Blago Awaits Indictment at Disney World
U.S. Attorney: Press release coming later today
By MARY ANN AHERN
Updated 10:30 AM CST, Thu, Apr 2, 2009
You’re going to be indicted, Blago, what are you going to do next? Hunker down with the folks still willing to represent you? Jog (strangely) around your home? No? Disney World it is.
The impeached governor has skipped town and is vacationing in sunny Florida.
"I can confrim he's not at his home. He's clearly away to enjoy some time with his family," Glenn Selig, a publicist for Blagojevich said.
The grand jury meets today, and although the deadline for prosecutors to announce their indictments is April 7, this is the last Thursday before that deadline -- and there is widespread belief the formal charges will be released today. The U.S. Attorney's Office issued a statement Thursday morning, saying a press released would be issued late this afternoon. They didn't specifically say it would be about Blagojevich, but said it would be regarding a "significant criminal matter."
No news conference is likely, especially after the much-publicized arrest and dramatic news conference in December, which Fitzgerald caught a lot of flack over.
It's no accident that Blagojevich headed to Disney World. He may have left yesterday to avoid the media staking out his home, the Sun-Times reported. This is also spring break for many Chicago area schools, and the Blagojevichs have two school-age daughters.
The big unknown is whether others be named in the indictment as well. There is speculation that Patti Blagojevich, the former governor's wife -- as well as Rob Blagojevich, his brother who lives in Nashville -- may be named as well.
The federal government secretly taped Blagojevich for months before his arrest. Those tapes are expected to play a prominent role in their investigation into his alleged "pay to play" schemes as well as the naming of the Senate replacement for President Barack Obama's Senate Seat.
The criminal complaint in December was 80 pages. The indictment is expected to be even longer.
First Published: Apr 2, 2009 9:55 AM CST
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