Ex-Merrillville councilman admits guilt in bribery case
A former councilman for the town of Merrillville has admitted taking bribes in a federal plea agreement.
corruption
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‘Friendship’ defense, lack of ‘smoking gun’ aided Menendez
Jurors in the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez didn’t think the government’s case was strong enough to convict the New Jersey Democrat and a wealthy friend, according to interviews with members of the panel after a mistrial was declared Thursday.
Menendez jury resumes as possible mistrial looms
Jurors in the bribery trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez will resume deliberations Tuesday, a day after they told the judge they are at an impasse.
Menendez lawyer assails bribery case in closing to jury
The bribery case against Sen. Bob Menendez and a wealthy friend is built on assumptions and speculation and is devoid of evidence of an actual criminal agreement, the Democrat’s attorney told jurors in closing arguments Monday in Newark, New Jersey.
Indianapolis attorney Kammen says order to return to Guantanamo Bay is ‘illegal’
Kammen & Moudy partner Richard Kammen, lead defense counsel for accused USS Cole bombing mastermind Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, quit for ethical reasons Oct. 13. He and his co-counsel had been ordered to appear at a hearing scheduled at the detention camp Oct. 30 but, Kammen confirmed, none of the attorneys boarded the flight which left Oct. 29 from Andrews Air Force Base and was bound for Guantanamo Bay.
Menendez judge to rule on defense mistrial motion
Defense attorneys for U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and a wealthy friend have accused the judge in their bribery trial of not letting them present evidence and witnesses to prove their case.
New Northern District US attorney to focus on corruption, opioids, gangs
Thomas Kirsch II said Wednesday that pursuing public corruption cases will be a priority, but drug cases will also be prioritized.
Political reality, tabloid fodder mix in Sen. Menendez trial
It’s a tale of international jet-setting, $1,500-a-night hotel rooms and, for good measure, allegations of affairs with models and actresses. Beyond the tabloid angles, this week’s corruption trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and a wealthy friend promises to put the very business of governing under a microscope — and could eventually lead to a Republican taking over his seat in the deeply divided Senate.
After Lake sheriff’s conviction, police chief takes over
The chief of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department says he’s working toward a smooth transition of power after the corruption conviction and removal from office of former Sheriff John Buncich.
GOP leaders pledge vape law overhaul, subject of FBI probe
Republican legislative leaders say they want to unwind stiff regulations they imposed on Indiana’s vaping industry, which created a stranglehold on the burgeoning market for one company and prompted an FBI investigation.
Lake County sheriff’s official pleads guilty to wire fraud
The second-in-command at the Lake County Sheriff’s Department pleaded guilty to wire fraud Friday in a bribery case in which the sheriff and a tow truck operator also are charged.
2 former Christie allies convicted in lane-closing scheme
Two former aides to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie were convicted Friday of creating an epic traffic jam at the George Washington Bridge for what prosecutors say was political revenge, capping a trial that cast doubt on Christie’s claims he knew nothing about the scheme.
Judge denies Blagojevich’s bid to lighten 14-year sentence
A federal judge refused Tuesday to lighten Rod Blagojevich's original 14-year prison sentence for corruption, rejecting pleas for lenience by the now white-haired former Illinois governor who attended the resentencing hearing by video from a Colorado prison a thousand miles away.
His hair now white, Blagojevich appears for resentencing
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich appeared on a courtroom video in Chicago Tuesday in prison-issued clothing, his once dark hair now white, as a judge weighed whether to cut his 14-year sentence after an appeals court threw out some convictions related to his alleged attempt to sell or trade an appointment to President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat.
Blagojevich resentencing: Judge to mull opposing portraits
Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to order former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to serve his entire 14-year prison term when he returns to court for resentencing next month. But his attorneys want about nine years lopped off the sentence of the man they say has been a model prisoner who's tutored, taught and counseled fellow inmates while also forming an Elvis-inspired rock band.