-By Warner Todd Huston
I suppose I should report this story since this is an Illinois centric blog, but I have to say following the corruption of former Governor Rod Blagojevich is more like a chore than anything else.
Anyway, it seems like federal prosecutors are going to bring new indictments against Blago in order to “avoid issues connected to an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court on the scope of the federal ‘honest services’ statute under which Blagojevich has been charged.”
In a filing today, prosecutors said they would handle the honest services question in the new filing against the former governor. The high court is expected to hear arguments tomorrow related to the limits of the federal statute.
Honest services fraud criminalizes schemes that deprive the public or the government of the right to have public officials perform their duties honestly.
My eyes are glazing over already. One is tempted to wonder if there is any such thing as “honest services” from any Illinois pol?
It seems that this will push any trial dates even further out into 2010.
Just another wrinkle in the Blago saga. And the whole thing just makes me tired.