris will be replaced on Nov. 29 by Republican Rep. Mark Kirk, who won election earlier this month to a six-year term starting next year and also for the several weeks remaining of Barack Obama’s original Senate...Read Full Story

Image by Getty Images via @daylife Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was convicted of just one count of 24 counts in the trial to determine if he did everything from lying to the FBI to racketeering, wire fraud, and other charges in the issue of allegedly trying to sell the U.S. Senate Seat for Illinois formerly held by now-President Barack Obama, according to CNN. The jury hung on 23 counts and on the one, lying to the FBI, Rod Blagojevich was found to have violated just one: a...Read Full Story