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Dan Rutherford Campaign
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www.DanRutherford.org
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Senator Dan
Rutherford’s website for Legislative and Public Policy matters is:
www.DanRutherford.com
Senator
Dan Rutherford’s website for political matters is:
www.DanRutherford.org
Senator Rutherford is the Chairman of the Committee for Legislative
Action. Its primary purpose is to bring sunlight to attempts to raise
Taxes, Fees and increase Government Regulations in Illinois. Their
website is:
www.CommitteeForLegislativeAction.org
Dan Rutherford
State Senator
In The News
Blagojevich: 'I will be vindicated'
Chicago Sun-Times
By:
Chris Fusco and Dave McKinney
For a change, Gov. Blagojevich showed up almost on schedule. He didn’t quote
Elvis. And he limited his remarks to three minutes flat.
Accusations against Blagojevich go far beyond Senate seat scandal
Associated Press / Pantagraph
By: Mike Robinson
CHICAGO — Corruption charges against Gov. Rod Blagojevich focus on much more
than the claim that he tried to sell or trade Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat.
Feds seek to freeze Blago campaign fund, sources say
Ed Genson, an attorney for Illinois Gov. Rod
Blagojevich argues during a House Impeachment Committee Hearing at the state
capitol. Federal authorities plan to freeze the governor's campaign fund.
Photo courtesy of Sun-Times.
Chicago Sun-Times
Natasha Korecki
Federal authorities plan to freeze Gov.
Blagojevich’s campaign fund, crippling the governor’s ability
to use the money for his legal bills.
Madigan rejects Blago's request to have taxpayers foot his bill
Chicago Sun-Times
Dave McKinney
SPRINGFIELD--Attorney General Lisa
Madigan rejected late Wednesday a request by Gov. Blagojevich
to have taxpayers pay for his defense in impeachment
proceedings and at his criminal trial.
First Steps Toward Impeachment Begin
Illinois House
Speaker Michael Madigan has announced the formation of a
Special Impeachment Committee made up of 12 Democrats and 9
Republicans to consider whether Gov. Rod Blagojevich should be
impeached.
The committee is
expected to continue meeting every day through the end of 2008
- except for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and
New Year's Day. An initial challenge might be for the committee
to decide what are grounds for impeachment, since the Illinois
Constitution is silent on that question.
Abuse of power
is one avenue that the committee may pursue, along with
official misconduct alleged by the US Attorney's office, abuses
of office, acts performed without legal authority, and failure
to comply with state laws and lawful requests for information
from the General Assembly.
The committee
will ask for the assistance of the US Attorney's office, which
had Blagojevich arrested. The affidavit which was the basis of
the federal complaint would be attached to the record that is
sent to the Senate, if the House impeaches him and it goes to
trial in the Senate.
I understand the
committee will establish the standards for impeachment and that
the governor and his staff will be afforded the opportunity to
testify.
A concern is whether evidence gathered by the current General
Assembly, which adjourns for good January 13, could be
addressed by the next General Assembly which takes office
January 14.
House speaker moves to begin impeachment proceedings against
Gov. Blagojevich
Chicago Sun-Times
Chris Fusco and Dave McKinney
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan says he's beginning
the process of impeaching Gov. Blagojevich, who is facing federal charges that
he put President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat up for sale.
Ego-driven style brings down Blagojevich
State Journal-Register
Matthew Dietrich
Let’s make one thing clear up front: We
are not surprised that Gov. Rod Blagojevich is facing federal
corruption charges.
State Journal-Register
Bernard Schoenburg
There have always been two faces of ROD
BLAGOJEVICH — the fight-for-the-people, charming yet combative
populist he portrayed to the public; and the inept, reclusive
and apparently vindictive administrator whose actions defied
logic, his own words, and the interests of those he professed
to help.
Uncomfortable spotlight shone on Patti
Blagojevich
Chicago Tribune
John Chase and David Kidwell
Even before her voice was heard on covert recordings made by
federal investigators, First Lady Patricia Blagojevich was
neck-deep in the federal probe of her husband and his
administration.
Britt: Cartoon on Blagojevich caught in feds' trap - The State
Journal-Register
Chris Britt's editorial cartoon for Friday,
Dec. 12.
Sign warning of rats in Blagojevich's alley taken down
Chicago Sun-Times
Fran Spielman
City Hall smells a rat behind the Northwest Side home of Gov.
Blagojevich -- and it has nothing to do with the corruption
charges leveled against the governor.
State Journal-Register
Adriana Colindres
Despite mounting legal troubles, Gov. Rod Blagojevich still has a
number of state government matters on his plate.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich (far right)
leaves his Ravenswood home the morning of Dec. 10, 2008, the
day after he was arrested on federal corruption charges.
Photo courtesy of CBS2 Chicago.
CBS2 Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) ― Gov. Rod
Blagojevich spent most of the day in his office at the Thompson
Center. He still hasn't commented on the investigation, but
plenty of others are talking about how they want him gone.
Senator doesn't see
resignation coming
Pontiac Daily Leader
Sheila Shelton
Pontiac, Ill. -
Sen. Dan Rutherford said this morning
that even though there are many calls for Gov. Rod
Blagojevich to resign he does not believe it will happen.
Blagojevich, aide arrested by FBI for corruption, conspiracy
Daily Herald
Joseph Ryan and John Patterson
A U.S. Senate seat.
Wrigley Field.
Millions of state dollars for sick children.
State contracts and legislation.
To Gov. Rod Blagojevich, all of it was for sale to the highest bidder as he
sought to build his personal wealth and maintain political power, federal
prosecutors say.
Chicago Tribune
Stacy St. Claire
An
unflattering portrait depicting Illinois First Lady Patricia
Blagojevich as a modern-day Lady Macbeth who plotted against
her husband's perceived enemies and backed his corrupt
schemes emerged in court documents connected to the
governor's arrest Tuesday.
Governor Wears Tight Pants
to Court
WBEZ
Rob Wildeboar
Illinois Governor Rod
Blagojevich is free on bond after being arrested by FBI agents
early this morning.
In a 12-minute hearing this afternoon a federal judge told
Governor Blagojevich he would not have to post any money to get
out of jail, but she did tell him to surrender his passport.
Illinois Gov. Blagojevich, chief of
staff, arrested: Breadth of corruption "staggering"
Chicago Tribune
Jeff Coen, David Kidwell and
Monique Garcia
Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris,
were arrested by FBI agents on federal corruption charges
Tuesday morning.
Blagojevich: 'It smells like Nixon'
Chicago Sun-Times
Chris Fusco and Maureen O'Donnell
Gov. Blagojevich invoked Richard Nixon on
Monday in responding to a Chicago Tribune report that he's been
secretly recorded by federal authorities.
Cari sentencing on hold
Chicago Sun-Times
Natasha Korecki
The sentencing of former Democratic
National Committee fund-raiser Joseph Cari Jr. has been delayed
at the request of prosecutors.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's career marked by contrast: Backing
George Ryan's release is at odds with earlier criticism of
predecessor
Chicago Tribune
Ray Long
SPRINGFIELD — Elected as a reformer, Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich spent the
better part of his two successful campaigns eviscerating his predecessor,
Republican George Ryan.
Photo courtesy of the Sun-Times
Sun-Times
Chris Fusco
Was Gov. Blagojevich secretly recorded as part of a federal investigation
of his administration, or wasn’t he?
Photo courtesy of the Sun-Times
New Blagojevich revelations stir impeachment talk
Pantagraph
Kurt Erickson and Mike Riopell
SPRINGFIELD -- Reports that Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been
secretly taped by federal investigators added new fuel Friday
to calls for the Chicago Democrat to step down or be impeached.
| Blagojevich: 'Not done anything wrong'
Belleville News Democrat
CHICAGO -- An attorney for one of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's
closest friends denied Friday that his client ever wore a wire
or made recordings of the governor for the FBI and was unaware
of any such recordings.
"Any allegation or insinuation to the contrary is simply
untrue," Zachary T. Fardon, attorney for lobbyist and
Blagojevich friend John Wyma, said in a statement.
Feds taped Blagojevich: Adviser cooperated with corruption
probe, sources say
Chicago Tribune
Jeff Coen, John Chase and David Kidwell
Federal investigators recently made covert tape recordings of
Gov. Rod Blagojevich in the most dramatic step yet in their
corruption investigation of him and his administration, the
Tribune has learned.
Judge: Federal subpoenas must be made public
Chicago
Sun-Times
Dave McKinney
SPRINGFIELD -- A state appeals court
Thursday dealt Gov. Blagojevich a major blow by ruling that
federal subpoenas his administration has received must be made
public under Illinois' open records law.
4 months after trial, Rezko is
still in the same lousy lockup conditions he complained about
Chicago Tribune
Jeff Coen
It
was a memorable moment in the run-up to the corruption trial of
Antoin "Tony"
Rezko when the onetime political high roller complained to
a judge that he had to share underwear at Chicago's federal
jail.
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Resolving
the Medical Malpractice crisis in Illinois has moved to the next stage. A
reasonable Bill for Reform did pass the General Assembly. (