Results tagged “johnharris”

Lon Monk, former chief of staff for ex-governor Rod Blagojevich, reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors which saw him plead guilty today and promise to testify against Blago at the ex-gov's trial next year. Monk pleaded guilty to just one charge involving a shake down of race track owner Johnny Johnston for a $100,000 campaign contribution in exchange for favorable horse racing legislation. As part of the agreement, Monk would face up to two years in prison.

As our pal Steve Rhodes reminds us over at NBC, former Blago Chief-of-Staff John Harris served under Mayor Daley as his budget director and deputy aviation commissioner. Could the feds have an even wider net? Will Harris divulge things about Daley as well as Blago? Rhodes points out:

John Harris, Blago's former Chief of Staff who was arrested along with the ex-governor back in December, is expected to plead guilty to fraud charges at a noon hearing today. Indications are that Harris has been cooperating with prosecutors and plans to testify against Blago at his trial next summer. [WBEZ]

• Members of the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid team were to hold a secret meeting this afternoon with aldermen to allay their fears about putting taxpayers on the hook for the cost.
• The amazing story of Ald. Don Parrillo.
• State lawmakers are taking a break from working on the budget and will reconvene Monday to pick the problem back up.

Yesterday evening, the other shoe dropped and Rod Blagojevich and five others were indicted on a wide range of fraud and corruption charges. The indictment contains 19 charges in all against Blagojevich, his brother Robert, former Chief-of-Staff John Harris, former adviser Lon Monk, former fundraiser Christopher Kelly, and power broker William Cellini. Here are some of the highlights from the news surrounding the indictments.

Remember John Harris? He was Governor Blagojevich's Chief of Staff who was arrested alongside the Governor on that cold December morning. Following the arrest, Harris resigned his position and now it looks like he's joining the Feds' fight against Blago by cooperating with prosecutors. While an official deal has not been hammered out nor has Harris even begun officially giving feds info, sources tell the Trib talks are well underway. One of Harris's phones was tapped by the feds in their investigation of Gov. Blagojevich. Harris is no stranger to scandals, having previously resigned as City Hall's budget director following the Hired Trucks affair.

 

Sure, everyone knows who Gov. Rod Blagojevich is, but who’s this John Harris guy? Well, Harris was apart of Mayor Daley’s administration from 1996 to 2005.