Operation Board Games
Encyclopedia
Operation Board Games is a federal fraud
investigation initiated by United States Attorney
Patrick Fitzgerald
in December 2003, in order to investigate suspected fraud and extortion
activity by Illinois Governor
Rod Blagojevich
. The investigation's name is a reference to two governing bodies
in Illinois
: one board controlling the Teacher's Pension System, and the second being the Health Facilities Planning Board.
for his "alleged involvement in a kickback scheme concerning the sale of a Chicago Gold Coast neighborhood building was another piece of the "Operation Board Games" investigation.
A total of fifteen individuals have also been indicted
in the course of the investigation. The thirteenth indictment, of William F. Cellini, Sr.
, which is seemingly the last one before Blagojevich and Harris, occurred in October 2008:
The focus of the investigation was on Blagojevich, which led to the Rod Blagojevich corruption charges
. Blagojevich was convicted on 17 of 20 counts on June 27, 2011.
is not accused of any wrongdoing nor a target or subject of the investigation, as Fitzgerald has emphasized to the media. The President-elect at the time was not mentioned in the initial indictment, other than the explanation that the vacated Senate seat in question was the one he formerly held. His connections to another target in the investigation, Tony Rezko
, who was indicted in September 2006 and convicted in June 2008, have attracted more attention, however. The Obama family purchased a strip of land next to their Chicago house from Rezko's wife. The transaction was legal and at market prices, but occurred after Tony Rezko's initial criminal implications.
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
investigation initiated by United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
Patrick Fitzgerald
Patrick Fitzgerald
Patrick J. Fitzgerald is the current United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and a member of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel...
in December 2003, in order to investigate suspected fraud and extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
activity by Illinois Governor
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
. The investigation's name is a reference to two governing bodies
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
: one board controlling the Teacher's Pension System, and the second being the Health Facilities Planning Board.
History
In summer 2006, Fitzgerald indicated that he was investigating allegations of "endemic hiring fraud" in state agencies under Blagojevich's control as part of the federal Operation Board Games probe. The effort was characterized at that time as locating "a number of credible witnesses" but Blagojevich was not accused of any unlawful activities. The May 2007 indictment of Chicago attorney Edward VrdolyakEdward Vrdolyak
Edward Robert Vrdolyak is a noted Chicago lawyer and politician and a convicted felon. He was a powerful longtime Chicago Alderman and also head of the Cook County Democratic Party before running unsuccessfully for Mayor of Chicago as a Republican...
for his "alleged involvement in a kickback scheme concerning the sale of a Chicago Gold Coast neighborhood building was another piece of the "Operation Board Games" investigation.
A total of fifteen individuals have also been indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
in the course of the investigation. The thirteenth indictment, of William F. Cellini, Sr.
William F. Cellini
William F. Cellini is co-founder of the New Frontier Companies, a group of Illinois-based real estate companies with headquarters in Chicago that employ more than 250 people statewide...
, which is seemingly the last one before Blagojevich and Harris, occurred in October 2008:
The focus of the investigation was on Blagojevich, which led to the Rod Blagojevich corruption charges
Rod Blagojevich corruption charges
Rod Blagojevich, former Governor of Illinois, is an American politician under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 2005 for corruption. Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff John Harris were charged with corruption by federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald...
. Blagojevich was convicted on 17 of 20 counts on June 27, 2011.
Obama not involved
Former Senator and President of the USA, Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
is not accused of any wrongdoing nor a target or subject of the investigation, as Fitzgerald has emphasized to the media. The President-elect at the time was not mentioned in the initial indictment, other than the explanation that the vacated Senate seat in question was the one he formerly held. His connections to another target in the investigation, Tony Rezko
Tony Rezko
Antoin "Tony" Rezko is a Assyrian -American businessman, political fundraiser, restaurateur, and real estate developer in Chicago, Illinois, convicted on several counts of fraud and bribery in 2008. Rezko has been involved in fundraising for local Illinois Democratic and Republican politicians...
, who was indicted in September 2006 and convicted in June 2008, have attracted more attention, however. The Obama family purchased a strip of land next to their Chicago house from Rezko's wife. The transaction was legal and at market prices, but occurred after Tony Rezko's initial criminal implications.