Embattled ex-governor will be taking your calls
BY DEANNA BELLANDI
ASSOCIATED PREss WRITER
CHICAGO (AP) Former
Illinois Gov. Rod Bldgojevich
certainly isn't acting like a
man staring down a federal
corruption indictment that could
come any day.
Whether promoting his book
deal or slamming the man
who replaced him, the ousted
governor hasn't stopped
seeking the spotlight. His latest
publicity-seeking move: a one
day gig as a Chicago radio talk
show host.
Blagojevich's attention-getting
ways are enough to make a
lawyer cringe.
"I would just lay low and
keep my mouth shut. That's the
legally prudent thing to do,"
said Chicago attorney John
Beal, who doesn't represent
Blagojevich.
But the former governor, who
was impeached and removed
SPAIN TRIP:
vestigating incident, possible consequences
Continued from page 1
Both students were heavily
intoxicated and did not have
any identification .on them said
Vargas-Vila.
According to Vargas-Vila, an
altercation between Gronski and
the police ensued and resulted
in damage to a police car. The
Sevilla police wanted to charge
Strohm and Gronski, said
Vargas-Vila, for disturbing the
peace, and damage to their car.
According to Vargas-Vila, the
charges could have landed the
two students in jail for up to a
month while they waited for a
hearing in a Spanish court.
Gronski's explanation of the
event to Vargas-Vila was that
the altercation stemmed from
a misunderstanding due to the
language barrier.
According to Vargas-Vila, the
police said Gronski attacked
them.
Vargas-Vila said Gronski told
him the police had stolen his
passport. Vargas-Vila said he
then pursued Sevilla police for
three days until it was determined
from office following his arrest
on federal corruption charges,
denies any wrongdoing and
refuses to fade quietly into
private life. The Chicago
Democrat hit the national talk
show television circuit days
before being bounced from
office.
"It's not part of his human
nature to just sit back, hide in
the corner and not do anything,"
said his publicist, Glenn Selig.
"He likes being out and about."
Blagojevich's two-hour gig
hosting Wednesday's "Don
Wade & Roma Morning Show"
on Chicago's WLS-AM comes
as his criminal case is poised
to heat up. Federal prosecutors
have less than two weeks to
obtain a grand jury indictment
or seek more time.
Blagojevich, who previously
has been a guest on the radio
show, will take calls from
listeners, tell stories and talk
with guests from 7 a.m. until
Campus administration in-
that Gronski's passport had been
lost at some point that night.
According to Vargas-Vila, the
police brought both Gronski and
Strohm back to the hotel where
he vouched for their identity.
Vargas-Vila said Strohm
confronted him in a threatening
manner and that he sent Strohm
to his hotel room until the
situation could be resolved.
Starting at about 2 a.m , according
to Vargas-Vila, he spent three
to four hours negotiating with
police and the hotel manager to
allow the group to stay in the
city and hotel despite concerns
of another incident during the
group's remaining three nights.
At approximately 7 a.m., the
police agreed to drop all charges
against Gronski and Strohm in
exchange for an apology and
Vargas-Vila's reassurance that
there would be no more incidents
the following nights, Vargas-
Vila said.
The hotel manager allowed
the group to stay under similar
circumstances, said Vargas-Vila.
Immediately following the
events, Vargas-Vila said he
informed Penn State Harrisburg
9 a.m. The station had offered
Blagojevich his own weekend
show in January if he resigned
as governor. He didn't quit and
he didn't get the show.
Newly retained Blagojevich
attorney Terence P. Gillespie
declined to discuss his client's
plan.
"I think at this point, I won't
comment on what my advice to
the governor was and whether
he accepted it or not," Gillespie
said Tuesday evening.
Gillespie said earlier that
Blagojevich's defense team was
"still in flux" after his former
chief defense counsel quit in
January. Edward M. Genson had
hinted that Blagojevich didn't
listen to him.
U.S. Attorney Patrick J.
Fitzgerald has until April 7 for
a federal grand jury to indict
Blagojevich, but it's possible
his office could seek a deadline
extension. Blagojevich was
arrested Dec. 9 on corruption
of what happened and remained
in frequent contact with
the campus administration
throughout the trip. The stance
of the university was that the
students were accountable for
local laws and should have been
taken by the police, Vargas-Vila
said.
Vargas-Vila stated, however,
"I wanted the exact opposite...
I really tried to protect
the students all the way".
While the possible consequence
was discussed between Vargas-
Vila and campus administration,
no students were removed from
the trip for logistical reasons
including the cost and scheduling
of a return flight, according to
Vargas-Vila. Tight restrictions
were placed on the group such
as a 9 p.m. curfew and a ban
on ordering from the hotel bar,
Vargas-Vila added.
Vargas-Vila said the remainder
of the trip went without any
major incidents.
While Vargas-Vila could not
comment on the disciplinary
repercussions of the trip, he
told The Capital Times the
administration is handling
charges that accused him of,
among other things, trying to
sell President Barack Obama's
former U.S. Senate seat.
In recent weeks Blagojevich
has blasted Gov. Pat Quinn
the lieutenant governor before
his ouster for proposing an
income tax increase. He has also
called state lawmakers drunkards
and adulterers who don't know
how to do their jobs.
It's anyone's guess what he'll
say when he has the radio mike
to himself.
He has at least one good
reason to seek publicity. He has
a book due out in October and
attention good or bad can
drive sales. Selig, his publicist,
has promised that the book
will expose the seamier side of
politics.
"He just has to be out there
to keep his name alive," said
DePaul University marketing
professor Bruce Newman.
But Blagojevich also must be
the situation and debating an
appropriate response.
To aid in the prevention of
future incidences, Vargas-Vila
is proposing this week that
university policy and a "Code
of Conduct" be included in
syllabi which correspond to
study-abroad opportunities. His
suggestion is a required period
of instruction and an exam on
the material before a student
would be allowed to travel with
the university.
The administration and Judicial
Affairs are currently investigating
the incident and gathering reports
from all sides, said Mukund
Kulkarni, senior associate dean
for academic affairs. Kulkarni
said the administration could
not comment or arrive to any
conclusion at this time.
John Gronski refused to comment
on the events, and Ryan Strohm
has not returned phone calls from
The Capital Times. PSH faculty
member Nihil Bayraktar was
also accompanying the group
on the trip to Spain, but was not
directly involved in any part
of the incident or negotiations,
according to Vargas-Vila.
careful
"Anything that's broadcast
over the air can be subpoenaed
and used against you at trial.
... They're trying to put him in
prison for a long time so the
stakes are very high," noted
Beal, the attorney not involved
in Blagojevich's case.
Blagojevich could face other
pitfalls as a talk radio novice,
said Hope Daniels, an associate
professor in the radio department
at Chicago's Columbia College.
"He has to allow his guests to
actually speak and not speak for
his guests," Daniels said.
Selig said Blagojevich has
done his homework.
"This is an opportunity for him
to get into some dialogues with
people, have a good time, have
fun and sort of be out there,"
Selig said.
Student
Activities
audits
SGA
By MARTY SANTALUCIA
COPY EDITOR
MFSSO7S@PSU.EDU
At the March 19 Student
Government
meeting, SGA Adviser Donna
Howard informed the SGA
that Director of Student Affairs
Felicia Brown-Haywood had
received a phone call from Penn
State University Park regarding
the Penn State Harrisburg SGA.
Howard said Brown-Haywood
requested a detailed report by
April 16 on what organizations
received money from the SGA,
how many students were affected
by those funds, and an outline of
the procedure used by the SGA to
allocate money.
Howard stated she was not privy
to the details of the call.
SGA President Antonios
Avramidis and Brown-Haywood
met shortly after the SGA meeting
where, according to Avramidis,
Brown-Haywood assured him no
event triggered the audit and the
action was simply a precaution
to make sure student money was
accounted for.
Association