Posted on 07/08/2009 3:02:43 PM PDT by kellynla
CHICAGO (Reuters) – The former chief of staff for ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich pleaded guilty on Wednesday and agreed to testify about attempts to cash in on the governor's power to fill a vacant U.S. Senate post.
John Harris, 47, became the first of six defendants indicted in the corruption case against Blagojevich to reach a plea agreement with prosecutors. A trial is scheduled for June.
Prosecutors have said Blagojevich was arrested in December to prevent him from carrying out tape-recorded threats to trade the Senate seat vacated by newly elected President Barack Obama. Two months later, Blagojevich was impeached and thrown out of office by the state legislature.
"Working for Governor Blagojevich was an extraordinarily difficult thing to do ... In many situations John tried to prevent Governor Blagojevich from doing things which were illegal," Harris' attorney, Terry Ekl, said after Judge James Zagel accepted Harris' guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.
But the second-term Democratic governor ignored Harris' advice and sought to enrich himself by attempting to barter the senate seat for campaign cash, high-level jobs in the Obama administration, ambassadorships or other positions for himself or his wife, according to the 19-count indictment handed up in April.
In the plea agreement read by prosecutors in court, Blagojevich ordered Harris to threaten contractors to pony up campaign contributions and get newspaper editorial writers critical of him fired. In some cases, Harris did not carry out his boss' orders.
Blagojevich has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Here it cooooooomes....
Here it coooooooooomes.....
Here it coooooooooooooooooooooooomes.....
Me too. Sounds like the Chicago way is twisting some arms promising to break kneecaps.
Please for the love of all that is holy, cut a deal with him in exchange for incriminating Obama!
Yep. If B boy sings, him and the Costa Rican jungle girl (and offspring) may have to enter the witness protection program.
I just wish once one of them would.
John Harris, the last chief of staff to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, pleaded guilty today to a single count of wire fraud in federal court — and agreed to cooperate in the federal probe against his former boss in return for a recommended prison term of just under 3 years.
Harris was accused of aiding some of the former governor’s efforts to leverage the powers of his office in exchange for favors and campaign contributions. Among the accusations against Blagojevich is that he attempted to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/07/ex-blagojevich-aide-expected-to-plead-guilty.html
the Costa Rican jungle girl ?
That depends on who he wants to sing about. If Blagojevich wants to talk about people that don't have a last name of 0bama I am sure Fitzgerald will love to have him sing. But Fitzgerald can't let this ensnare 0bama. The republicans already hate Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald can't afford to have democrats angry at him too.
Patti Blagojevich. She is shooting a reality show in Costa Rica.
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