Illinois Republican Party

Key Questions for Quinn and Giannoulias about 2003 Blagojevich Meeting
6/14/2010

Recently, the U.S. Attorney introduced “Government Exhibit January 2003 Schedule” – a section of Rod Blagojevich’s calendar showing a meeting between Blagojevich, Lon Monk, Tony Rezko, Pat Quinn, Pete Giangreco and other key Blagojevich insiders.

Lon Monk testified that kickback schemes were being discussed by this core group as early as 2003. Now seven years later, Quinn is running for governor while Pete Giangreco is serving as senior strategist for Alexi Giannoulias’ Senate campaign.

In the wake of the government’s latest exhibit, Pat Quinn and Alexi Giannoulias should answer the following questions:

For Pat Quinn

1. Why were you in the January 21, 2003 meeting with Rod Blagojevich, Lon Monk, Tony Rezko and Chris Kelly?

2. Did you discuss any pay-to-play schemes during that meeting?

3. What do you remember about that meeting?

For Alexi Giannoulias

1. Were you aware your top consultant and advisor, Pete Giangreco, was a part of the January 21, 2003 meeting with Rod Blagojevich, Lou Monk, Tony Rezko and Chris Kelly?

2. Do you think you can represent change from Rod Blagojevich when your top consultant and advisor is a known Blagojevich insider?

3. Will you be asking Pete Giangreco to step down from your campaign team in the wake of the government’s new evidence?

4. Do you agree with Pete Giangreco that Rod Blagojevich has “done more to reform state government than the other (previous) governors combined”? ('Snarky' stories will just have to do until governor 'rocks system', Daily Herald, May 5, 2005)

5. Do you agree with Pete Giangreco that, with regard to appointments to state boards, it was “clear that the administration is out to get the best and the brightest regardless of political activity”? (Governor assigns his aide to probe Mell's charge, January 13, 2005)

6. Do you agree with Pete Giangreco that Rod Blagojevich was “the first governor in history to pass landmark ethics legislation and to refuse contributions from state employees”? (State senator may run for governor, Sun Times, March 2, 2005)

7. Do you find it curious how closely Giangreco’s rhetoric about Blagojevich’s ethics matches up to your own oft-repeated boast that you are “the first U.S. Senate candidate in state history to refuse campaign money from federal lobbyists and corporate PACs”? (http://abclocal.go.com/wls/feature?section=news/politics/local_elections&id=7204289)

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