Testimony: Chicago Mob Linked State Senator Met Blago's Fundraising Goal

The Chicago Tribune reports:

A former confidant portrayed ex- Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday as so obsessed with raising political cash that he tried to swap an appointment to the U.S. Senate in order to derail an ethics bill that would crimp his fundraising prowess.

In 2008, Blagojevich was in such a frenzy to block the ethics legislation that he agreed to elevate then- Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr. to the U.S. Senate post held by Barack Obama if Jones would bury the ethics reform, testified Alonzo "Lon" Monk, a longtime Blagojevich friend and aide.

When that backfired, Blagojevich then launched a hardball drive to squeeze millions of dollars in donations out of state contractors and others before the fundraising limits in the ethics bill took effect at the beginning of 2009, said Monk, who was testifying as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

There's more:

a fundraising event held by state Sen. James DeLeo (D-Chicago) had met its goal, Blagojevich said. Campaign contributions from asphalt magnate Michael Vondra had dropped off, Blagojevich said on the recording. "The Greeks have dropped off," he added.

For more on James DeLeo.