Illinois Governor, Corruption | featured news

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is spending his time in federal prison teaching Civil War history and learning to play the guitar, while his attorneys work on an appeal, his wife said on Friday, the one-year anniversary of the beginning of his 14-year term for corruption....

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich embraced the public spotlight one last time Wednesday, claiming on the day before he reports to prison that he always believed what he did was legal and expressing faith that an appeal of his corruption convictions will succeed....

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on Wednesday was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for political corruption included trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by then president-elect Barack Obama.

Rod Blagojevich was clearly the ringleader of the schemes for which he was convicted, a federal judge said Tuesday at the sentencing hearing for the ousted Illinois governor on corruption charges that include trying to sell or trade an appointment to President Barack Obama's former Senate seat....

Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich deserves a sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison for his convictions on corruption charges, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. Prosecutors said Blagojevich, who was convicted of 18 corruption-related counts including that he tried to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama, should receive more time than his predecessor, former Gov. George Ryan, and a key former fundraiser, Tony Rezko.

A federal judge has postponed the Oct. 6 sentencing in the corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

A jury on Monday convicted Rod R. Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, of trying to personally benefit from his role in selecting a replacement for President Obama in the United States Senate.

The judge who presided over Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial refused on Wednesday to throw out the conviction of the former Illinois governor on a single count of lying to investigators.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn Roland Burris should resign from the U.S. Senate for the good of the state and a new senator should be chosen by special election to fill the seat once held by Barack Obama.

It wasn't long after the Illinois state Senate voted unanimously to remove Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office that Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn put his hand on a Bible and took the oath of office to replace him.