corruption trial news stories on Newser

For Blago, 71 Days of Freedom Left

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:41:17 CST

Gone was the defiant Rod Blagojevich who protested his innocence , promised a comeback , and called himself "frankly … stunned" at his guilty verdict: The Blago on display yesterday at his sentencing was apologetic and emotional, but he was sentenced to 14 years for corruption nonetheless. Now he has just 71...

Riots Break Out as Mubarak Trial Resumes

Polly Davis Doig — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:05:25 CDT

Protesters thronged the Cairo courthouse where Hosni Mubarak's trial resumed today, scuffling with riot police, who struggled to contain them, reports the BBC . Anti-Mubarak protesters burned the former president's image in effigy and protested the judge's ban on cameras in the courtroom, while Mubarak supporters were equally fervent in his...

Mubarak Refusing Solid Food

John Johnson — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:56:47 CDT

Hosni Mubarak is severely depressed and has not eaten solid food in four days, say doctors at the hospital in Egypt where he is being held, reports CNN . The development comes a week before he is due to stand trial on charges that he ordered police to fire on protesters...

Blagojevich: 'F***ing Golden' Remark Was 'War-Gaming'

Rob Quinn — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:00:00 CDT

Rod Blagojevich finally got a chance to explain his infamous description of Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat as "f---ing golden" but he did a pretty poor job of it. "I'm afraid to answer this, but I'm not quite sure how to answer it," the former Illinois governor told his corruption...

Rangel Walks Out of Ethics Hearing

Kevin Spak — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:42:05 CST

Charles Rangel made a scene at his ethics trial today, storming out less than an hour into the proceedings, which he deemed unfair because he can no longer afford a lawyer. Rangel said his lawyer had withdrawn because the congressman couldn’t pay the $2 million bill he’d already racked up,...

Senate Opens Impeachment Hearings on La. Judge

Drew Nelles — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 09:05:23 CDT

The Senate will open today an impeachment trial against a Louisiana judge facing a slew of corruption charges, Fox News reports. The House already voted unanimously to impeach US District Judge G. Thomas Porteous, accused of lying under oath and taking payoffs. A Senate impeachment panel will hold three all-day...

Young Blago Juror: I May Become a Lobbyist

John Johnson — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:33:38 CDT

Any lessons to be learned from round one of the Blagojevich trial? Probably none better than this, as articulated by a college-age juror: "I might be a lobbyist after this," Erik Sarnello tells the Chicago Sun-Times (a line gleefully picked up by the Awl ). "I've seen all the money...

Defiant Blago: Trial a Big Waste of Money

John Johnson — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:33:51 CDT

Because federal prosecutors got Rod Blagojevich on only 1 of 24 counts , we get to do this all over again. Let the posturing begin, as rounded up by the Chicago Tribune : Rod Blagojevich: "The government threw everything but the kitchen sink at me, and on every charge but one they...

Blago Guilty on 1 Count: Lying to FBI

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:46:18 CDT

A federal jury has found ex-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich guilty of one count of lying to federal agents. The jury could not reach a decision on the other 23 counts after two weeks of deliberations, and the judge said he intends to declare a mistrial on them. Federal prosecutors say...