Anti-Corruption - University of Illinois at Chicago
Anti-Corruption - University of Illinois at Chicago
Anti-Corruption - University of Illinois at Chicago
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Oper<strong>at</strong>ion Board Games 2003 - 2009<br />
Oper<strong>at</strong>ion Board Games is a federal investig<strong>at</strong>ion into alleged insider deals, influencepeddling<br />
and kickbacks by friends <strong>of</strong> former <strong>Illinois</strong> Governor Rod Blagojevich and<br />
appointees he placed on various st<strong>at</strong>e boards.<br />
In its indictment <strong>of</strong> Blagojevich, the U.S. Attorney’s <strong>of</strong>fice asserted th<strong>at</strong> Blagojevich, his<br />
fundraisers and friends started in the governor’s first term to personally make money from<br />
fundraising, st<strong>at</strong>e hiring, contracting and st<strong>at</strong>e government board action. One plan was to split<br />
a kickback from a $50 million st<strong>at</strong>e pension deal. 1 To d<strong>at</strong>e, a total <strong>of</strong> 13 individuals have<br />
been implic<strong>at</strong>ed in the scheme. 2<br />
Earlier in the investig<strong>at</strong>ion, Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a Blagojevich friend and fundraiser,<br />
plotted with a Republican deal maker, Stuart Levine, to split kickbacks from a st<strong>at</strong>e pension<br />
deal in 2004. 3 Also th<strong>at</strong> year, a <strong>Chicago</strong> Sun-Times article reported on a shakedown plan for<br />
the new Edward Hospital and a federal probe into a proposed Mercy Crystal Lake Hospital. 4<br />
In 2005 Levine was indicted on corruption charges involving the <strong>Illinois</strong> Teachers’<br />
Retirement System and he pleaded guilty in 2006.<br />
Before the investig<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> Levine became known, he wore a hidden voice recording device<br />
to document convers<strong>at</strong>ions with former <strong>Chicago</strong> Alderman Ed Vrdolyak as they discussed<br />
splitting a $1.5 million kickback from the sale <strong>of</strong> a building. 5 Vrdolyak pleaded guilty to<br />
mail fraud in November 2008 but he avoided a prison sentence and received only prob<strong>at</strong>ion. 6<br />
In June 2008, Tony Rezko was found guilty <strong>of</strong> 16 charges. According to news reports, he is<br />
cooper<strong>at</strong>ing with the federal investig<strong>at</strong>ors. 7<br />
Another public <strong>of</strong>ficial, Ali Ata who was appointed by Blagojevich as executive director <strong>of</strong><br />
the <strong>Illinois</strong> Finance Authority, was accused <strong>of</strong> buying his $127,000 per year job by<br />
contributing to the governor’s campaign. 8 He pleaded guilty to obstruction <strong>of</strong> justice and<br />
agreed to cooper<strong>at</strong>e with federal investig<strong>at</strong>ors. Democr<strong>at</strong>ic fundraiser Joseph Cari, a former<br />
lawyer for the st<strong>at</strong>e’s teacher’s pension board, pleaded guilty in an extortion scheme th<strong>at</strong><br />
steered st<strong>at</strong>e pension business to favored companies. 9 Also, Springfield power broker<br />
William Cellini was indicted on charges <strong>of</strong> extorting campaign contributions for<br />
Blagojevich. 10 Finally, the FBI arrested Rod Blagojevich on multiple charges including<br />
<strong>at</strong>tempts to sell Obama’s sen<strong>at</strong>e se<strong>at</strong> in December 2008.<br />
1<br />
<strong>Chicago</strong> Sun-Times. June 5, 2008. "Timeline: 'Oper<strong>at</strong>ion Board Games'."<br />
2<br />
<strong>Chicago</strong> Sun-Times. December 9, 2008. “Caught in the Trap.”<br />
3<br />
<strong>Chicago</strong> Sun-Times. June 5, 2008. "Timeline: 'Oper<strong>at</strong>ion Board Games'."<br />
4<br />
<strong>Chicago</strong> Sun-Times. June 5, 2008. "Timeline: 'Oper<strong>at</strong>ion Board Games'."<br />
5<br />
Korecki, N<strong>at</strong>asha , and Fran Spielman. "Vrdolyak cops a plea -- guilty - Feds to ask up to 41 months for<br />
conspiracy to commit mail fraud ." <strong>Chicago</strong> Sun-Times, November 4, 2008.<br />
6<br />
<strong>Chicago</strong> Tribune. February 26, 2009. “Ex-<strong>Chicago</strong> pol. Vrdolyak gets $50K fine, prob<strong>at</strong>ion.”<br />
7<br />
Korecki, N<strong>at</strong>asha. “Rezko Found Guilty on 16 Charges, acquitted on 8.” <strong>Chicago</strong> Sun-Times, June 4,<br />
2008<br />
8<br />
<strong>Chicago</strong> Tribune. December 9, 2008. "An investig<strong>at</strong>ion timeline."<br />
9<br />
<strong>Chicago</strong> Tribune. December 9, 2008. "An investig<strong>at</strong>ion timeline."<br />
10<br />
<strong>Chicago</strong> Tribune. December 9, 2008. "An investig<strong>at</strong>ion timeline."<br />
38
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