Jury convicts Blagojevich of corruption
Rod Blagojevich (Image by Flickr user ThePublicityAgency (cc:by))
Story from The Takeaway. For more, listen to the audio above.
Blagojevich was caught on tape trying to extort money in exchange the US Senate seat previously held by Barack Obama in 2008. After the receiving the guilty verdict he told reporters: “I, frankly, am stunned.”
The retrial came after a 2010 jury couldn’t reach a decision. Blagojevich follows his predecessor, Gov. George Ryan, on being found guilty of federal corruption charges.
“It looks like we’re about to have the distinction of being the first state to have two former governors in jail at the same time, one Republican and one Democrat,” Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page told The Takeaway.
————————————————————–
“The Takeaway” is a national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.