Indictment in Blagojevich case coming later today

[BlueJessamine]

Source: Chicago Sun Times

The U.S. Attorney’s office said this morning it plans to make an announcement about a “significant criminal matter’’ later today, which sources said is the indictment of ex-governor Rod Blagojevich. The indictment will likely be handed down within the next several hours.

A press advisory issued this morning advisory didn’t specify the subject of the announcement, but Blagojevich’s indictment is highly anticipated, and it’s no secret that there is a Tuesday deadline to return the charges. The grand jury considering the matter meets on Thursdays.

Blagojevich and his then chief of staff John Harris were arrested Dec. 9 on corruption charges. Blagojevich was accused in a criminal complaint of trying to sell President Obama’s open Senate seat. He was also accused of trying to shakedown firms seeking state business for campaign cash before a Jan. 1 law went into effect banning the practice. Charges also included an alleged plot to have Chicago Tribune editorial board members fired in exchange for helping Tribune Co. structure a state-backed deal to sell Wrigley Field.

Harris has since held discussions with prosecutors but has no deal.



Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1508199,rod-blagojevich-indictment-case-040209.article

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1) Why might it happen today? There is an April 7 deadline on the indictment -- that's Tuesday. But the grand jury considering the matter meets on Thursdays. Today is the last Thursday before the deadline.

2) Others will be charged. But don't expect many new defendants. The 90-day deadline (which, by the way, was self-imposed by the government -- the feds could have asked for another extension) only pertains to the two people charged in a criminal complaint: Rod Blagojevich and his ex-chief of staff, John Harris. So even though there's many others in the government's sights, the clock isn't ticking on an indictment return. Other known targets of the grand jury include the governor's brother, Robert Blagojevich, who was the Friends of Blagojevich campaign fund chief, former chief of staff Lon Monk and the governor's wife, Patti Blagojevich. Both the campaign fund and the governor's brother figured prominently in the criminal complaint.

3) Don't expect a news conference. Past practice in the U.S. Attorney's office dictates that a news conference isn't held when a defendant is indicted on already announced charges. Besides, the big presser already happened last December and U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald took some heat for his forceful remarks.

4) It will drop like a thud. That is, the actual weight of the document. The criminal complaint was nearly 80 pages, it makes sense that the indictment will be about as long or longer. The indictment is likely to be a commentary on Blagojevich's tenure in office, which stretched over seven years before his forced removal in February. Sources say it is likely to go into schemes involving two of his now convicted advisers -- Tony Rezko and Chris Kelly -- then mirror much of the complaint, touching on allegations of pay to play, selling the Senate seat, and scheming to have members of the Tribune editorial board fired.


More here at the Sun Times:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/blago/2009/04/if_todays_the_day_for_blago_--.html


The AP is reporting that with a federal corruption indictment expected against him as early today, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his family are apparently vacationing at Disney World:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iksrlCtjzsD35UqjU3FsnlqHXApQD97ADDGO1