Quincy Herald Whig

Blagojevich Timeline

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Published: 1/9/2009 | Updated: 1/23/2009

Highlights of Rod Blagojevich’s time as governor

Highlights of two-term Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s time in office:

2003:

— Jan. 13: Blagojevich is sworn in.

— April 9: Blagojevich delivers first budget address that includes increasing many fees, ending some business tax breaks and eliminating thousands of vacant state jobs.

— April 16: Hires inspector general to investigate government corruption.

— Aug. 13: Publicly chastises fellow Democrats for not embracing political and government reform.

— Oct. 29: Blagojevich flies to New York for campaign fundraisers. On board with him is Joseph Cari, whose firm sponsors one of the fundraisers, and Stuart Levine, a TRS board member who provided the plane.

— Nov. 12: Blagojevich says he will repay state for cost of using a state plane to fly to campaign fundraiser during legislative veto session.

— Dec. 9: Signs revised, stronger ethics legislation.

2004
—February/March: Cari learns that a friend contacted Levine on behalf of a Virginia company seeking $85 million in TRS business. Levine tells Cari the company must agree to pay a sham consultant $850,000 as part of a kickback scheme to raise campaign money for a “high-ranking” public official.

—May 20: Cari tells the Virginia firm that it must sign the consulting agreement or lose the TRS investment. He says the matter is “political” and the way the public official handles patronage.

2005
—May 9: Levine is indicted on charges that he used his seat on the Illinois Health Facilities Planning board to shake down hospitals for contracts and kickbacks.

—Aug. 3: Levine and Cari and another man are indicted on federal corruption charges, accused of seeking hundreds of thousands and dollars in kickbacks that wanted to do business with a fund for retired Illinois teachers.

—Sept. 15: Cari pleads guilty to attempted extortion in connection with the scandal.
2006

— June 30: In a letter released publicly, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald says he has witnesses to “very serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud” in the Blagojevich administration.

— Oct. 11: Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a top Blagojevich fundraiser, is indicted on federal charges of using his influence in state government to squeeze companies seeking to do business with the state for kickbacks.

— Oct. 27: Levine pleads guilty to mail fraud and money laundering.

— Nov. 7: Blagojevich is re-elected, handily beating Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka.

2007

—March 7: Blagojevich proposes biggest tax increase in state history to support health insurance and schools.

—May 10: House votes 107-0 against Blagojevich tax plan.

2008

—May 31: In an effort aimed at Blagojevich’s own fundraising, state lawmakers approve legislation to weaken the link between campaign contributions and state contracts.

—June 4: Rezko convicted by a federal jury of fraud, money laundering and bribery.

—Aug. 25: Blagojevich signs an executive order that he says improves the ethics bill and says he will use his amendatory veto to introduce further reforms to the original bill.

—Sept. 10: The Illinois House delivers a stinging rebuke to the governor by voting to override his veto of an ethics bill by a 110-0 vote.

—Sept. 23: The Illinois Senate passes ethics bill by a 55-0 vote, dismissing Blagojevich’s veto.

—Oct. 30: William Cellini, a major Illinois power broker, is indicted on charges of conspiring with Rezko to shake down an investment firm for campaign contributions to Blagojevich.

—Dec. 9: Federal agents arrest Blagojevich on corruption charges that included an effort to sell or trade President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder.

—Dec. 15: The Illinois House votes 113-0 to create a committee to study the allegations against Blagojevich and recommend whether he should be impeached.

—Dec. 17: The Illinois Supreme Court rejects without comment an effort by state Attorney General Lisa Madigan to remove Blagojevich from office, who had argued the governor’s legal and political troubles amounted to a disability.

—Dec. 19: A defiant Blagojevich holds first press conference since his arrest, proclaims his innocence and says he will not resign.

—Dec. 30: Blagojevich names former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to replace Obama in the Senate.

—Dec 31: Secretary of State Jesse White officially rejected Burris’ appointment, who refuses to sign.

2009

—Jan. 8: A key House panel unanimously recommends impeachment for Blagojevich, setting up a vote of the full House.

—Jan. 9: The Illinois Supreme Court rules that Secretary of State Jesse White does not have to certify Blagojevich’s appointment of Burris to make the appointment valid.

— Jan. 9: The Illinois House votes 114-1 to impeach Blagojevich, the first Illinois governor in history to be impeached.

— The Associated Press