The Blagojevich years: A legacy shaped by the question, 'sorry for what?'
Rod Blagojevich never did anything wrong. So he told the state Senate on his political judgment day on Jan. 29, 2009, a day when he talked about being in a "lonely" place, about his daughters and about how the impeachable crimes confronting him were a big misunderstanding.
It was the most sobering, desperate speech I ever heard as I sat in the Senate press box, perhaps 30 feet away from Blagojevich. No matter what he had said that day, minds already had been made up by his arrest and by four audio recordings of him hatching ways to make campaign cash off of his duties as governor.
Covering him for six years, I learned that he was impetuous, short-tempered, stubborn and a camera hog. House Speaker Michael Madigan's spokesman, Steve Brown, questioned his mental fitness, calling him a "mad man," a "sociopath" and a "very disturbed" human being.
Notwithstanding such questions, Blagojevich did have a poor grasp of detail, and I wasn't convinced he always told the truth.
It's a small thing. But less than a year into his governorship, he didn’t know the meaning of the term, “foundation level.”
During a sit-down interview with me, Blagojevich stumbled when I asked why his first budget, passed roughly half a year earlier, hadn’t set aside enough education dollars to meet the minimum $4,810 per student spending requirement – the “foundation level” --established under state law.
Blagojevich paused and didn’t have an answer, other than to ask awkwardly what the term meant. It was a key piece of the legislative vernacular when it came time to divvying up how much public money should go toward education. It was important.
Covering Blagojevich was a golden era for statehouse journalism in Illinois. The ex-governor was full of surprises, like his late-December 2008 appointment of Roland Burris to the vacant Senate seat held by Barack Obama. Arrested weeks earlier by FBI agents, Blagojevich resisted calls for him to resign and to leave the appointment to his successor.
My colleague, Chris Fusco, and I were the first to break the story of Burris' appointment by Blagojevich, narrowly beating the competition. I was also the first to pick up on and publicize a seemingly minor contradiction between Burris' testimony and an affidavit that he tendered to the House impeachment panel before he was scheduled to testify. Burris stated in that document that he had spoken to no one in Blagojevich's inner circle before the appointment. During a hearing a few days later, Burris acknowledged having spoken to one person within Blagojevich's camp. To this point, Burris neglected to mention he had been solicited for campaign contributions.
Over time, Natasha Korecki and I paired up on an award-winning series of investigative pieces that showed Burris, in fact, was asked to make campaign contributions by Blagojevich's brother prior to the appointment. Korecki and I outlined how Burris changed his story multiple times, seemingly the result of being interviewed secretly by federal agents and told about government recordings. A U.S. Senate ethics investigation ensued.
"Thank God for the Chicago Sun-Times 'cause we never would have known about this information," then-House Minority Leader Tom Cross told his colleagues on the House floor as he expressed frustration surrounding the Burris appointment and what he regarded as Democratic attempts to protect Burris from GOP questioning about his appointment.
"It was destined to a back room; it was destined to a file cabinet; it was destined to somebody's file, never to be seen in public if not for the Chicago Sun-Times," Cross said.
That work represented a high point in my journalism career -- as did a chance encounter with Blagojevich on the day he was driven from office in January 2009.
For 47 minutes, I watched and listened to his speech from the GOP side of the Senate press box as he pleaded with state senators not to convict him on articles of impeachment and oust him from office. My son, Matt, had skipped a day of high school to watch the historic day’s events and was in the Senate galleries.
When the speech ended, I snapped a cell-phone picture of Blagojevich leaving the Senate floor then set out to figure out which Capitol exit the defrocked leader would use to leave the building. Reporters from across the county fanned out and seemingly had every exterior doorway covered.
There is a reason new journalists are coached to make friends with the janitors, security guards and secretaries in buildings they cover. They see and hear a lot. And so it was that day. I turned to a security guard whom I’d befriended and asked where Blagojevich would be coming out.
Stationed at the Capitol’s north entrance, the guard pointed across the street to a state building that was connected to the statehouse by a little-used steam tunnel. “Over there, but don’t say how you found out,” my friend, the guard, gestured.
Out the door I went and within moments, it was clear the guard was right. An idling black sports utility vehicle manned by members of the governor’s security detail awaited behind the Secretary of State office that houses its index division across from the Capitol. There was about a two-second walk from the building's rear doorway to the SUV.
There was time for one question.
When Blagojevich emerged, I asked him whether he felt obliged to tell Illinoisans he was sorry for the embarrassment he’d put them through.
Blagojevich paused and said his last words from Springfield as he got into the vehicle’s backseat: “Sorry for what?”
The phrase was blown up in 72-point type on the next day’s front page of the Sun-Times and summed up everything that was wrong with the way Blagojevich chose to govern Illinois during his six years in office.
It was the most sobering, desperate speech I ever heard as I sat in the Senate press box, perhaps 30 feet away from Blagojevich. No matter what he had said that day, minds already had been made up by his arrest and by four audio recordings of him hatching ways to make campaign cash off of his duties as governor.
Covering him for six years, I learned that he was impetuous, short-tempered, stubborn and a camera hog. House Speaker Michael Madigan's spokesman, Steve Brown, questioned his mental fitness, calling him a "mad man," a "sociopath" and a "very disturbed" human being.
Notwithstanding such questions, Blagojevich did have a poor grasp of detail, and I wasn't convinced he always told the truth.
It's a small thing. But less than a year into his governorship, he didn’t know the meaning of the term, “foundation level.”
During a sit-down interview with me, Blagojevich stumbled when I asked why his first budget, passed roughly half a year earlier, hadn’t set aside enough education dollars to meet the minimum $4,810 per student spending requirement – the “foundation level” --established under state law.
Blagojevich paused and didn’t have an answer, other than to ask awkwardly what the term meant. It was a key piece of the legislative vernacular when it came time to divvying up how much public money should go toward education. It was important.
Covering Blagojevich was a golden era for statehouse journalism in Illinois. The ex-governor was full of surprises, like his late-December 2008 appointment of Roland Burris to the vacant Senate seat held by Barack Obama. Arrested weeks earlier by FBI agents, Blagojevich resisted calls for him to resign and to leave the appointment to his successor.
My colleague, Chris Fusco, and I were the first to break the story of Burris' appointment by Blagojevich, narrowly beating the competition. I was also the first to pick up on and publicize a seemingly minor contradiction between Burris' testimony and an affidavit that he tendered to the House impeachment panel before he was scheduled to testify. Burris stated in that document that he had spoken to no one in Blagojevich's inner circle before the appointment. During a hearing a few days later, Burris acknowledged having spoken to one person within Blagojevich's camp. To this point, Burris neglected to mention he had been solicited for campaign contributions.
Over time, Natasha Korecki and I paired up on an award-winning series of investigative pieces that showed Burris, in fact, was asked to make campaign contributions by Blagojevich's brother prior to the appointment. Korecki and I outlined how Burris changed his story multiple times, seemingly the result of being interviewed secretly by federal agents and told about government recordings. A U.S. Senate ethics investigation ensued.
"Thank God for the Chicago Sun-Times 'cause we never would have known about this information," then-House Minority Leader Tom Cross told his colleagues on the House floor as he expressed frustration surrounding the Burris appointment and what he regarded as Democratic attempts to protect Burris from GOP questioning about his appointment.
"It was destined to a back room; it was destined to a file cabinet; it was destined to somebody's file, never to be seen in public if not for the Chicago Sun-Times," Cross said.
That work represented a high point in my journalism career -- as did a chance encounter with Blagojevich on the day he was driven from office in January 2009.
For 47 minutes, I watched and listened to his speech from the GOP side of the Senate press box as he pleaded with state senators not to convict him on articles of impeachment and oust him from office. My son, Matt, had skipped a day of high school to watch the historic day’s events and was in the Senate galleries.
When the speech ended, I snapped a cell-phone picture of Blagojevich leaving the Senate floor then set out to figure out which Capitol exit the defrocked leader would use to leave the building. Reporters from across the county fanned out and seemingly had every exterior doorway covered.
There is a reason new journalists are coached to make friends with the janitors, security guards and secretaries in buildings they cover. They see and hear a lot. And so it was that day. I turned to a security guard whom I’d befriended and asked where Blagojevich would be coming out.
Stationed at the Capitol’s north entrance, the guard pointed across the street to a state building that was connected to the statehouse by a little-used steam tunnel. “Over there, but don’t say how you found out,” my friend, the guard, gestured.
Out the door I went and within moments, it was clear the guard was right. An idling black sports utility vehicle manned by members of the governor’s security detail awaited behind the Secretary of State office that houses its index division across from the Capitol. There was about a two-second walk from the building's rear doorway to the SUV.
There was time for one question.
When Blagojevich emerged, I asked him whether he felt obliged to tell Illinoisans he was sorry for the embarrassment he’d put them through.
Blagojevich paused and said his last words from Springfield as he got into the vehicle’s backseat: “Sorry for what?”
The phrase was blown up in 72-point type on the next day’s front page of the Sun-Times and summed up everything that was wrong with the way Blagojevich chose to govern Illinois during his six years in office.
In this Getty Images pic, Blagojevich names Roland Burris to Illinois' empty U.S. Senate seat. And the Associated Press shot above shows Blagojevich, with wife Patti, addressing the media at the Dirksen Federal Building.
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"Thank goodness one of the things we can't seem to influence in this state is the impact of a free press. Would any of this have come to light had it not been for a reporter of the Chicago Sun-Times who called this into play. " |
Stories:
Blagojevich trounces Ryan as Dems win big (11/6/2002)
I'm ready to go (1/13/2003)
Gov blasts spending orgy (11/7/2003)
INVESTIGATION: Campaign donations follow meetings with Blagojevich; but gov says checks don't buy state contracts, face-time (9/6/2004)
Prosecutors probe Mell's charges; were jobs traded for donations? Governor welcomes investigation (1/4/2005)
Blagojevich surfaces in pension probe; federal investigators told of alleged pay-to-play scheme (9/16/2005)
INVESTIGATION: Pension fund firms big donors to gov; Aide sees nothing wrong in $500,000 from investment companies (10/3/2005)
EXCLUSIVE: Firm pressured to donate to gov?: Feds probe if filmmaker was told he'd have to pay to play (9/20/2006)
INVESTIGATION: Feds probe gov's fund-raising trips: Generous law firms scored prime spots after donations (9/22/2006)
It's 'pay-to-play . . . on steroids': Gov in spotlight as feds indict top fund-raiser in shakedown scheme (10/12/2006)
INVESTIGATION: Rezko sent governor a wish list: 10 of 19 people he recommended were appointed or got spouse named (10/23/2006)
INVESTIGATION: Patti's $47k Rezko deal: Developer's pals got state posts after '02 transaction (11/17/2006)
INVESTIGATION: Gov hired Rezko firm for home renovation: 'They paid full price . . . where's there a conflict?' (2/18/2007)
Gov put Hawks over CTA?; Flies to Chicago before vote; transit bailout falls far short (11/29/2007)
INVESTIGATION: Did Gov break vow to help church? (3/3/2008)
Gov renews vow; Pledges to get Pilgrim Baptist its money after $1 million went to 'wrong place' (3/4/2008)
INVESTIGATION: School that got Pilgrim funds lost sex case; teacher won harassment complaint, now wants part of payout (3/5/2008)
School that got Pilgrim funds probed; Sex case might have violated deal (3/6/2008)
Defense attacks 'con man' Levine; Star witness admits to ripping off charities, passing bribes, using drugs (5/4/2008)
School in $1M 'mixup' admits official's felony; May be grounds to get cash back (4/15/2008)
105-0: House OKs audit of gov's $1 mil. church pledge; School, not Pilgrim Baptist, got cash (5/2/2008)
INVESTIGATION: Double-Duty Davis; Rezko pal pushed pension deal -- and months later, the pension firm hired him (6/26/2008)
Gov: 'I Didn't Pay Attention'; Can't explain why he kept $65,000 donation from felon, but says he'll 'sort it out' (9/23/2008)
School ordered to return $1M mistakenly given by state (9/25/2008)
Did Rezko pay for gov's rehab?; Probe into Blagojeviches centering on whether indicted fund-raiser paid for all or part of $90,000 work on Northwest Side home (10/5/2008)
Quinn to gov: Quit now; GOP leader calls for immediate impeachment (12/9/2008)
Madigan may take him to high court; Attorney general might invoke rule to get Illinois Supreme Court to vote on ousting Blagojevich (12/10/2008)
No birthday party; No cake, no candles. Just calls to 'do the right thing' -- resign (12/11/2008)
Quinn says he would appoint new senator; Lt. gov says special election best but would cost too much and take too long (12/12/2008)
Blago's plan for Senate; Gov might not be ready to quit, but he may OK letting voters fill Obama's seat (12/15/2008)
House Opens Hearings; Governor tries to conduct business as usual as impeachment process begins (12/16/2008)
On the fast track; House seeks help from feds, gov's camp rips speed (12/17/2008)
Impeachment panel asks for tapes; Wants to hear from Rep. Jackson, Jarrett (12/19/2008)
'I will be vindicated'; Blagojevich vows he will have his day in court to prove his innocence, while forces for impeachment gather steam (12/20/2008)
Panel may call ex-deputy gov to testify (12/21/2008)
'5-alarm fire'; As it wraps up its case against Gov, impeachment panel hears how he got 435 contributions of $25,000 or more (12/23/2008)
Feds might share tapes; Panel might get secretly recorded conversations (12/24/2008)
Witnesses for gov?; Blagojevich's lawyer wants Emanuel, Jarrett and Jackson to testify (12/25/2008)
Gov's lawyer to offer report clearing Obama insiders (12/29/2008)
More wiretaps revealed; Feds recorded cell phone of Blagojevich's former top aide Lon Monk (12/30/2008)
Gov's lawyer: Tapes 'just talk, not action'; House leader says attorney 'throwing up fairy dust' (12/30/2008)
Gov's pick faces a fight; Obama against Blagojevich's surprise decision, Senate Democrats say they won't seat Burris (12/31/2008)
Senate may block Burris, stall for time; Dems may wait for gov's ouster (12/31/2008)
Impeachment panel meets quietly (1/5/2009)
Panel may debate gov's fate in private (1/8/2009)
Change in Burris' story?; Appears to contradict affidavit saying he hadn't spoken to representative of gov about Senate seat (1/9/2009)
Ex-aide: gov needs his head examined; Cites Blagojevich's 'violently unpredictable' moods (1/9/2009)
Impeached (1/10/2009)
A Supreme dilemma; Still no seat for Burris despite state high court ruling that White's signature not needed (1/10/2009)
Gov's sickest charge of all; groups push for the $8 mil. for ill kids that Blagojevich has blocked (1/11/2009)
Gov denies stalling $8M for kids' doctors; Accused of demanding donation (1/12/2009)
Blagojevich prosecutor named (1/14/2009)
'Surreal Day'; House impeaches gov again, 117-1 (1/15/2009)
Genson quits criminal case; Judge orders 4 FBI surveillance tapes turned over to Senate (1/24/2009)
No Mercy From Feds; Newly released subpoenas show the government is delving deeper into gov's dealings (1/25/2009)
The Gov and Gandhi (1/26/2009)
Gov in N.Y. State of mind; His chair is empty, but we'll hear secret recordings (1/27/2009)
Tapes 'sickening, nauseating'; Top Dem senator predicts 59-0 vote against gov after hearing secret recordings (1/28/2009)
'I'm just the opposite of Nixon'; Defiant Blagojevich sticks to his story in New York media blitz (1/28/2009)
He won't go quietly; Lawmakers don't expect to be persuaded, but will gov give swan song or surprise? (1/29/2009)
‘Sorry for what’; Senate makes it unanimous: Quinn in, 'The ordeal is over' (1/30/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: Blago hit up Burris for cash; In his third sworn version of events, senator confirms pitch for donations (2/15/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: Burris on wiretaps?; Senator changed testimony to state House committee after contact with federal agents (2/16/2009)
INVESTIGATION: 'Come clean'; Dems join GOP in calling for more info from Burris: 'We can't have the people thinking their new U.S. senator lied' (2/17/2009)
EDITORIAL: Burris scoops show how much newspapers matter (2/17/2009)
INVESTIGATION: Senate opens Burris probe; Downstate prosecutor initiates perjury investigation -- senator says he's innocent, will cooperate (2/18/2009)
'Thank God for the Sun-Times' (2/19/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: More holes in Burris' story; Records show more calls to Blago aide than senator reported (2/19/2009)
INVESTIGATION: Durbin bemoans Burris and the 'Blagojevich burlesque'; Burris' affidavit also filed with Supreme Court -- but never corrected (2/20/2009)
Quinn: Burris has to go; Gov wants embattled senator to step down, as more of state's Dems call for resignation of Blago's pick for Obama's U.S. Senate seat (2/21/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: Off to meet feds; Burris questioned for hours -- likely about talks with Blagojevich aides -- as calls to step down get louder (2/22/2009)
INVESTIGATION: Burris' son got state job from Blago; He serves as housing authority counsel despite facing foreclosure on his own home (2/26/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: He fought to get Burris seated in the Senate, now he tells the Sun-Times: 'I owe people an apology' (3/6/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: Burris turns up on Blago list of potential fund-raisers; Entry calls for K$5-K$10 $5-K$10K 3 weeks before he got appointment (3/15/2009)
Top Senate Dems meet on Burris; Reid, Durbin huddle with ethics panel (3/19/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: Blago's $2.3 million hit list; Document shows ex-gov targeted about 150 people for campaign cash (3/29/2009)
'Ryan was the minor leagues compared to this stuff'; Blagojevich charged with running 'criminal enterprise' as governor (4/3/2009)
Promise to Blago; Burris recorded in November saying he could donate check to then-gov (5/27/2009)
Blagojevich's ethics lesson; Records show ex-governor took his online ethics exams -- but apparently he should have paid more attention (7/13/2009)
INVESTIGATION: Blago aide's computer yields new secrets; Chief of staff surfed Web on Emanuel vacancy, 'King Madigan' (12/21/2009)
Blago quiet in court; 'I learned a lot of lessons . . . probably the biggest . . . that I talk too much' (7/22/2010)
Jurors: No 'Smoking Gun'; Prosecution vows to try again after former gov is convicted only of lying to FBI, with jury hung on 23 other counts (8/18/2010)
How state turned $1 mil. into $89,000; Recovery of errant funding from Blago years closes book on 'mistake' (5/22/2011)
I'm ready to go (1/13/2003)
Gov blasts spending orgy (11/7/2003)
INVESTIGATION: Campaign donations follow meetings with Blagojevich; but gov says checks don't buy state contracts, face-time (9/6/2004)
Prosecutors probe Mell's charges; were jobs traded for donations? Governor welcomes investigation (1/4/2005)
Blagojevich surfaces in pension probe; federal investigators told of alleged pay-to-play scheme (9/16/2005)
INVESTIGATION: Pension fund firms big donors to gov; Aide sees nothing wrong in $500,000 from investment companies (10/3/2005)
EXCLUSIVE: Firm pressured to donate to gov?: Feds probe if filmmaker was told he'd have to pay to play (9/20/2006)
INVESTIGATION: Feds probe gov's fund-raising trips: Generous law firms scored prime spots after donations (9/22/2006)
It's 'pay-to-play . . . on steroids': Gov in spotlight as feds indict top fund-raiser in shakedown scheme (10/12/2006)
INVESTIGATION: Rezko sent governor a wish list: 10 of 19 people he recommended were appointed or got spouse named (10/23/2006)
INVESTIGATION: Patti's $47k Rezko deal: Developer's pals got state posts after '02 transaction (11/17/2006)
INVESTIGATION: Gov hired Rezko firm for home renovation: 'They paid full price . . . where's there a conflict?' (2/18/2007)
Gov put Hawks over CTA?; Flies to Chicago before vote; transit bailout falls far short (11/29/2007)
INVESTIGATION: Did Gov break vow to help church? (3/3/2008)
Gov renews vow; Pledges to get Pilgrim Baptist its money after $1 million went to 'wrong place' (3/4/2008)
INVESTIGATION: School that got Pilgrim funds lost sex case; teacher won harassment complaint, now wants part of payout (3/5/2008)
School that got Pilgrim funds probed; Sex case might have violated deal (3/6/2008)
Defense attacks 'con man' Levine; Star witness admits to ripping off charities, passing bribes, using drugs (5/4/2008)
School in $1M 'mixup' admits official's felony; May be grounds to get cash back (4/15/2008)
105-0: House OKs audit of gov's $1 mil. church pledge; School, not Pilgrim Baptist, got cash (5/2/2008)
INVESTIGATION: Double-Duty Davis; Rezko pal pushed pension deal -- and months later, the pension firm hired him (6/26/2008)
Gov: 'I Didn't Pay Attention'; Can't explain why he kept $65,000 donation from felon, but says he'll 'sort it out' (9/23/2008)
School ordered to return $1M mistakenly given by state (9/25/2008)
Did Rezko pay for gov's rehab?; Probe into Blagojeviches centering on whether indicted fund-raiser paid for all or part of $90,000 work on Northwest Side home (10/5/2008)
Quinn to gov: Quit now; GOP leader calls for immediate impeachment (12/9/2008)
Madigan may take him to high court; Attorney general might invoke rule to get Illinois Supreme Court to vote on ousting Blagojevich (12/10/2008)
No birthday party; No cake, no candles. Just calls to 'do the right thing' -- resign (12/11/2008)
Quinn says he would appoint new senator; Lt. gov says special election best but would cost too much and take too long (12/12/2008)
Blago's plan for Senate; Gov might not be ready to quit, but he may OK letting voters fill Obama's seat (12/15/2008)
House Opens Hearings; Governor tries to conduct business as usual as impeachment process begins (12/16/2008)
On the fast track; House seeks help from feds, gov's camp rips speed (12/17/2008)
Impeachment panel asks for tapes; Wants to hear from Rep. Jackson, Jarrett (12/19/2008)
'I will be vindicated'; Blagojevich vows he will have his day in court to prove his innocence, while forces for impeachment gather steam (12/20/2008)
Panel may call ex-deputy gov to testify (12/21/2008)
'5-alarm fire'; As it wraps up its case against Gov, impeachment panel hears how he got 435 contributions of $25,000 or more (12/23/2008)
Feds might share tapes; Panel might get secretly recorded conversations (12/24/2008)
Witnesses for gov?; Blagojevich's lawyer wants Emanuel, Jarrett and Jackson to testify (12/25/2008)
Gov's lawyer to offer report clearing Obama insiders (12/29/2008)
More wiretaps revealed; Feds recorded cell phone of Blagojevich's former top aide Lon Monk (12/30/2008)
Gov's lawyer: Tapes 'just talk, not action'; House leader says attorney 'throwing up fairy dust' (12/30/2008)
Gov's pick faces a fight; Obama against Blagojevich's surprise decision, Senate Democrats say they won't seat Burris (12/31/2008)
Senate may block Burris, stall for time; Dems may wait for gov's ouster (12/31/2008)
Impeachment panel meets quietly (1/5/2009)
Panel may debate gov's fate in private (1/8/2009)
Change in Burris' story?; Appears to contradict affidavit saying he hadn't spoken to representative of gov about Senate seat (1/9/2009)
Ex-aide: gov needs his head examined; Cites Blagojevich's 'violently unpredictable' moods (1/9/2009)
Impeached (1/10/2009)
A Supreme dilemma; Still no seat for Burris despite state high court ruling that White's signature not needed (1/10/2009)
Gov's sickest charge of all; groups push for the $8 mil. for ill kids that Blagojevich has blocked (1/11/2009)
Gov denies stalling $8M for kids' doctors; Accused of demanding donation (1/12/2009)
Blagojevich prosecutor named (1/14/2009)
'Surreal Day'; House impeaches gov again, 117-1 (1/15/2009)
Genson quits criminal case; Judge orders 4 FBI surveillance tapes turned over to Senate (1/24/2009)
No Mercy From Feds; Newly released subpoenas show the government is delving deeper into gov's dealings (1/25/2009)
The Gov and Gandhi (1/26/2009)
Gov in N.Y. State of mind; His chair is empty, but we'll hear secret recordings (1/27/2009)
Tapes 'sickening, nauseating'; Top Dem senator predicts 59-0 vote against gov after hearing secret recordings (1/28/2009)
'I'm just the opposite of Nixon'; Defiant Blagojevich sticks to his story in New York media blitz (1/28/2009)
He won't go quietly; Lawmakers don't expect to be persuaded, but will gov give swan song or surprise? (1/29/2009)
‘Sorry for what’; Senate makes it unanimous: Quinn in, 'The ordeal is over' (1/30/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: Blago hit up Burris for cash; In his third sworn version of events, senator confirms pitch for donations (2/15/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: Burris on wiretaps?; Senator changed testimony to state House committee after contact with federal agents (2/16/2009)
INVESTIGATION: 'Come clean'; Dems join GOP in calling for more info from Burris: 'We can't have the people thinking their new U.S. senator lied' (2/17/2009)
EDITORIAL: Burris scoops show how much newspapers matter (2/17/2009)
INVESTIGATION: Senate opens Burris probe; Downstate prosecutor initiates perjury investigation -- senator says he's innocent, will cooperate (2/18/2009)
'Thank God for the Sun-Times' (2/19/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: More holes in Burris' story; Records show more calls to Blago aide than senator reported (2/19/2009)
INVESTIGATION: Durbin bemoans Burris and the 'Blagojevich burlesque'; Burris' affidavit also filed with Supreme Court -- but never corrected (2/20/2009)
Quinn: Burris has to go; Gov wants embattled senator to step down, as more of state's Dems call for resignation of Blago's pick for Obama's U.S. Senate seat (2/21/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: Off to meet feds; Burris questioned for hours -- likely about talks with Blagojevich aides -- as calls to step down get louder (2/22/2009)
INVESTIGATION: Burris' son got state job from Blago; He serves as housing authority counsel despite facing foreclosure on his own home (2/26/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: He fought to get Burris seated in the Senate, now he tells the Sun-Times: 'I owe people an apology' (3/6/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: Burris turns up on Blago list of potential fund-raisers; Entry calls for K$5-K$10 $5-K$10K 3 weeks before he got appointment (3/15/2009)
Top Senate Dems meet on Burris; Reid, Durbin huddle with ethics panel (3/19/2009)
EXCLUSIVE: Blago's $2.3 million hit list; Document shows ex-gov targeted about 150 people for campaign cash (3/29/2009)
'Ryan was the minor leagues compared to this stuff'; Blagojevich charged with running 'criminal enterprise' as governor (4/3/2009)
Promise to Blago; Burris recorded in November saying he could donate check to then-gov (5/27/2009)
Blagojevich's ethics lesson; Records show ex-governor took his online ethics exams -- but apparently he should have paid more attention (7/13/2009)
INVESTIGATION: Blago aide's computer yields new secrets; Chief of staff surfed Web on Emanuel vacancy, 'King Madigan' (12/21/2009)
Blago quiet in court; 'I learned a lot of lessons . . . probably the biggest . . . that I talk too much' (7/22/2010)
Jurors: No 'Smoking Gun'; Prosecution vows to try again after former gov is convicted only of lying to FBI, with jury hung on 23 other counts (8/18/2010)
How state turned $1 mil. into $89,000; Recovery of errant funding from Blago years closes book on 'mistake' (5/22/2011)
In this AP shot, Blagojevich addresses the statehouse press corps on the day a Capitol security guard was shot to death.
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Blagojevich hams it up for cameras as he enters the federal courthouse.
Jack Higgins' take on Blagojevich:
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John White's brilliant Blagojevich shot on the day of his arrest:
Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer John White captured Blagojevich's arrest perfectly, pairing the former governor with the rat warning on a utility pole. White gave me an autographed copy of this remarkable picture.
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In a Seth Perlman shot, Senate President John Cullerton lays out the steps the state Senate intends to take to drive Blagojevich from office. Before Blagojevich's legal troubles exploded, he and House Speaker Michael Madigan share an awkward embrace at the Illinois delegation breakfast at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. The "hug" between the two mortal enemies, prodded by imprisoned ex-U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., was captured by photographer Lee Milner.
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Using my cell phone camera, I took this picture of Blagojevich as he strode past the Senate press box and off the chamber floor, shortly before the historic 59-0 vote to oust him from office in January 2009.