 The October 2003 memo
instructs a Blagojevich aide to compile a recommendation letter that
Blagojevich could personally approve, and to return all the
paperwork so the governor's secretary could follow through if the
applicant had "trouble" with admission to the state's flagship
school.U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who already is
prosecuting the Democrat for political corruption, is seeking any
communication Blagojevich and four former associates had regarding
student applications at the University of Illinois, Southern
Illinois University and Northern Illinois University, officials
said.
Fitzgerald's interest in admissions comes after the Chicago
Tribune revealed last month that the UI kept a separate list of
applicants with political connections, some of whom were admitted
over more qualified hopefuls.
It is the latest twist in a long-running federal investigation of
Blagojevich's tenure. He and five others face a 19-count indictment
alleging a conspiracy to trade government action for personal and
political wealth, including attempting to auction off President
Barack Obama's former Senate seat.
The type of material prosecutors are seeking include the kind
contained in the documents obtained by the AP under the state's
open-records law. The 2003 missive was for Jack Gould, the son of
Irmina and Joel Gould, a Chicago defense attorney who said he has
known Blagojevich since the Democrat was an assistant Cook County
state's attorney in the 1980s.
"We need a very special letter of recommendation for him," the
memo read, noting the Goulds are "very close, personal friends of
Rod's."
Jack Gould graduated with honors in political science from the
Urbana-Champaign campus in 2008 and now attends law school in
Chicago. The documents do not indicate Joel Gould sought a favor for
his son. Gould said he simply wanted an endorsement from someone
with an eye-catching title.
"I went to Rod because he's a friend of mine and he happened to
elevate himself to governor. When you send a letter that says
'governor,' it's impressive," Gould told the AP Thursday.
Gould, who contributed $5,200 to Blagojevich from July 2003 to
October 2007, said he initially sought out Blagojevich for a letter
with "weight" to send to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point,
which his son considered attending. That's reflected in a phone
message to Blagojevich from September 2003.
[to top of second column] |
The phone message also indicates another of Gould's sons was a
junior in high school and wanted to be an intern. Gould said he
later got the internship.
Blagojevich's letter went not only to the University of Illinois
but other colleges to which Jack Gould applied, according to his
father.
The Chicago Tribune reported last month that the university kept
at least 800 admission applications with clout -- typically
recommended by politicians -- on a separate "Category I" list.
The newspaper reported two cases where Blagojevich intervened on
behalf of a candidate, including for a relative of convicted
political fixer Antoin "Tony" Rezko, Blagojevich's friend and
fundraiser. The relative was accepted over the objections of an
admissions officer who rated the candidate as subpar, according to
the report.
Those cases took place in 2005 or later, however, long after the
Gould letter.
"He is not in the group that I read about," Joel Gould said of
his son. "This is not pulling strings for some dope."
The federal subpoenas sent to the state universities Tuesday seek
communications from Blagojevich, Rezko, fundraiser Christopher
Kelly, former Blagojevich chief of staff and campaign director
Alonzo Monk, and Springfield power broker William Cellini. All but
Rezko, who is awaiting sentencing in a separate case, are defendants
in Blagojevich's criminal indictment.
University of Illinois spokesman Thomas Hardy said the subpoena
covered all three of the school's campuses.
An NIU spokeswoman said she was unaware of such contacts, as did
SIU spokesman David Gross.
"I just don't have any reason to believe those records exist,"
Gross said.
[Associated Press]
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