Opinion: Full video: U.S. attorney details Gov. Blagojevich ‘appalling’ activities

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The face of Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald may look familiar. (Think Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby.)

Fitzgerald calls the charges placed today against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich ‘appalling,’ a betrayal of trust and a ‘corruption crime spree.’

They involve a variety of alleged crimes including fundraising in return for state contracts, plush jobs for the governor and his wife Patti, and, worst of all in Fitzgerald’s opinion, in effect selling the nomination to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Fitzgerald’s office has been investigating Blagojevich (Bluh-goy-uh-vitch) for three years, but the pace of activities increased immediately after the Nov. 4 election. That’s when investigators secretly placed a tap on the governor’s home phone and bugs in his campaign office, unusual measures which the U.S. attorney said bore immediate fruit.

On this amazing complete news conference video, he reads entire portions of the intercepted conversations.

Fitzgerald states there is no sign of any involvement by the recently resigned senator, who did endorse Blagojevich for election but claims to have had no recent contact with the governor, as detailed here earlier today by The Ticket.

--Andrew Malcolm

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Video courtesy of CLTV