Blagojevich says there's 'nothing to' flap over $1,500 check
Issue date: 9/18/06 Section: News Briefs
- Page 1 of 1
Gov. Rod Blagojevich says the recent flap over a $1,500 personal check written to his daughter by a former campaign treasurer two weeks after the man's wife got a state job is much ado about nothing.
"There's really nothing to any of this," Blagojevich said Thursday during a campaign appearance in Rockford that was not disclosed to most news organizations beforehand.
When asked by a reporter if he thought that accepting the check was inappropriate, Blagojevich shook his head no, according to a report in Friday's editions of the Chicago Tribune.
Beverly Ascaridis, 56, recently told the Tribune that federal investigators had questioned her and her husband, Michael Ascaridis, about the check.
Michael Ascaridis is the governor's former campaign treasurer. His wife started her $45,000-a-year position as a state parks administrator in August 2003.
Thursday was the first time Blagojevich has appeared publicly since news of the check investigation surfaced. He told reporters that his handling of the gift from Ascaridis was by the book.
"Every single rule and law, disclosure law, has been complied with," he said.
His office issued a statement last week saying that the check was given to the governor's daughter, Amy, on her 7th birthday. The statement called the suggestion that the check was anything but a gift from a friend "simply ludicrous."
Michael Ascaridis, an accountant for the city of Chicago, said he told the FBI the check had nothing to do with his wife's hiring.
In a statement, he denied "any quid pro quo regarding any gift to Amy and my wife's job." He contends the gift was for Amy Blagojevich's college fund, according to the statement.
Beverly Ascaridis' name was among more than 1,000 job applicants identified by the inspector general's report as being channeled through a special office that took hiring recommendations from the governor's office, state lawmakers and Democratic county chairman, the Tribune reported.
"There's really nothing to any of this," Blagojevich said Thursday during a campaign appearance in Rockford that was not disclosed to most news organizations beforehand.
When asked by a reporter if he thought that accepting the check was inappropriate, Blagojevich shook his head no, according to a report in Friday's editions of the Chicago Tribune.
Beverly Ascaridis, 56, recently told the Tribune that federal investigators had questioned her and her husband, Michael Ascaridis, about the check.
Michael Ascaridis is the governor's former campaign treasurer. His wife started her $45,000-a-year position as a state parks administrator in August 2003.
Thursday was the first time Blagojevich has appeared publicly since news of the check investigation surfaced. He told reporters that his handling of the gift from Ascaridis was by the book.
"Every single rule and law, disclosure law, has been complied with," he said.
His office issued a statement last week saying that the check was given to the governor's daughter, Amy, on her 7th birthday. The statement called the suggestion that the check was anything but a gift from a friend "simply ludicrous."
Michael Ascaridis, an accountant for the city of Chicago, said he told the FBI the check had nothing to do with his wife's hiring.
In a statement, he denied "any quid pro quo regarding any gift to Amy and my wife's job." He contends the gift was for Amy Blagojevich's college fund, according to the statement.
Beverly Ascaridis' name was among more than 1,000 job applicants identified by the inspector general's report as being channeled through a special office that took hiring recommendations from the governor's office, state lawmakers and Democratic county chairman, the Tribune reported.
Be the first to comment on this story