Rod Blagojevich is Not the first Governor to be Charged

Four of the last six Illinois Governors have gone to Jail!

Illinois, where Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on federal corruption charges, has a long history of government corruption. Here are some examples:

1956: State auditor Orville Hodge is convicted of embezzling $2 million in state funds.
1973: Gov. Otto Kerner, a Democratic governor from 1961 to 1968, is convicted on income tax charges involving stock in racetracks acquired while in office.

1980: Atty. Gen. William Scott is convicted on income tax charges involving misuse of campaign funds.
1987: Dan Walker, a Democratic governor from 1973 to 1977, pleads guilty to bank fraud, misapplication of funds and perjury. The charges were not related to his service as governor.
1988: Operation Greylord, a federal probe into the Chicago court system, concludes with convictions and guilty pleas from 87 court personnel and attorneys, including 13 judges.
1996: Rep. Daniel Rostenkowski, a Democrat, pleads guilty to mail fraud charges related to public corruption.
1990s: Operation Silver Shovel, a federal probe into Chicago city government, ends with 18 convictions and guilty pleas from public employees, including six current or former city aldermen.
2006: George Ryan, a Republican governor from 1999 to 2003, is convicted of corruption for steering state contracts and leases to political insiders while he was secretary of state and then governor. He is serving a 6 1/2 -year prison term.