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Originally Posted by Evil Robot
That childrens hospital got over 8 million dollars that they would have otherwise NOT gotten. Isn't it only fair that they make a contribution to help him get re-elected?
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No, it isn't. Not only is it unfair, it's also illegal. The man is supposed to be a public servant. He's supposed to be focused on operating within the public interest, not figuring out ways to launder money into his campaign coffers.
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In order for him to be "extorting" the children he would have to make a threat of either violence or legal action and that paying the demanded sum would result in a cessation of such actions. This is not the situation with the childrens hospital. The FBI also failed to provide a timeline of when the contribution was made, before or after they recived the $8 million. The hospital also did not claim to be strong armed in any way, the FBI decided that for them.
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The affadavit said that the hospital's Certificate of Need, which was needed for it to be built, was going to be denied by the planning board until the contractor agreed to make a campaign contribution to Blagojevich.
I'm curious to see how all this will play out. Blagojevich hasn't done himself any favors by skipping out on his court date to compare himself to Ghandi and Nelson Mandela on daytime television. I think the senate will vote to impeach him in part because of it. He's made a public spectacle out of himself and the precedings, and my guess is that the senate may vote him out for no better reason than to give the impression that they aren't soft on corruption, despite the state's record to the contrary.