"Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday vehemently denied any wrongdoing in response to recent allegations that an unnamed high-ranking public official was behind a scheme to steer state pension fund business to firms that made campaign contributions.
Asked by reporters whether he was the unnamed official--identified only as 'Public Official A' in a court document--Blagojevich said, 'I don't know who A, B, C or Z is.'"
Gov. Rod Blagojevich denied any role in a scheme to shake down investment firms doing business with a state teachers pension fund, insisting Friday that he does not tolerate any unethical behavior.
"I have no involvement whatsoever in anything surrounding the alleged corruption at the teachers retirement system, and nobody close to me does either," Blagojevich said.
The Democratic governor faced some of the toughest questioning of his 2 1/2 years in office as he addressed accusations with the potential to become a major political and legal crisis.
Two people pleaded guilty Thursday to taking part in a scheme to demand consulting fees from investment firms wanting to do business with the pension fund. They said in their plea agreements that they were told the payments were used to reward campaign donors for the benefit of a "high-ranking public official."
The official was not identified, but individuals familiar with the plea agreements said it was Blagojevich. The individuals spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
At least one person was killed and dozens were injured after a commuter train derailed Saturday morning on Chicago's South Side, officials said.
The five-car Metra train was traveling from Joliet to Chicago when the derailment occurred around 8:36 a.m., authorities said. About 125 passengers were on board.
Seventy-six people were injured, said Monique Bond, a spokeswoman for the office of emergency management. Some of those injured were in critical condition, said fire department spokesman Larry Langford.