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Political Implications of Blago Re-Trial?
(IRN) -- When testimony begins in the Rod Blagojevich political corruption re-trial, will there be political implications?

That was the expectation last year, with the first Rod trial taking place as the campaign for statewide offices was heating up. Now there's no statewide election on the horizon until 2014, but Illinois Republican Chairman Pat Brady says the trial is still politically fraught.

"Yes, it's still a political issue because the same people that supported Rod Blagojevich for 10 years are the same people that are running things in Springfield," he said. "Speaker Mike Madigan, [Senate President] John Cullerton and the rest of the Blagojevich campaign staff."

Blagojevich was governor for six years. Those Brady mentioned haven't been implicated in any of Rod's alleged wrongdoing. While there are a number of Blagojevich appointees still active in the current administration, and on state boards and commissions, it is unclear what members of the "Blagojevich campaign staff" are involved in running things in Springfield.

State Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge) says the Senate did its job by throwing Blagojevich out of office, and the episode produced ethics reforms that might not otherwise have gotten off the ground, such as a ban on political contributions from those who receive state contracts to the political official who is responsible for awarding the contract.

(Illinois Radio Network)
04 25 11 by Newsroom
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