Blagojevich Trial Backgrounder

 Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich
Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago following a court hearing on April 21, 2010.

 

Here's a one-stop directory of Chicago magazine's feature coverage of Illinois's former governor and some prominent Chicago figures linked to Blagojevich's alleged wrongdoings, compiled and updated by the editorial staff.

 

Sam Adam Jr.

Mighty Mouth »
From the June 2010 issue: The defense lawyer Sam Adam Jr. doesn’t merely argue cases—he performs, typically closing with an eruption of righteous indignation, and his clients (R. Kelly, for one) often walk free. Now Adam is set to strut and fret upon the brightly lit stage of former governor Rod Blagojevich’s corruption trial—and he aims to bring down the house. By Bryan Smith
 

Chicago Straight »
From the June 2009 issue: The arrest of Governor Rod Blagojevich in December cast a shadowy light on the relationships among four leading players in the Illinois Democratic Party—Blagojevich, Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel, and David Axelrod. The new president and his two aides would like to minimize their dealings with the disgraced ex-governor. But the record tells a more complex story. By David Bernstein 
 

Mr. Un-Popularity »
From the February 2008 issue: Rod Blagojevich was something of a golden boy when he became the governor of Illinois—a young, charismatic champion of change with powerful backers and presidential aspirations. Now he may be the most unpopular governor in the country. A look at how things fell so completely apart. By David Bernstein

 

Governor Sunshine »
From the November 2003 issue: Things could not be better for Rod Blagojevich. He loves politics, and he has won every election he has entered (with help from his father-in-law, a clout-heavy alderman). The govenorship is his focus now, he insists, but this look at his personal history suggests he hopes for much, much more. By Carol Felsenthal

The Long Fall »
From the May 2010 issue: Christopher Kelly operated in the top circle of the Blagojevich administration, using his tough-guy style and disdain for rules to raise piles of money for the governor. Then the feds got on Kelly’s trail. Last September, he swallowed a deadly mixture of pills and poison. “Tell them they won,” he said with his dying breath. By Bryan Smith

 

Mr. Inside Out »
From the November 2007 issue: Tony Rezko climbed from immigrant roots to the highest circles in Illinois. In his first interview since his indictment on corruption charges, he's defiant—and faithful to a governor who now shuns him. By James L. Merriner

 

 

Jeopardy »
From the December 2005 issue: Lawyer Joseph A. Cari Jr. made a stellar mark as a political strategist and fundraiser before an apparent favor landed him in trouble. His fall puts heat on Governor Blagojevich's administration. By Steve Rhodes

 

 

 

Photograph: (TOP) José M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

 
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