Blast from the Past. At Daily Kos on this date in 2011—Grand corruption: When former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich heard the verdict last week in his corruption trial, he reportedly turned to his lawyers and asked "what happened?" Blagojevich later told the press he was "stunned" that a jury of his peers found him guilty on 17 of 20 federal corruption charges. The years-long circus of the Blagojevich saga with Blagojevich himself willingly playing the jester in the middle would certainly make one think that he is a political animal with no peer.