rod blagojevich

With the fate of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich now in the hands of the jury, here's a look back at some of the key moments in his two-month corruption trial. The curtain rises With his future hanging in the balance, Blagojevich began his criminal trial much like he ended his political career: proclaiming his innocence, clinging to supporters and flouting authority. On the first day of jury selection, the U.S. Marshals Service had asked him to enter the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse without addressing the news m  

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- As a federal jury ponders ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich's fate for allegedly seeking campaign money in exchange for official action, consider some of what happened in Springfield the past 18 months: -- AT&T asked the Legislature to ease telecom regulations so it could more easily compete in the exploding wireless market. The bill, though controversial among consumer advocates, was approved without a single "no" vote from state elected officials -- who, collectively, have received more than a  

Vote early, vote often. It's an old joke in Illinois politics but state residents will be choosing twice in November to fill President Barack Obama's former Senate seat. Gov. Pat Quinn filed paperwork Thursday calling a special election to fill the seat, all because of a long-running lawsuit that says it should have been done almost two years ago.  

One-in-three voters in Illinois (32%) believe impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich is about as ethical as most politicians. A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows that 59% believe the former governor is less ethical than his peers. Only two percent (2%) say Blagojevich is more ethical.  

A contract to lease seven Illinois Tollway oases will be put up for public auction late next month after the operator of the previous lease was foreclosed upon. A judgment of foreclosure and sale was entered in Cook County Circuit Court against Wilton Partners on July 9. In 2002, the company -- which went on to become a big donor to then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- received a 25-year lease to operate the oases in Lake Forest, O'Hare, Hinsdale, Des Plaines, Belvidere, DeKalb and Chicago Southland Lincoln.  

After more than two days of deliberations, the jury is still out in the Rod Blagojevich corruption trial. The ousted governor faces more than 24 counts of conspiracy and racketeering for allegedly trying to sell Barack Obama's former Senate seat. How long will it take to get a verdict?  

As Rod Blagojevich's lawyer declared to the jury during his closing argument last week, "Think about it." He wanted jurors to consider what he thinks is self-evident about his client's innocence. The rest of us might well think about all we still don't know.  

The jury in Rod Blagojevich 's federal corruption trial has left for the weekend without reaching a verdict. They will resume deliberations Monday morning. Tags:  

Emmy Award-winning reporter Phil Rogers joined WMAQ Channel 5 in 1993 and leads the station's coverage of the Rod Blagojevich trial, foreign affairs, and aviation news. His in-depth knowledge of local issues and trenchant insight into Chicago's political machinations make him an indispensable member of the our team. Read full bio .