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{Buried last paragraph of article:} He has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee in recent years over allegations that he improperly raised money for former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich (D) in an effort to win appointment to the Senate seat formerly held by President Obama. As part of a corruption investigation, Blagojevich was heard on a tape saying that Raghuveer Nayak, an associate of Jackson, had offered to pay $1.5 million to the governor if the congressman was appointed to the Senate. Nayak was arrested last month on unrelated fraud charges just days after Jackson’s medical leave began....

An upcoming book about Rod Blagojevich says undercover tape-recordings caught the former governor saying he had heard that convicted influence peddler Antoin "Tony" Rezko secretly channeled $25,000 in cash to Barack Obama, but federal authorities did not deem the claim credible. The book, "Golden: How Rod Blagojevich Talked Himself Out of the Governor's Office and into Prison," suggests Blagojevich was talking about an undisclosed payment to help Obama with his 2004 campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Nearly two months after taking a leave of absence from Congress, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s congressional office today said he is being treated at an "in-patient medical facility" for an unnamed ailment. "Recently, we have been made aware that he has grappled with certain physical and emotional ailments privately for a long period of time," Jackson's spokesman Frank Watkins said in a statement. "At present, he is undergoing further evaluation and treatment at an in-patient medical facility." Jackson took a leave of absence from his House duties in early June because of "exhaustion." His condition is now "more serious than...

Rep. Jackson's condition 'more serious' than thought, getting in-patient treatment By Daniel Strauss - 07/05/12 11:56 AM ET Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), who took a leave of absence from Congress, is suffering from a medical condition more serious than "initially believed," according to a statement from his office. The nine-term lawmaker is receiving "in-patient" treatment for "certain physical and emotional ailments," the statement noted. It did not provide additional details about his illness or how long he would be absent from Capital Hill. "Congressman Jackson's medical condition is more serious than we thought and initially believed," Jackson spokesman Frank...

Under pressure to reveal where he is and what his “ailments” may be, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s doctors released a statement Wednesday night saying he is being treated for a “mood disorder.” But the statement is unlikely to dampen the speculation about the Illinois Democrat’s mystery medical ordeal, considering the statement gave few details. The release, sent out by the lawmaker’s spokesman, did not identify his doctor’s name nor the facility at which he is being treated. The statement read: “Information regarding the Congressman’s treatment is protected by federal law under the privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and...

Blago's barber blabs: Hair is dyed, will soon go grayPosted: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 12:29 pm **SNIP** Vodovoz says Blagojevich's dark-brown dye will fade quickly and could be as gray as talk-show host Jay Leno's hair within three months. When he was governor, Blagojevich was so obsessive about his hair he had a security official carry a brush.

(Reuters) - Convicted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich surrendered at a Colorado prison on Thursday to begin serving a 14-year sentence on corruption charges, with TV news cameras tracking his every step. News cameras followed the former governor being driven from Denver's airport and walking into the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood, about 15 miles southwest of Denver, where he has been assigned inmate number 40892-424. He wore jeans, a navy sports coat and carried a small backpack. Emerging from his North Side Chicago home early Thursday to travel to the airport for a flight to Denver, an unsmiling Blagojevich, 55,...

Ten years ago — it was March 19, 2002 — Illinois Democrats nominated Rod Blagojevich as their candidate for governor. The percentages should have humbled him: 37 for Blagojevich, 34 for former Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas, 29 for former Attorney General Roland Burris. But rampant scandal under Republican Gov. George Ryan had chased him into retirement, and tipped Illinois Democratic in the Nov. 5 general election. On the night of that victory, an emboldened Blagojevich solemnly declared: "Illinois has voted for change." Change didn't come. On Dec. 7, 2011, a federal prosecutor would crisply synthesize Blagojevich's tenure as governor:...

(Reuters) - Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, never one to mince words during his political career, will have a final moment in the spotlight on Wednesday when he makes a statement before reporting to a federal prison to serve a 14-year sentence for corruption. Blagojevich said through a publicist that he will speak on Wednesday afternoon outside the home where FBI agents showed up on the morning of December 9, 2008, and arrested him. At the time, a surprised Blagojevich thought the arrest was a joke. But it was not a joke. Federal agents had spent months wire-tapping Blagojevich's telephones...

A hysterically funny Email making the rounds is called Chicago Rules and would make me laugh if I didn’t want to cry first. “The guy on the left: He’s Santa Claus. And the guy on the right. . he’s the Easter Bunny! That’s all you need to know” introduces the Barack Obama quote denying any close contact with disgraced and soon to be jailed former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. According to the Email, Obama is alleged to have only acknowledged seeing the former governor from a distance in the stands at a Chicago Bears football game. The Chicago Rules Email...

With morally-warped exhibitionist 'Hot' Rod Blagojevich checking-into the Gray Bar Hotel for a spell, you're now looking at FOUR of the last six Illinois governors sent to federal penitentiary- if anyone's still keeping count. The equivalent of batting .666... isn't that special. Anyhoo, you people sure do know how to pick a winner... and what a swell president you sent us! As for the shockingly-corrupt Illinois Democratic 'machine', at least they're getting caught, I guess- tho it's hard to say the convictions have produced any sort of deterrent effect.Call it the Illinois Institute of Kleptocracy... just the way things 'work' in the world's biggest cow...

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. says he didn't know former Gov. Rod Blagojevich had a brother until Blagojevich was indicted, and therefore couldn't have been working with the brother on a backroom deal for Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat. "I have said from the beginning that I publicly and transparently sought [the appointment]," Jackson writes in an op-ed piece published in a few Illinois newspapers this week. "I did nothing illegal, unethical or inappropriate." Still, a Congressional Ethics Committee last week announced it would continue investigating allegations Jackson sent emissaries to offer campaign cash in exchange for the seat, and...

Yesterday, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison for, among other things, attempting to "sell" the US Senate seat that was once held by President Barack Obama. Blagojevich's punishment comes on the heels of the U.S. House Ethics Committee's decision to continue its investigation into Congressman Jesse Jackson's role in the same scheme. On December 2, the House Ethics Committee announced that it was continuing its investigation of Jackson for his alleged public campaign to "buy" the Senate seat in question. It is alleged by investigators that Jackson may have made unlawful use of...

NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE www.nationalreview.com Michelle Malkin December 9, 2011 12:00 A.M. Holder, Blago, Richardson: Triangle of Sleaze A rough week for the Obama administration’s corruptocracy. It was a rough week for the corruptocracy. White House officials better ho-ho-hold on tight because the sleigh ride isn’t going to get any smoother. On Wednesday, disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich (D., Ill.) received a 14-year prison sentence for scheming to sell Pres. Barack Obama’s Senate seat, along with several other pay-to-play schemes. Blago played the distressed daddy for the federal judge, invoking his young daughters and wife (who held her notoriously foul tongue...

Rod Blagojevich’s sentencing started off with a surprise admission from his legal team that acknowledged the disgraced Illinois governor had engaged in corruption — which was followed by a lengthy apology in which Blagojevich claimed he didn’t realize that he was doing anything wrong. The strategy apparently impressed the judge only enough to reduce the potential sentence from 20 years, but still slammed Blagojevich with a 14-year sentence: Disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in prison after making a final plea for leniency, acknowledging his guilt and saying, “I am unbelievably sorry.” “I believe he...

Rod Blagojevich's sentencing hearing has ended for the day, with the defense emphasizing the damage a long prison sentence would have on Blagojevich’s family. Lawyer Aaron Goldstein also read a letter read to the court from Blagojevich’s wife, Patti. “Your honor, I ask you humbly with the life of my husband and the childhood of my daughters in your hands, be merciful,” she wrote to U.S. District Judge James Zagel. Her husband’s worst fear was that he would not be able to see his daughters grow up, Goldstein said, prompting both Rod and Patti Blagojevich to tear up as they...

Antoin “Tony” Rezko was sentenced today to 10½ years in prison for extorting millions of dollars from firms seeking state business or regulatory approval while he was a top fundraiser and adviser to then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Rezko's daughter broke down sobbing in the courtroom as U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve handed down the sentence. Rezko apologized to the judge, saying, “I come to ask for God's forgiveness and the court's mercy." "You were engaged in a very, very serious offense, Mr. Rezko" the judge said as she imposed the sentence. Several family members called out 'we love you" to...

CHICAGO—A federal judge on Monday delayed the sentencing for ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on multiple corruption convictions, including attempted extortion for trying to sell or trade President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat in exchange for campaign donations or a high-paying job. A three-sentence notice posted electronically by U.S. District Judge James Zagel said simply that Mr. Blagojevich's Oct. 6 sentencing date has been "stricken until further order by the court." ... Mr. Blagojevich faces a maximum sentence of around 300 years in prison—though federal guidelines dictate he get far less. Most legal experts say Judge Zagel is likely...