A FEDERAL jury in Chicago convicted former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich of one count of lying to the FBI but deadlocked on 23 corruption counts on Tuesday – a setback for prosecutors who have spent years pursuing the voluble and theatrical Democrat.
Prosecutors immediately vowed to retry Mr Blagojevich after the judge declared a mistrial on charges that he schemed to sell President Barack Obama’s former Senate seat and shook down businessmen for campaign cash in return for state business.
The former congressman and two-term governor faces up to five years in prison after jurors found that he lied to federal agents when he said he did not track campaign contributions and kept a “firewall” between political campaigns and government work.
The 12 jurors reached their decision after 14 days of deliberations, first signalling to the judge last week that they were stuck. The jury was also deadlocked on four felony counts against Mr Blagojevich’s brother, Robert, who was accused of joining the plot to trade a Senate appointment for campaign money. He will also be retried.
The panel was deadlocked 11-1 in favour of conviction on charges involving the Senate seat, the Associated Press reported.
The partial verdict came after an 18-month legal and political saga that frequently bore elements of the absurd. Mr Blagojevich proclaimed his innocence as the trial approached, hosting call-in shows, performing Elvis impersonations for cash and appearing on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice.
His attorneys portrayed him as a dim bulb, presenting no witnesses to contest the prosecution’s evidence and hours of secretly recorded audiotapes of Mr Blagojevich ranting at his political enemies.
Observers of the seven-week trial said the former governor, who was impeached by the Illinois Senate last year, might have outfoxed his pursuers. “His efforts to poison the jury pool may have borne fruit,” said longtime Chicago political consultant Don Rose. “All of his antics, all the theatrics, it was intentional. I suspect he made a friend in the jury room.”
But the case had a serious side, with political ramifications from Chicago to Washington. It almost entangled some senior members of Mr Obama’s inner circle, whom Mr Blagojevich’s legal team had threatened to call as witnesses. The publicity has hurt Democratic prospects for upcoming elections in November in the president’s home state.
Lieut Gov Pat Quinn, a Democrat who replaced Mr Blagojevich and is seeking a full term, has struggled to emerge from his predecessor’s shadow, and Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias has been attacked by Republicans for his ties to Mr Blagojevich. The prospect of a Blagojevich retrial in the next several months could hamper Democrats in Illinois and nationally, political analysts said.
In his typically pugnacious style, Mr Blagojevich claimed vindication after the verdict was read to a packed courtroom, and vowed to appeal his one conviction. “This jury shows you that . . . the government threw everything but the kitchen sink at me,” he said.
“They could not prove I did anything wrong – except for one nebulous charge from five years ago.” He added: “I want the people of Illinois to know I did not lie to the FBI.”
Legal observers said Mr Blagojevich has little reason to celebrate. He is now a convicted felon, his political career is in tatters and evidence heard at the trial showed him to be an inveterate wheeler-dealer who cared little about governing – spending just a few hours in the office during some weeks. – ( Washington Post/Bloomberg)