Product: CTBroadsheet PubDate: 06-28-2011 Zone: ALL Edition: HD Page: MAINCHILAND1-4 User: wimcdonald Time: 06-27-201121:41 Color: CMYK

4 Tribune | Section 1 | Tuesday, June 28, 2011

BLAGOJEVICH GUILTY

ZBIGNIEW BZDAK/TRIBUNE PHOTO Former Gov. and his wife, Patti, leave the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago after the jury delivered 17 guilty verdicts Monday. Dear Rod: It’s time to make amends crushing. ing into truth in our minds. Self- be right to think that your down- Now you have the chance to No wonder your wife cried. No delusion begins as a kind of sur- fall came with a whiff of mob think how you blew it and how wonder she said she just wanted vival instinct, then turns out to be mentality. you might make amends, espe- to go home. a self-ingested poison. But those truths aren’t the cially to the people who matter But you came down to the So the opportunity the jury point now. A jury — one that most to you. Your wife, your kids, courthouse lobby anyway and gave you Monday is this: to tell weighed the charges long and your brother. Honesty is the only waded into the media mob. yourself the truth. hard — just found you stepped place to start. Mary Schmich “I, frankly, am stunned,” you Short of a miracle — i.e., a mis- out of the legal bounds 17 times. You’re a Winston Churchill fan, said. trial — your fight is over. Now you You’ve been handed opportu- so maybe you’ve heard this quote: Dear Rod, Even people who think you’re have the chance to look hard at nities all your life. Parents who “Once in a while you will stumble You just got handed an oppor- a liar can believe that. Of course what you did. Look at it from the helped you. Allies and in-laws upon the truth but most of us tunity. you were stunned. Defeat, for the angle of the law. Look at it from who boosted you. You were en- manage to pick ourselves up and It can’t have felt like opportuni- hopeful, is a kind of death, and the angle of the people who elect- dowed with a certain charm. hurry along as if nothing had ty to you Monday, sitting in the like death, it takes awhile to proc- ed you. With these gifts, you had an happened.” courtroom in the avalanche of ess. Maybe you really did think that extraordinary shot at power and You’re not likely to hurry far that verdict. And after all these years of your wheeling and dealing was at using it well. You blew it. from a prison cell for a while, but Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, pleading innocence, of making just how the game was playe- There are people who revel in you’ll have the opportunity to guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, your case on talk shows and side- d. You once said that everything’s your disgrace. I heard some yell linger over the truth of what guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, walks, of turning yourself into a a deal. You’re right. “boo” as you left the courthouse. happened, to understand your guilty, guilty, guilty. well-dressed clown on a crusade And you’re right to think that One yelled “crook.” When the part in it. If you can do that, you’ll Seventeen counts of guilty, and to persuade, you may have come you were hardly the only political verdict was read, I saw a few come closer to being the man you each time the jury foreman ut- to believe you’d done nothing wheeler-dealer in , others smirk. wanted to be and might have tered the word, it was like anoth- wrong. of whom are still illicitly glad- But there are others who take been. er boulder rumbling toward the Lies are mutants. The lies we handing and strong-arming their no pleasure in your fall. A lot are defendant’s table. The defeat was tell others have a way of morph- way through power. You’d even sad to see your family suffer. [email protected]

A TIMELINE, IN QUOTES One pension at risk, “The mandate we claim today vote with the majority just to — Blagojevich attorney from the people of Illinois and Sheldon Sorosky reacting to avoid the scrutiny. What I went for the people of Illinois is sim- the arrest through was very painful, but I another likely safe ple and clear — no more business would not have been able to live By Ray Long following corruption convictions. as usual. No more cutting cor- “If it isn’t the most corrupt with myself if I had abandoned Tribune reporter “I assume that the same thing ners. No more ducking the tough state in the , it’s my principles and just capitu- will happen, that it will probably choices. It is time for a change.” certainly one hell of a competi- lated to others.” SPRINGFIELD — Ex-Gov. Rod not be approved” for Blagojevich, — Rod Blagojevich, 2003 tor. Even the most cynical agents — JoAnn Chiakulas, the Blagojevich stands to lose a said Clayborne, D-Belleville. inaugural speech in our office were shocked.” first trial’s “holdout juror,” $65,000-a-year state pension as a Sen. Bill Brady, who sits on the reflecting in advance of the felon, but he’s likely to be eligible pension board, agreed. “There’s — Robert Grant, special retrial for $15,000 a year in federal no question in my mind that the “I’ve got this thing and it’s agent in charge of Chicago’s retirement pay for his time as a same logic would prohibit Gov. (expletive) golden, and I’m just FBI office, at Fitzgerald’s Dec. 9, 2008, news conference congressman. Blagojevich from collecting on the not giving it up for (expletive) “I’m Rod Blagojevich, I used The defrocked Democrat also pension,” said Brady, R-Blooming- nothing.” to be your governor, and I’m would be eligible for a refund of ton. “I’m not trying to belittle this here today to tell you the truth.” — Rod Blagojevich in a about $128,000 in personal contri- But Sen. , D-Oak — much. But these are the feds, butions he made to the state’s Park, said it is “premature to taped telephone call discuss- — Ex-governor, beginning retirement fund. consider or comment on a case ing plans to appoint a suc- and this is what they bring you? testimony in his own defense Such is the financial fallout that’s not yet before the board.” cessor to Barack Obama in the Come on!” in his second trial Blagojevich and his family face Blagojevich must be sentenced U.S. Senate — Blagojevich attorney Sam after Monday’s guilty verdict on 17 before he can be disqualified from Adam Jr. in closing arguments “Mr. Blagojevich, you are a corruption counts and last year’s getting a state pension, said Robyn “I (expletive) busted my ass at the first trial last year convicted liar, correct?” conviction for lying to the FBI. Ziegler, a spokeswoman for and pissed people off and gave — Assistant U.S. Attorney Blagojevich served 10 years in Democratic Illinois Attorney Gen- “I didn’t break any laws, I Reid Schar, beginning his state government — four years as a your grandmother a free (ex- eralLisaMadigan. And it’s unclear cross-examination in the for- state representative and six as pletive) ride on a bus. OK? I gave didn’t do anything wrong. This when that will happen. mer governor’s second trial governor — before he was im- Blair said he is hopeful the your (expletive) baby a chance to particular prosecutor did every- peached and tossed from office in board will have a decision in place have health care. And what do I thing he could to target me and “He likes to talk. That’s all you January 2009. Had he not been before Blagojevich can start draw- get for that? Only 13 percent of prosecute me, persecute me, put convicted of any crimes, Blagojev- ing pension checks in December. heard. They want you to believe you all out there think I’m doing pressure on my family, try to take ich would have been able to draw a That would avoid a repeat of what this talk is a crime. It’s not. He $65,000-a-year state pension be- happened with Ryan, who col- a good job. So (expletive) all of our home, take me from my kids, floated ideas, and that’s all it is.” ginning Dec. 10, when he turns 55. lected $635,000 from taxpayers in you.” arrest me.” — Blagojevich lawyer Aaron No ruling has been made on the three-plus years between his — Rod Blagojevich on wire- — Blagojevich after the first Goldstein in closing argu- whether he can collect it. The retirement and conviction. tap, after learning that his poll jury convicted him of one ments in the second trial. board overseeing pensions of state Blagojevich’s federal pension numbers had fallen count of lying to federal offi- officials and lawmakers was wait- for his six years in Congress will cials and deadlocked on the ing for the final outcome of the kick in at 62, said aides to North other 23 counts “There’s not much left to say “Gov. Blagojevich has been trials, said Timothy Blair, execu- Side Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike other than we want to get home tive director of the General As- Quigley, citing guidelines. That’s arrested in the middle of what “I was being used as leverage to our little girls and talk to them sembly Retirement System. standard for congressmen with at we can only describe as a politi- against my brother. I feel vio- and explain things to them and Blair said the retirement system least five years of service. cal corruption crime spree.” now will ask the state attorney Now Blagojevich, a career poli- lated. I feel used.” then try to sort things out. And general to make a recommenda- tician, faces the question of how — U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald announcing Blago- — Robert Blagojevich after I’m sure we’ll be seeing you guys tion on whether Blagojevich long his next term will be, though the government announced it again.” should lose his pension. this time he is expected to serve it jevich’s indictment and arrest on Dec. 9, 2008 would not retry him on cor- — Rod Blagojevich leaving Senate Majority Leader James in prison rather than in public ruption charges Clayborne, who is the pension office. court after Monday’s guilty board chairman, cited the case of “He’s sad, surprised and in- verdict “My fear is that someone will former Republican Gov. George [email protected] nocent.” Ryan, who lost his entire pension Twitter @RayLong see what happened to me and

7 Dear Rod: It’s time to make amends

By Mary Schmich Maybe you really did think that your wheeling Tuesday, June 28, 2011 and dealing was just how the game was played. You once said that everything’s a deal. You’re right. Dear Rod, And you’re right to think that you were hardly You just got handed an opportunity. the only political wheeler-dealer in Illinois, others It can’t have felt like opportunity to you Mon- of whom are still illicitly glad-handing and strong- day, sitting in the courtroom in the avalanche of arming their way through power. You’d even be that verdict. right to think that your downfall came with a whiff Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, of mob mentality. guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, But those truths aren’t the point now. A jury — guilty, guilty, guilty. one that weighed the charges long and hard — just Seventeen counts of guilty, and each time the found you stepped out of the legal bounds 17 times. jury foreman uttered the word, it was like another You’ve been handed opportunities all your life. boulder rumbling toward the defendant’s table. Parents who helped you. Allies and in-laws who The defeat was crushing. boosted you. You were endowed with a certain No wonder your wife cried. No wonder she said charm. she just wanted to go home. With these gifts, you had an extraordinary shot But you came down to the courthouse lobby at power and at using it well. You blew it. anyway and waded into the media mob. There are people who revel in your disgrace. I “I, frankly, am stunned,” you said. heard some yell “boo” as you left the courthouse. Even people who think you’re a liar can believe One yelled “crook.” When the verdict was read, I that. Of course you were stunned. Defeat, for the saw a few smirk. hopeful, is a kind of death, and like death, it takes But there are others who take no pleasure in awhile to process. your fall. A lot are sad to see your family suffer. And after all these years of pleading innocence, Now you have the chance to think how you blew of making your case on talk shows and sidewalks, it and how you might make amends, especially to of turning yourself into a well-dressed clown on a the people who matter most to you. Your wife, your crusade to persuade, you may have come to believe kids, your brother. Honesty is the only place to start. you’d done nothing wrong. You’re a Winston Churchill fan, so maybe you’ve Lies are mutants. The lies we tell others have heard this quote: “Once in a while you will stumble a way of morphing into truth in our minds. Self- upon the truth but most of us manage to pick our- delusion begins as a kind of survival instinct, then selves up and hurry along as if nothing had hap- turns out to be a self-ingested poison. pened.” So the opportunity the jury gave you Monday is You’re not likely to hurry far from a prison cell this: to tell yourself the truth. for a while, but you’ll have the opportunity to lin- Short of a miracle — i.e., a mistrial — your fight is ger over the truth of what happened, to understand over. Now you have the chance to look hard at what your part in it. If you can do that, you’ll come closer you did. Look at it from the angle of the law. Look to being the man you wanted to be and might have at it from the angle of the people who elected you. been.

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