Operation Board Games
Operation Board Games is the code name of an FBI investigation for fraud and extortion against the incumbent governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, which was initiated by the U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in 2003.
The name of the operation refers to the Boards of Governors administrative apparatus for Teacher 's Pension System (Eng. "Teacher Pension System") and Health Facilities Planning Board (Eng. "Planning Board for facilities of the public health system ").
History
In summer 2006, Fitzgerald made for the first time publicly that the FBI a localized offices awarding fraud ( " endemic hiring fraud" ) within federal authorities investigating in Illinois (Operation Board Games ) for which the Governor Blagojevich was responsible. Despite the investigation and a reference to a number of eyewitnesses, was nevertheless initially raised no charges against the governor. The then in May 2007 raised by Chicago attorney Edward Vrdolyak indictment against Blagojevich put his participation open to illegal real-estate speculation (sales ) of various objects in the Chicago Gold Coast neighborhood. In addition to the governor could be indicted based on the determination results of the operation Boardgames another 14 people. The 13th defendant, William F. Cellini, Sr., was the last before the main charges against Blagojevich and Harris in October 2008.
The focus of these processes was Governor Blagojevich, the disclosed criminal actions led to the Rod Blagojevich corruption scandal.
"A long time political insider in Springfield which indicted today on federal corruption charges for Allegedly conspiring with two Chicago businessmen and others to Obtain political Contributions for A Certain public official by shaking down at investment firm did what seeking a $ 220 million allocation from the state Teachers Retirement system ( TRS). "
Former Senator and President-elect of the United States Barack Obama was not the target person for the inspection nor it could be proven any wrongdoing, as Fitzgerald explicitly emphasized to the media. The presidential election was mentioned in 2008 with a single word in the indictment, tried to convey other than publications in the media, as she pointed to the only vacant become by choosing Senate post, and speculated about his new assignment.
The connections to Obama's one of the targets of the investigation, Tony Rezko, the indicted in 2006 and 2008 was in custody, was a recurrent theme in the media. So the family Obama would have acquired a piece of land by the wife Rezko. Although the transaction was legal and was made at normal market prices, but was not performed until after the indictment Rizko.