Besides the multiple federal investigations he's facing, Gov. Blagojevich has 65,000 other reasons he might have trouble persuading state lawmakers this week to "follow my lead" on ethics reform.
The governor has kept $65,000 in campaign contributions from one of his administration's former top employees, Ali D. Ata, even though Ata pleaded guilty to felony charges earlier this year.
After cutting a deal with federal prosecutors in April, Ata testified against former top Blagojevich adviser and fund-raiser Tony Rezko, who was convicted in June of wide-ranging corruption involving state deals.
After a Sun-Times reporter asked about the Ata contributions, Blagojevich campaign spokesman Doug Scofield said Sunday he was not aware of Ata's money being dumped.
Blagojevich's keeping the Ata money has given ammunition to his critics, even as the governor is calling legislators back to Springfield today to consider his ethics proposal. "This is a hypocritical move by him, especially at a time when he refuses to give back the ill-gotten gains of a felon," said state Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock), one of Blagojevich's harshest critics.
Dispatches from Chicago's south side.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Gov pushes ethics, keeps tainted funds
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