Question to Governor: "Is corruption still 'tangential'?"

Statement by BGA Executive Director Jay Stewart

For weeks, testimony in the Tony Rezko trial has painted a continually more disturbing picture of the “pay to play” system that permeates so many halls of government within the State of Illinois. The testimony, combined with the guilty pleas thus far show how contracts and investment deals have been for sale, in exchange for kickbacks and campaign contributions.

13 floors above Mr. Rezko’s trial, the former director of the Illinois Finance Authority today provided another glimpse of that system. Ali D. Ata agreed to waive indictment on two felony charges and plead guilty to making false statements to the FBI and knowingly filing a false income tax return.

The plea agreement, released by the United States Attorney’s Office, offers a stunning account of how Mr. Ata raised tens of thousands of dollars for “Public Official ‘A’” (Governor Rod Blagojevich) in exchange for his job. Even more disturbing, the plea described a meeting between Blagojevich, Rezko, and Ata during which Blagojevich accepted a $25,000 campaign contribution and then discussed with Rezko Mr. Ata’s placement in the administration.

Early this year, the Governor described news stories about corruption in his administration as “tangential, collateral things that have no impact or relevance to people.” In light of today’s developments, the only stories that have “no impact” on the public are the Governor’s continued accounts of having no knowledge of the criminal matters occurring at the highest levels of state government.

Rather than lash out at his imagined enemies in the news media, the Governor should provide the public with a factual explanation of how he and his administration have become the targets of federal prosecutors.