Rod Blagojevich Illinois convicted ex-governor

[RTH10260]

was Democrat --- but the former guy commuted the sentence, so i guess he has now shifted to the right

Judge rips Blagojevich’s ‘publicity stunt’ bid to get court’s approval to run for office again

By Hannah Meisel | Capitol News Illinois
Mar 22, 202
A federal judge this week channeled one of the most famous children’s authors of the last century in telling off ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich for his efforts to regain the right to run for office after his 2009 impeachment.

“The time has come. The time is now. Just Go. Go. GO! I don’t care how,” U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger wrote, quoting Dr. Seuss’ 1972 book “Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!”

In his 10-page opinion, Seeger dismissed Blagojevich’s 2021 lawsuit seeking relief from the Illinois Senate’s post-impeachment vote to bar him from ever again holding state or local office.

In dismissing the case, Seeger noted the former governor had chosen the wrong venue to file his case, writing that the federal court – where Blagojevich’s first criminal case ended in a mistrial but he was ultimately convicted on 17 corruption charges in 2011 – had no jurisdiction over state legislatures.

But more than that, Seeger said, Blagojevich didn’t adequately make the case that any court has the right to review impeachment proceedings in Illinois, noting there isn’t any legal precedent because the former governor is an anomaly.

“In its 205-year history, the Illinois General Assembly has impeached, convicted, and removed one public official: Blagojevich,” Seeger wrote.

The judge’s decision, he said, came down to the centuries-old doctrine of separation of powers.

“The bottom line is that the judiciary has no power to unimpeach, unconvict, and unremove a public official,” Seeger wrote. “The legislature taketh away, and the judiciary cannot giveth back.”



https://ipmnewsroom.org/judge-rips-blag ... ice-again/

[RTH10260]

comment by Steve Letho

[Shizzle Popped]

This guy was governor of Illinois when we moved from Normal, IL to Seattle. He took money out of the teacher's pension fund to pay for other programs. I would vote Republican before I would vote for this piece of shit.

[noblepa]

Its been so long since Blagojevich was impeached, I don't remember the details very well.

Basically, he was impeached for trying to sell the US Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama upon winning the presidency. The Illinois legislature went through the process of impeaching him and removing him from the governor's seat.

Then, he was convicted of crimes related to this scheme. This is where I get fuzzy on the details.

Was he tried and convicted in an Illinois state court, or federal court? Come to think of it, it must have been federal court, because Don Poorleone commuted his sentence, which he could not do for a state crime.

One of his obstacles to running again is the Illinois state law that bans him, as a convicted felon, from running for state or local office. At least, had he sued in state court, he might have had standing to challenge that state law. I doubt that he would have won, though.

Does the Illinois state law prevent him from running for a federal office? IOW, could he run for the US House or Senate? POTUS (yeah, right)? It seems to me (and IANAL or a Constitutional scholar) that a state can not bar someone from running for federal office, for the same reason that SCOTUS shot down term limits; the states have no power to add or detract from the eligibility rules for federal office set forth in the US Constitution. Therefore, I think that he would be eligible to run for the House of Senate, or even VP or POTUS, if he wished. He would lose, of course, but he could run.

[pipistrelle]

I just skimmed the Wikipedia entry. Sounds like tfg lite.

Relationships with lawmakers
Blagojevich disagreed with many state Democrats while in office, with House and Senate Republican leaders Frank Watson and Tom Cross often refereeing among the Democrats.[20] During 2008, Blagojevich even expressed fear that House Democrats would gain more seats and he would face more opposition.[50]

Blagojevich's lieutenant governor was Pat Quinn. Quinn and Blagojevich publicly disagreed over[20] Blagojevich's proposed Gross Receipts Tax to increase revenue for schools and other projects within Illinois.[51] Quinn said in December 2008 that he had last spoken to Blagojevich in the summer of 2007.[52] Blagojevich also feuded with Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Comptroller Dan Hynes, Secretary of State Jesse White, and state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias — all of whom are Democrats.[20]

Blagojevich was often at odds with members of both parties in the state legislature. Democratic legislator Jack Franks said that the reason Blagojevich had problems passing laws with the cooperation of the General Assembly is that he did not spend enough time with the legislature. "That's a real reason he has such poor relations with the Legislature and can't get any of his agenda passed, because he doesn't talk to anybody."[53] When lawmakers working on a budget during a special session met at 10 am rather than 2 pm, and Blagojevich's attorney threatened that the Governor was considering legal action against the involved representatives, Democratic Rep. Joe Lyons told reporters, "We have a madman. The man is insane."[54]

[Ben-Prime]

One of his obstacles to running again is the Illinois state law that bans him, as a convicted felon, from running for state or local office. At least, had he sued in state court, he might have had standing to challenge that state law. I doubt that he would have won, though.

I believe he was also barred from office as part of his impeachment, as in the federal model which allows the Senate to bar the impeached individual from holding future office. So even if the state law itself didn't bar him, his impeachment by the Illinois Senate would do so. Which is I believe why the courts FOADed him on this. I could be wrong.

[Dr. Ken]

One of his obstacles to running again is the Illinois state law that bans him, as a convicted felon, from running for state or local office. At least, had he sued in state court, he might have had standing to challenge that state law. I doubt that he would have won, though.

I believe he was also barred from office as part of his impeachment, as in the federal model which allows the Senate to bar the impeached individual from holding future office. So even if the state law itself didn't bar him, his impeachment by the Illinois Senate would do so. Which is I believe why the courts FOADed him on this. I could be wrong.

I actually saw this fucker last year. I was at a conference in Florida last April and one of the nights at the conference I'm at the Breakers eating dinner with colleagues at a back table and out of the corner of my eye I see some older gentleman at the bar schmoozing some of the cougars. Then I did a double take, leaned over to my colleagues and said is that Rod Blogojevich? It took them a while to have it register and I had to explain who he was and pull up a picture. But yeah it ended up being him. I asked the hostess and she's like he was supposed to call ahead and he just showed up with some bodyguards. Still a prick.

[northland10]

Isn't Florida's go-go boot gov term limited now? Blago could just hang out there and run for gov at the next election.

[p0rtia]

Isn't Florida's go-go boot gov term limited now? Blago could just hang out there and run for gov at the next election.

Only until Dough-boy decides to change the rules. Again.