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Blagojevich Maintains Innocence In Memoir To Be Released Next Week
Excerpts from former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s memoir, “The Governor,” ahead of the book’s official release next week are causing a stir in and outside Chicago. Among the allegations of the indicted Democrat is that the White House chief of staff, former Rep. Rahm Emanuel, had asked him if he could appoint a placeholder to the vacant House seat so Emanuel could return to Congress in 2010.
Blagojevich also says in the 336-page book published by Phoenix Books that he was considering appointing state Attorney General Lisa Madigan to the Senate seat of President Barack Obama when he was arrested. The appointment, he wrote, would have been made in return for support from the attorney general’s father, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, for legislation including one one on healthcare.
The memoir will be release on Sept. 8. Blagojevich says his book will reveal “political conspiracies” and forces that caused his downfall, such as “the ambition of an attorney general and the greed of her Democratic State Party Chairman father -as well as the zeal of a federal prosecutor and the manipulations of a disloyal lieutenant governor.”
The White House has kept mum about Blagojevich’s claims about Emanuel. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a Monday briefing, “I barely cover with Rahm what’s going to happen the rest of the week. I have not talked to him about that nor have I — I’ve not seen the book by the indicted former governor of Illinois.”
Asked whether anything about the alleged plan of Emanuel, who made no secret of his hopes to become the first Jewish speaker of the House, during the transition, Gibbs replied that he had no recollection of any discussions about it.
Blagojevich, who last month launched a Website to “clear his name,” is scheduled to make the rounds of television appearances next week to promote his book. On the day of the book launch, he appears on the Today Show,the Early Show and Larry King Live.
The 52-year-old was impeached on Jan. 29 after a unanimous vote from all 59 members of the Illinois Senate.
He was indicted on April 2 on 16 felony counts, including racketeering conspiracy and extortion conspiracy, along with his brother, Rob, former chief of staff Jonn Harris, associate Alonzo Monk, and fundraisers William Cellini and Christopher Kelly.
Harris pleaded guilty early July, telling prosecutors he and his boss began efforts to “obtain financial benefits for Blagojevich and his wife, in return for the exercise of his duty to appoint a United States Senator” in October 2008 until Dec. 9, when the former governor was arrested by the FBI.
Blagojevich, who appointed Roland Burris to the Senate seat, has pleaded not guilty and begins his trial June 3, 2010.
The former governor allegedly conspired with the other defendants and convicted lobbyist Tony Rezko beginning in 2002 and until after he was first elected as governor to “use the offices of governor and chief of staff for financial gain.”
Authorities say he attempted to raise $100,000 in campaign contributions from a “Racetrack Executive” in return for his signing into law of a bill directing a portion of casino revenues the horse racing industry.
He was said to be looking to receive the campaign contributions before the end of the year because a new ethics law prohibiting political contributions from state contractors was scheduled to take effect on the first day of 2009.
He had also allegedly received “substantial campaign fundraising assistance” from individuals seeking the appointment to fill the Senate seat of Obama. The individuals included “Senate Candidate A,” whose associate offered $1.5 million in campaign money in exchange for an appointment.
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