A federal jury today convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich of only one count against him: lying to the FBI. Jurors said they were deadlocked on the other 23 counts against the former governor, and all four counts against his brother Robert.

Blagojevich faces up to 5 years in prison. The former governor pursed his lips and shook his head slightly.

Patti rested her head on the chair in front of her and shook her head no several times.
Blagojevich looked at her with an annoyed look on his face...

New York Democrat Charles Rangel told his fellow lawmakers Tuesday in a rambling and defiant floor speech that he's not resigning, despite 13 charges of ethical wrongdoing.

"I am not going away," the former Ways and Means Committee chairman declared in a combative tone. "If I can't get my dignity back here, then fire your best shot in getting rid of me through expulsion."

Rangel, who is 80, spoke without notes in an extraordinary, often emotional 37-minute speech that defied his lawyers' advice to keep quiet about his case...

House investigators on Monday charged Rep. Maxine Waters with "improperly" exerting influence to help bail out a bank in which her husband held stock, handing more ammunition to Republicans eager to blast House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for overseeing a "House of scandal."

The House ethics panel said the office of the senior California Democrat violated conflict of interest rules by repeatedly lobbying the Treasury Department for bailout money on behalf of minority-owned OneUnited in which her husband held as much as $350,000 in stock. The bank received a $12 million slice of the taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailout.

Ms. Waters has fiercely proclaimed her innocence and asked the committee to make public the 10-page "statement of alleged violation" against her. Like Rep. Charles B. Rangel of New York, she has opted to let the matter play out in a public hearing before the bipartisan ethics committee, demanding that one be scheduled as soon as possible...

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Even Rod Blagojevich's lawyer finds him a bit strange, which may provide the key to the former Illinois governor's strategy at his upcoming corruption trial -- he was all talk, but no action.

Among the 24 counts of fraud, conspiracy, bribery and racketeering that could land Blagojevich a long prison sentence are charges he dangled President Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder or demanded a cabinet post for himself in exchange for naming an Obama aide to the seat.

Since his arrest at dawn on December 9, 2008, Blagojevich has repeated his mantra of innocence in nonstop interviews, in a book, on the airwaves as a local disc jockey, and to anyone who would listen on NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" television show...

Congressional Republicans called for an investigation into perks President Obama handed out to top Democratic donors following a report in The Washington Times that the party's money men got VIP access to the White House, private briefings from administration advisers, and invitations to important speeches and town-hall meetings.

"If the White House is trading access to official functions or titles for political contributions, it is not just tawdry, it is illegal," said Michael Steel, spokesman for House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican...

Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Democrats in the Illinois House of Representatives postponed stripping Governor Rod Blagojevich’s power to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama that prosecutors say Blagojevich tried to sell.

The governor, a Chicago Democrat, retains authority to appoint Obama’s successor while the House pursues an impeachment process that may last weeks. Democratic lawmakers led by House Speaker Michael Madigan dropped plans late yesterday to schedule a special election to fill the post after failing to agree in a closed-door meeting, said Steve Brown, a Madigan aide...

A former Republican presidential candidate says the political corruption scandal involving Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich could result in top advisors to Barack Obama being called to testify before a grand jury very early in his administration.

President-elect Obama has called on Governor Rod Blagojevich to resign for allegedly trying to trade favors for Obama's vacant Illinois senate seat. Although Obama says he had no contact with the governor or his office on the matter, in an interview last month on Fox News Chicago, top Obama advisor David Axelrod said otherwise...

As calls for his impeachment intensified, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich opened his front door to let three clergymen into his home on Friday, waving to the media before returning inside.

The governor has been alternately holed up in his home or his downtown office since his arrest Tuesday on federal corruption charges, accused of scheming to sell President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder...

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiring to get financial benefits through his authority to appoint a U.S. senator to fill the vacancy left by Barack Obama's election as president.

According to a federal criminal complaint, Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in the sale of Wrigley Field. In return for state assistance, Blagojevich allegedly wanted members of the paper's editorial board who had been critical of him fired...