Illinois Politicians And Their Prison Sentences

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More prison time for Blagojevich than Illinois' other convicted governors?
 
Sam Hudzik | Dec. 05, 2011
Former Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected to be sentenced this week, following a hearing in federal court that begins on Tuesday. Blagojevich was convicted on 17 corruption counts this past summer, and another one in 2010 – totaling a maximum prison sentence of 305 years.

The ex-governor’s lawyers want Judge James Zagel to sentence him to no more than three to four years. The prosecution is asking for 15-20 years, pointing out that a Blagojevich co-conspirator who “held no elected office of trust,” Tony Rezko, recently got a 10½ year sentence. (Rezko’s case was not handled by Zagel.)

Another reason the government gives for a long sentence: deterrence. “Sadly, Illinois has a history of corruption in government,” the prosecution writes. “The sentences imposed on previous criminals for public corruption crimes were not sufficient to dissuade Blagojevich from engaging in a myriad of criminal acts.”

Let’s now review the sentences those “previous criminals” got. If the government gets its way, Blagojevich will spend far more time behind bars than any other member of the imprisoned governors’ club.

Governors

George Ryan: Governor from 1999-2003, Illinois secretary of state from 1991 to 1999. Found guilty in 2006 on 18 federal counts regarding actions during time as secretary of state and as governor. Sentenced to 6½ years, imprisoned from 2007 to present, with an estimated release date of July 4, 2013.

Otto Kerner: Governor from 1961-1968, federal appeals court judge from 1968 to 1974. Found guilty in 1973 on 17 federal counts regarding actions during time as governor. Sentenced to 3 years, but imprisoned for less than a year (from 1974 to 1975) because of poor health.

Dan Walker: Governor from 1973 to 1977. Pleaded guilty in 1987 to three federal counts regarding actions occurring after he left office. Initially sentenced to seven years, but released after a year and a half (from 1988 to 1989) because of health concerns.

Other Illinois politicians

Dan Rostenkowski: Congressman from 1959 to 1995. Pleaded guilty in 1996 to two federal counts regarding actions during time in Congress. Sentenced to 17 months, imprisoned for 15 months, from 1996 to 1997.

Mel Reynolds: Congressman from 1993 to 1995. Found guilty in 1995 on state counts related to having sex with a minor. Sentenced to five years. Then found guilty in 1997 on 15 federal counts regarding actions during campaigns for Congress. Sentenced to six and a half years. President Clinton commuted his sentence in 2001.

Betty Loren Maltese: Cicero town president from 1993 to 2002. Found guilty in 2002 on six federal counts regarding actions during time as town president. Sentenced to eight years, imprisoned for seven years, from 2003 to 2010.

Jim Laski: Chicago city clerk from 1995 to 2006. Pleaded guilty in 2006 on one federal count regarding actions during time as alderman and city clerk. Sentenced to two years, imprisoned for less than a year, from 2007 to 2008.

Tom Keane: Alderman from 1945 to 1974. Found guilty in 1974 on 18 federal counts regarding actions during his time as alderman. Sentenced to five years, imprisoned for less than two years, from 1976 to 1978.

http://www.wbez.org/story/more-prison-time-blagojevich-illinois-other-convicted-governors-94538?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wbeznews+%28WBEZ+-+City+Room+%28News%29+RSS%29

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Add Miriam Santos Chicago treasurer, Ed Vrdolyk aldeman, Paul Powell secretary of state and countless others. Over 1000 according to a University of Illinois report.

The full article can be found here:
http://www.uic.edu/depts/pols/ChicagoPolitics/Anti-corruptionReport.pdf

Even before Governor Blagojevich tried to sell the vacant senate seat to the highest bidder, the people of the state were exposed continuously to outrageous corruption scandals. The state history of political corruption features Paul Powell, a former secretary of state, who died leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars hoarded in shoeboxes in his closet, 13 judges nabbed in Operation Greylord for fixing court cases, and a state auditor who embezzled more than $1.5 million in state funds and bought two planes, four cars, and two homes with the money.

Since 1972 there have been three governors before Governor Blagojevich, state legislators, two congressmen, 19 Cook County judges, 30 Aldermen, and other statewide officials convicted of corruption.1 Altogether there have been 1,000 public officials and businessmen convicted of public corruption since 1970.

The history of public corruption in Illinois goes as far back as 1860s when the state's largest city, Chicago, was growing rapidly and with much disorder which provided ample opportunities for corruption. This time period is characterized by several corruption cases in the city including a city council ring of aldermen on the take known as McCauley’s Nineteen, and county commissioners involved in a City Hall painting contract scandal. Of the 14 aldermen and public official indicted in that scandal four were convicted and several others lost their reelection bids in the elections of 1871.

At the same time, a gambling kingpin, Michael Cassius McDonald, created Chicago's political machine. Public officials were handing out contracts, jobs and social services in exchange for political support. McDonald is credited with "electing aldermen who lorded it in the city council and county commissioners who stole everything in sight and for providing contracts for public works that had thievery written between the lines." 2 Machine politics and corruption have been directly linked ever since the late 1860s following the civil war and the Great Chicago Fire.

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More to add to the list:

William G. Stratton — Governor from 1953-1961. Indicted after leaving office on income-tax evasion charges but was acquitted.

Lennington Small — Governor from 1921-1929. Indicted while in office on embezzlement charges but was acquitted.

Joel Matteson — Governor from 1853-1857. After leaving office, a Sangamon County court ruled that he owed the state more than $253,000 in connection with a scheme to pay government contractors. His property was sold at auction.

Secretary of State Paul Powell — Roughly $800,000 was found stuffed in shoe boxes Powell's home after he died in 1970.

Auditor Orville Hodge — Pleaded guilty in the 1950s to embezzling more than $1.5 million from the state while in office. He used the money to buy two planes, four automobiles and homes in Illinois and Florida.

Attorney General William Scott — Convicted of tax fraud and spent a year in prison in the 1980s. Was Illinois attorney general from 1969-80