Game-legislating Illinois Guv Busted on Corruption Charge
Game-legislating Illinois Guv Busted on Corruption Charge
December 9, 2008
He claimed to be incensed about the content of the Grand Theft Auto series of crime games, but federal prosecutors allege that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was himself a criminal.
Blagojevich and his closest advisor are in FBI custody today, reports CNN:
Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office for the Northern District of Illinois.
Federal prosecutors say Blagojevich, Harris and others conspired to gain financial benefits in appointing President-elect Barack Obama's Senate replacement, according to the statement.
Blagojevich, Harris and others are also alleged to have withheld state assistance to the Tribune Company in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field. The statement says this was done to induce the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members who were critical of Blagojevich.
The Chicago Tribune cites remarks by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald:
The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering. They allege that Blagojevich put a 'for sale' sign on the naming of a United States senator; involved himself personally in pay-to-play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target; and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism.
GamePolitics readers will recall that it was Blagojevich who championed his state's 2005 video game sales law. The statute, however, was ruled unconstitutional before the year was out. Ultimately the failed legislation would force Illinois taxpayers to reimburse the video game industry more than a half-million dollars in legal fees.
In 2004, Blagojevich lobbied to to have ads for GTA San Andreas removed from Chicago Transit Authority buses.
GP: Naturally, we're adding Blagojevich to our list of anti-game hypocrites.
Big thanks to: GP readers Norm and BlindJustice15 for the tip!
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Posted 11/08/09 at 09:02am
DarkSaber: http://tinyurl.com/yez7jyo
DarkSaber: http://tinyurl.com/yez7jyo
Posted 11/08/09 at 09:01am
DarkSaber: Oh for gods sake, the Gearbox pres is gobbing off about Valve again
DarkSaber: Oh for gods sake, the Gearbox pres is gobbing off about Valve again
Posted 11/08/09 at 08:53am
JDKJ: But cheer up, Austin. If the unemployment rate continues to double-digit as predicted for the next few years, your half-dozen stands a better than likely chance of returning to power.
JDKJ: But cheer up, Austin. If the unemployment rate continues to double-digit as predicted for the next few years, your half-dozen stands a better than likely chance of returning to power.
Posted 11/08/09 at 08:46am
JDKJ: @DS: If he had added the line about "or hiring illegals aliens under the table to work as nannies," it would have been a completely perfect descripition. And, yes, it's about the same difference between a six and a half-dozen.
JDKJ: @DS: If he had added the line about "or hiring illegals aliens under the table to work as nannies," it would have been a completely perfect descripition. And, yes, it's about the same difference between a six and a half-dozen.
Posted 11/08/09 at 08:31am
DarkSaber: My god, that description makes them sound almost Republican. Still what did you expect, Obama is only marginally more left than republicans.
DarkSaber: My god, that description makes them sound almost Republican. Still what did you expect, Obama is only marginally more left than republicans.
Posted 11/08/09 at 01:07am
Austin_Lewis: Health insurance, brought to you by the same kind of bureacrats who couldn't, in timely fashion, investigate the comments of any of the men Obama appointed Czars. Or their past. Or their history of not paying taxes.
Austin_Lewis: Health insurance, brought to you by the same kind of bureacrats who couldn't, in timely fashion, investigate the comments of any of the men Obama appointed Czars. Or their past. Or their history of not paying taxes.
Posted 11/08/09 at 01:06am
Austin_Lewis: Yes, and what a piece of crap it was. Arresting and fining people just because they don't make a personal choice to buy healh insurance, creating over a hundred new bureacracies, and worse.
Austin_Lewis: Yes, and what a piece of crap it was. Arresting and fining people just because they don't make a personal choice to buy healh insurance, creating over a hundred new bureacracies, and worse.
Posted 11/08/09 at 12:24am
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:the only trouble is a bunch of witless hacks wrote it....its going to be a train wreck....
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:the only trouble is a bunch of witless hacks wrote it....its going to be a train wreck....
Posted 11/07/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: BREAKING: In a photo-finish at the wire, House passes health care reform bill. Relatedly, in a fit of pique, Austin Lewis kicks innocent dog.
JDKJ: BREAKING: In a photo-finish at the wire, House passes health care reform bill. Relatedly, in a fit of pique, Austin Lewis kicks innocent dog.
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:26pm
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:18pm
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
dun dun dun, and another one bites the dust... :)
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You're telling me, I just saw the video of him saying record everything I say, "I have nothing to hide. I am an honest person, and believe everyone should be honest." haha. That is some great stuff. You know most politicians are like that guy though, doing dirty deeds and getting away with it most of the time.
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Saddest thing is this... this will be the second straight governor we've had in prison. I just have to question if Illinois politicians have ever been decent human beings. I can't find any before Capones time.
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You can have Mitch Daniels if you want him. Many people in Indiana wouldn't mind.
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Has this happened enough for us to say there is a direct link between trying to legislate games and corruption?
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
I'd say it's no worse than the rationale used to link games and violence.
It may be a very good example to use. If they deny it, then use the exact same excuse to deny their supposed link.
100% agree. It´s just too much coincidence...
The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com/
I think a better theory is that there is a link between trying to control speech and corruption.
Ultimately the failed legislation would force Illinois taxpayers to reimburse the video game industry more than a half-million dollars in legal fees.
More corruption, This proves he's a double agent working in the interests of lawyers!
At this rate, our next IL Gov will be arrested just after taking office. You'd think they would learn by now. I'm just going to go ahead and start voting for the canidate I want to see most in jail, not office.
IL should enact a law saying that any local senator convicted of corruption should be loaded into a catapult and launched over the horizon.
Speaking of, hows the LT gov?
Pat Quinn is more than capable of using his head. That's a nice side-effect of Blago getting arrested.
Is it sad that I live in Illinois and didn't know about this till I read it on this site? I hope the Tribune company comes out ok from this. They gave me my first job delivering papers.
Tribune is hurting
How about we haz a solid link between crime and poltiains nowz!
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
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I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
Grand Theft Auto must have influenced him to do this. That is the only reasonable explanation.
Oh yeah, that 'Bribe a Politician' minigame you play right after the one where you have to rape prostitutes...
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
No it is the whole become a politician and accept bribes mission. This mission comes directly after the serial rapist mission which comes directly after the shoot up the police station mission.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
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But is it before or after the 'string up the housecat' mission? (Which btw I'm still looking for, no sign of it yet. :P)
300 Episodes and counting: http://www.orangeloungeradio.com/
You need a patch off the net for that one...
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
But once you have it unlocked it is part of how you become a politician.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/okceca
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1325674091
Corruption in the Illinois government? That's umpossible!
I can see his defense, "I learned it by playing GTA, alright?"
http://www.popularculturegaming.com
Maybe he's calling up Jack right now to defend him. Boy, he's in for a little surprise.
"There is no sin except stupidity." - Oscar Wilde
Wow, this guy isn't just corrupt - he makes a lot of characters from GTA look decent by comparison.
Sell the vacant senate seat - sure!
Try to intimidate the media - OK!
Ask for and accept multiple bribes - Why not?
Sound like a thug on wire taps - F*ck yeah!
This guy is a real piece of work and a true con artist. Rockstar really needs to parody this guy in the next GTA - they don't even need to exagerate...at all.
There's a press conference on this right now, this is incredible.
Apparently he was selling to the highest bidder the appointment to Obama's open Senate Seat.
He was promising people he could lean on Obama and get him to appoint the highest bidder to a Cabinet position.
He was pressuring the Tribune to fire an editor.
He was going to pull back an $8 million grant from a CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL because the director wouldn't give him a contribution.
Is anyone watching the US attorney's press conference on Blagojevich? This guy is beyond hypocritical. He is an unlawful, anti-constitutional piece of crap. Not only on games, but according to the US attorneys, he tried to extort the Chicago Tribune.
Are all these anti-game politicians corrupt? It seems like a great way to find out who's a corrupt politician: just find the ones that are bashing videogames and theres a good chance that therye commiting crimes, real ones.
I just want to add though that often these left wing politicians go after video games because they are weak on real crime. Im not sure if thats the case with this Blago guy or not, but they seem to think that being tough on fantasy violence makes up for being weak on the real thing and will fool voters. Unfortunately, I think it does sometimes. They also are offended by guns or by the use of force. So its something that personally offends them and goes against their left-wing political ideology as well. Its the same as the religious right trying to censor tv for anything sexy. Its them trying to force their ideology on everybody else, and censor ideas that they think are the opposite of theirs.
Its compensation. You know how the guy with the smallest $%&# always buys the biggest truck? Its the same with politicians. The more corrupt they are, they more vocal they are about crimes in video games.
We don't have a left wing in this country. We have right and further right. We don't have socialists, communists, or idealists either. Any illussion to the contrary is a lie.
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The saying goes, "sinners pray loudest". The more somebody rails against something (homosexuality, corruption, violence, etc), the more likely it is that they are doing just what they claim to hate.
good riddance
http://www.eliteownage.com/nice
He said alot of bad words when he was wiretapped
Another hypocrite gets busted for corruption. How ironic as a Democrat whines about video games "corrupting young minds" when they're the one who are corrupt.
Let's see, Blagojevich joins Eliot Spitzer and Leland Yee at least. I'm pretty sure Kathleen Blanco(former Louisiana governor) was also corrupt.
Geaux Saints, Geaux Tigers, Geaux Hornets, Jack Thompson can geaux chase a chupacabra.
When was there a corruption issue with Yee? I don't remember seeing that.
Give you that one, though I do consider him corrupt since he voted against banning lead(a poisonous substance) in children's toys.
Geaux Saints, Geaux Tigers, Geaux Hornets, Jack Thompson can geaux chase a chupacabra.
At the risk of sounding like a certain person who seems to be been vanquished, I'm not the least bit surprised that someone like Blagobitch is more corrupt than the Ephors from 300. Especially since the Spitzer prostitute incident.
The Spitzer thing absolutely pales in comparison to this. The worst Spitzer did was be a hypocrite, and pay for sex. When it came to light, he had the decency to resign quickly in the face of an outcry.
Blagojevich on the other hand is charged with pretty massive corruption in terms of stuff along the lines of bribes and kickbacks. Somehow I doubt he'll resign and play nice with the investigators like Spitzer did.
-Gray17
Damn! This guy's just as bad (if not worse) than Maurice Duplessis.
Karma's a bitch and a half, aint it?
The hypocrisy list just keeps getting longer and longer, doesn't it?
Wow, what's with my state and sleazy politics? This guy used to be cool to a lot of people. But on the other hand, local politics don't interest me as much as national politics.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/1209081rod1.html
Since my dad is from Cicero, I am glad that Illinois won't have to endure this ****** anymore.
Libertarian Republican from Mesa Arizona: MySpace http://profile.myspace.com/32118614 Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1441642492&ref=name
Here is the motivational...
(sorry, I can´t upload the image directly)
The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com/
It's Chicago, is this really a surprise?
Good riddance! I live in Chicago so I'm used to this but this man has destroyed our state. It's funny that he was claiming to be a great father and trying to protect me and all the other kids of IL from violent video games(I was 14 when he tried to pass that law) and yet at the same time was engaging in illegal and corrupt behaviour including trying to auction off Obama's Senate seat and trying to Extort the Tribune. Great Father?! What kind of message are you sending to your daughter when your breaking the law for your own greed. Before you start trying to protect all the kids of IL you should start being a good role model to your own child! I feel bad for his daughter actually espicially considering that his wife may also be indicted. It's already bad enough knowing one of your parents is likely gonna go to jail but both has to be traumatic for her. I hope they throw the book at him though for this though, what he did makes Ryan look like a Catholic School boy. It's funny how everyone who claims to be "protecting the children" from being corrupted by Grand Theft Auto and other violent games seem to all have ethical problems of thier own.
Rob Blogojevich: Arrested on corruption charges
Elliot Spitzer: Hired a prostitute and cheated on his wife
Leland Yee: Voted against banning lead in children's toys(a poisonous substance I might add)
Kathleen Blanco: Left New Orleans to drown durring Katrina
Jack Thompson: Disbarred on misconduct charges
In conclusion trying to "protect children" from violent video games makes you corrupt, incopetent, unethical, and a douche bag(And I think there is a bigger case for this then violent video games making kids violent)
News like this makes me want to break into song:
Sorry, Nicky, human nature-
Nothing I can do!
It's... Schadenfreude!
Making me feel glad that I'm not you.
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.