Overview

An enlightening foray into mind-boggling government corruption

Revealing previously unreleased information from the Rod Blagojevich investigation, this narrative—written by two Chicago Tribune reporters who spent years sifting through evidence, compiling documents, and conducting more than 100 interviews with those who have known the former governor—is the most complete telling of the Blagojevich story. Beginning on the streets of Chicago and wending its way into the highest reaches of government, the Blagojevich tale brushes up against some of the nation’s most powerful politicians. Detailing the mechanics of the corruption that brought him down and profiling a fascinating and frustrating character who embodies many of the problems found in modern politics, this account dispenses with the sensationalism that surrounded the case to present the facts about one of the nation’s most notorious politicians. Sentenced to 14 years in prison in December 2011, this is the final word on who the governor was, how he was elected, how he got himself into trouble, and how the feds took him down.

Reviews

"This is a lively, intimate primer on the bad and the ugly of Chicago and Illinois politics that reads like a novel by reporter-authors who were there from Blagojevich's promising beginning to humiliating end."  —Jim Nowlan, senior fellow at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs

"Golden is the definitive book on former governor Rod Blagojevich. The saga of his life and two trials provide a road map to the highest levels of corruption in Illinois. This cautionary tale leaves us with the task of ending the corrupt political culture that made his crooked wheeling and dealing possible."  —Dick Simpson, University of Illinois political science professor and former Chicago alderman

Author Biography

Jeff Coen is a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, covering federal trials and investigations at both Chicago’s Criminal Courts Building and the federal courthouse. He is the author of Family Secrets: The Case That Crippled the Chicago Mob. He lives in Oak Park, Illinois. John Chase is also a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, covering state and local politics. He covered Blagojevich from the start of his first campaign for governor and pushed the newspaper’s further investigations into the former governor's tactics. He lives in Chicago.