Pay to play

Only 1,354 days to go...

May 07, 2025

“I’ve got this thing and it’s [expletive] golden, and, uh, I’m just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing. I’m not gonna do it. And, and I can always use it. I can parachute me there.” ~Rod Blagojevich

My current home may be in North Carolina, but in my heart, Illinois will always be home. To love Illinois means you have to love all of it - the good, the bad and the ugly.

I was reminded of the ugly this week, when former governor George Ryan passed away. You can read his obituary in The New York Times. George Ryan, Illinois Governor Who Halted Prison Executions, Dies at 91

A fatal car crash in 1994 revealed former Gov. George Ryan’s corruption and his “licenses for bribes” scheme, when a truck driver crashed into a family’s car and killed six of the children. The truck driver at fault in the deadly accident had received his license through a bribe while Ryan was Illinois Secretary of State. The crash showed the consequences of his for-profit bribery scheme at Ryan’s trial. He was indicted after leaving the governor’s office in 2003 for leveraging his public office and allegedly trading government contracts and leases for personal gain. He went to federal prison in 2007 to serve for the offenses he had committed during his time as governor from 1999-2003 and as Illinois secretary of state from 1991-1999.

It was good to see the one really good thing Ryan did, ending capital punishment in Illinois, was highlighted in his obituary.

Chicago and Illinois have had a history with political corruption that goes way back into the 1800s. The University of Illinois at Chicago compiled U.S. Department of Justice data from 1976 to 2017 and found the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois had 1,730 federal corruption convictions: more than any other district court in the country.

And no other state has seen four of its past 10 former governors go to prison.

Rod Blagojevich (2003-2009): convicted in 2011
Democrat Rod Blagojevich was impeached in 2009 amid numerous allegations of corruption, including an attempt to profit from President Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat after his presidential victory. A conversation secretly recorded overheard Blagojevich discussing the senate seat, saying, “I got this thing and its [expletive] golden” and “I’m not just giving it up for [expletive] nothing.” While he was free on bail he appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice with Trump. Blagojevich was ultimately convicted in 2011 and served nearly eight years of his 14-year sentence in federal prison before Trump commuted his sentence. In the last election, not surprisingly, Blagojevich publicly and enthusiastically supported Trump for President.
Republican George Ryan (1999-2003): convicted in 2006
Democrat Daniel Walker (1973-1977): pleaded guilty in 1987
Former Gov. Dan Walker spent time in federal prison for offenses unrelated to his public office. Walker committed bank fraud and perjury while working at a savings and loan company outside Chicago in the years after serving as governor.
Democrat Otto Kerner (1961-1968): convicted in 1973
The first former governor to be convicted of federal corruption charges in Illinois was Otto Kerner, who was convicted for bribery involving horse-racing, conspiracy and income tax evasion. ”Mr. Clean” – Kerner’s nickname as governor – was accused of trading political favors for racetrack stock he secretly purchased in 1966 while governor.

Two former governors, Len Small (1921-1929) and William Stratton (1953-1961) , were charged with crimes but eventually acquitted.

In March of 2022, the big kahuna, former Illinois House Speaker Democrat Michael J. Madigan was finally indicted by a federal grand jury on racketeering and bribery charges. Mike Madigan served for a total of 50 years in the Illinois House of Representatives. He served in the House from 1971 to 2021 and was the Speaker from 1983 to 2021, holding that position for all but two years during that period. Madigan had more power than any of the governors during his tenure. He was the king maker of Illinois politics, so finally seeing him convicted was real progress. The passage of Senate Bill 539, the omnibus ethics package signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2021, was an overdue first step for Illinois to break with the corrupt practices that defined the legislative process under Madigan.

Do you see the pattern?

It’s called Pay to Play. Pay to play had become so ubiquitous in Illinois politics, that to this day, I don’t think Rod Blagojevich believes he did anything wrong.

Ugly as it was, George Ryan’s “licenses for bribes” scheme was child’s play compared to the shameless and overt corruption going on by our current president.

During Trump’s first term, we saw a lot of subtle but clear instances of pay to play. As president, he flouted all kinds of norms, starting with his decision not to divest from his business interests while in office. That set the stage for an administration marked by self-interest, profiteering at the highest levels and more than 3,700 conflicts of interest.

Trump, who ran as the “law and order” candidate and would “drain the swamp” in Washington did just the opposite. He used his presidential position to boost his own profits through frequent visits to his hotels and golf courses, relentless promotion of his properties, and countless other interactions between the Trump Organization and the government. By keeping these properties, Trump provided corporate lobbyists, foreign actors, special interests and anyone else seeking political clout a way to gain access to his administration. Trump opened the presidency up for business, and for four years, influence was for sale. (Source: President Trump’s legacy of corruption, four years and 3,700 conflicts of interest later)

And just look his pardon behavior during his first term.

For 125 years, the key adviser to the president on clemency was the Department of Justice's Office of the Pardon Attorney (OPA) which would review all requests for pardons. Trump often bypassed the OPA, and made the majority of his grants to executive clemency to "well-connected offenders who had not filed petitions with the pardon office or did not meet its requirements." Of the 237 grants of clemency by Trump, only 25 came through the OPA's process (which at the end of Trump's presidency had a backlog of 14,000 applications); the other clemency recipients came to Trump's attention through an ad hoc process at the Trump White House that benefited clemency applicants with money or connections to Trump allies, friends, and family members. Most of Trump's pardons and commutations were granted to people with personal or political connections to him. He frequently bypassed the OPA, and the majority of his executive clemency grants were made to well-connected convicts who had not even filed petition with the OPA.

A late December 2020 analysis determined that "seven of the 94 Trump grants came on recommendation from the pardon attorney" and "at least 84 out of 94 Trump pardons had a personal or political connection to the president." (Source: Wikipedia)

Pay to play…

As bad as the first term was, in this second term, the glaring corruption of this administration is mind-boggling.

The most corrupt president of all time is back in office with a slew of new conflicts of interest. Donald Trump spent the last four years growing his business empire, adding a publicly traded social media company, cryptocurrency venture and new international developments to his already vast portfolio. Instead of assuring Americans that he will put the national interest over his bottom line, Trump’s company released a woefully inadequate ethics pledge that not only falls short of divestment, but greatly expands the potential for corruption from Trump’s first term by allowing it to strike deals with private foreign companies. Source: tracking Trump’s unprecedented corruption (again)

Just six months after the first term ended in 2021, president son-in-law, Jared Kushner, secured a $2 billion investment from a fund led by the Saudi crown prince, a close ally during the Trump administration, despite objections from the fund’s advisers about the merits of the deal. Kushner’s Fund Has Reaped Millions in Fees, but So Far Returned No Profits
When Trump went public with his media company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), he set up a perfect avenue for potential corruption. The stock price rarely reflects that value of this money losing venture.
Inside Trump's 100 days of presidential profit
Most presidents try to avoid even the appearance of using the office or public policy for personal enrichment. But Trump has blended official power and personal business in unprecedented ways — and often in plain sight.
What's happening: Trump, his sons and their associates have launched a wave of high-dollar projects monetizing their proximity to the most powerful government in the world.
- World Liberty Financial: The Trump-backed crypto venture, where founders include Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and his sons, has raised more than $550 million by selling tokens to buyers around the world. Trump himself serves as the company's "chief crypto advocate," while his administration pursues policies — including a federal crypto reserve — that have boosted the value of assets held by the firm.
- OFFICIAL TRUMP: The president's meme coin surged more than 60% last week after its website advertised an "intimate private dinner" with Trump for the top 220 coin-holders — plus a "special VIP" reception and White House tour for the top 25. The website later scrubbed references to the "White House."
- The Executive Branch: Donald Trump Jr. and his business partners — including Witkoff's sons, Zach and Alex — are launching an exclusive D.C. club with a $500,000 membership fee, pitched as a private hangout for donors and business moguls to rub shoulders with top Trump officials.
- Foreign deals: At least 19 foreign Trump-branded projects will be in development over the next four years, according to ethics watchdog CREW. Just this week, the Trump Organization announced a deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar. Trump, whose first foreign visit will be to Saudi Arabia, also hosted a Saudi-backed LIV golf tournament at his Doral club in Florida last month.
- Merchandise: The Trump Organization is selling "Trump 2028" hats, a nod to the president's musings about an unconstitutional third term. Trump hawked Bibles, sneakers, perfume and trading cards during the 2024 campaign, and his political operation continues to rely on MAGA merchandise to raise funds.
- Corporate boards: Dominari Holdings, a small public financial services company with headquarters in New York's Trump Tower, saw its stock price surge more than 1,200% in about six weeks after Trump Jr. and Eric Trump joined its advisory board and took equity stakes worth millions. Trump Jr. also has been named to the board of a digital firearms retailer, called GrabAGun, that's due to go public this summer.
The other side: Allies note that Don Jr. and Eric Trump have long maintained business careers independent of their father's political office, and say their recent ventures are consistent with that history.

Just for reference here is An Illustrated Guide to Trump’s Conflict of Interest Risks.

And it’s only 100 days in … the future looks pretty bleak. While this guy is rolling in ill-gotten dough, he’s touting how the American people need to tighten their belts and suck it up. Only two dolls for Christmas “and maybe the two dolls will cost a couple bucks more than they would normally." A bit tone deaf, if you ask me.

And consider this bit of news, Trump-pardoned Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, the man who was convicted by a jury for 22 years for Seditious Conspiracy and Other Charges Related with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol was chatting with the President on Saturday night at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump may be an incompetent president and lousy businessman, but you have to hand it to him, he sure is an amazingly adept extortionist. Too bad, the good name of the United States is being dragged through the mud by this grifter. It still baffles me that 77 million people would actually vote to elect a convicted felon to be President of the United States.

Yes, our president is a CONVICTED FELON. Is it any wonder that pay to play is alive and well in today’s Trump administration.

Thought for the day in honor of his birthday…

"Liberty of any kind is never lost all at once."

~ David Hume

Must Read Article:

Uncovering Conflicts of Interest and Self-Dealing in the Executive Branch

While Trump’s first term was beset with allegations of corruption and abuses of power, the new administration’s aggressive assertion of executive authority — disregarding norms, laws, and constitutional checks — and the lack of guardrails to prevent conflicts of interest threaten to expand the use of government action for personal enrichment to a new level.

Quote of the day:

“In 100 days, Donald Trump put the best-performing economy in the world on a crash course toward recession. Trump’s tariffs — the biggest middle class tax hike in modern history — are making everyday prices skyrocket and wreaking havoc for businesses large and small. Next up are grossly inflationary tax cuts for the wealthy that will only saddle future generations with staggering debt. Whether you’re a Republican, Democrat, or anything else, Donald Trump’s agenda is an economic crisis threatening your livelihood and standard of living.”

~ Terry Holt and Andrew Bates

What I’m reading today…

Trump administration reaches ‘settlement in principle’ with rioter shot by cop on Jan. 6

Justice Department attorneys and lawyers for the Babbitt family confirmed the agreement in court Friday, saying they hoped to iron out specific language and sign the settlement within the next 30 days…The settlement news comes as the Justice Department has also argued in favor of refunding restitution payments made by some rioters — funds meant to cover damage caused to the Capitol — and shortly after Trump himself floated the notion of payments to rioters.

Proud Boys’ Ex-Leader Thanks Trump for Pardon at Mar-a-Lago Encounter

Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, said he personally thanked President Trump on Saturday night for issuing a pardon that cut short the 22-year prison term he was serving in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Mr. Tarrio’s expression of gratitude came during a brief but extraordinary encounter with Mr. Trump at Mar-a-Lago, the president’s private club and residence in Palm Beach, Fla. Mr. Tarrio and his mother, Zuny Duarte, were invited to have dinner at the property by one of its members.

Trump Crypto Deals Provoke Senate Backlash and Calls for Investigation

Senate Democrats are demanding changes to cryptocurrency legislation pending in Congress, responding partly to growing evidence that the Trump family is using its connections and President Trump’s power to profit from crypto trading.

The pushback intensified late last week after a closed-door meeting among Senate Democrats in which Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, told colleagues they should not commit to voting for the so-called GENIUS Act, a bill backed by the crypto industry.

At a Dubai Conference, Trump’s Conflicts Take Center Stage

A deal for a state-backed Emirati firm to use a Trump-affiliated digital coin was announced in a panel that included the president’s son and his business partner, who promised, “This is only the beginning.”

Trump promised no new business deals with foreign governments. He lied.

The Trump Organization struck a deal to build a $5.5 billion Trump International Golf Club in Qatar. To develop the project, the Trump Organization is partnering with Dar Global, a Saudi Arabian company, and Qatari Diar, a company owned by the Qatari government. Qatari Diar was established by Qatar's sovereign wealth fund in 2005. Its stated purpose is to "coordinate the country’s real estate development priorities."

Eric Trump, who runs the Trump Organization, said that the deal was only with the Saudi company and not Qatari Diar. "We have zero relationship with them," he insisted in a statement.

That appears to be false.

Trump family crypto venture tapped as part of $2B Emirati-backed investment deal

An Abu Dhabi state-backed investment firm is making a major $2 billion investment in a crypto business deal that could serve as a major boost for Trump family crypto venture World Liberty Financial, according to Zach Witkoff, co-founder of World Liberty Financial.

Trump family's net worth has increased by $2.9 billion thanks to crypto investments

President Trump's venture into crypto products has increased his family's wealth by billions in the last six months, according to a new report, as his administration continues to loosen the federal government's regulatory approach to the digital currency industry as a whole.

Trump Sons’ Deals on Three Continents Directly Benefit the President

A contest of sorts has played out across Europe, the United States and the Middle East in recent days as President Trump’s two older sons have pursued a blitz of family moneymaking ventures capitalizing on their father’s name and power, each seemingly trying to outdo the other. It is a rush to cash in that involves billions of dollars with few precedents in American history. A luxury hotel in Dubai. A second high-end residential tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Two cryptocurrency ventures based in the United States. A new golf course and villa complex in Qatar. And a new private club in Washington. In many cases these new deals promoted over the last week will personally benefit not only Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., but also President Trump himself.

The Trump Administration’s Use of State Power: Keeping Track of the Big Picture

There is every reason to expect that freedom of the press will remain under threat for the foreseeable future, but the public will only be able to comprehend the scale and severity of the threat if individual developments are explained in reference to the bigger picture. And press freedom is far from the only pillar of a democratic society that is under attack.

Trump Is Hiding Behind His Lawyers

The law is complicated, and any wise president would consult good attorneys, but if someone is not ready to make basic judgments about the Constitution, perhaps he should not run to lead the branch of government that executes federal laws. Trump’s supposed deference is particularly striking at this moment: On the one hand, his administration has embarked on one of the largest power grabs in American history, seizing authority that no president has ever claimed before and using the executive branch as a tool of retribution. On the other hand, he’s traipsing onto Meet the Press pretending that he’s just a simple policy maker at the mercies of the nerds with the case law.