Posted by Barton Lorimor
ULLIN — Two of Illinois’ most recognizable Democrats, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Glenn Poshard, relied on Edward M. Smith to raise money for their gubernatorial campaigns, but only one of those figures spoke at a weekend ceremony honoring him.
Poshard, now president of Southern Illinois University, delivered a 10-minute speech at Shawnee Community College Saturday, during which he announced the governor had declared Saturday “Edward M. Smith Day in Illinois.”
A public relations official for the college said Blagojevich was scheduled to attend the event, which included a reunion of the college’s 1973 basketball team and renaming the gymnasium in Smith’s honor, but canceled “at the last minute.” Poshard unraveled Blagojevich’s proclomation before a crowd of roughly 300 gathered in the gymnasium.
A receptionist in the Blagojevich press office said questions about the cancellation could not be answered until Monday.
Smith, president of Ullico, Inc. of Washington D.C., was a fundraiser for Poshard’s unsuccessful 1998 gubernatorial campaign against Republican George Ryan. Archived Daily Egyptian reports say Poshard inquired Smith about running for the office again in 2002, but backed-off because of Smith’s prior commitment to Blagojevich’s campaign that year.
Blagojevich’s absence came at a time when his administration and family’s financial background is subject to federal investigation. Fueling that fire is possible revelations from another of the governor’s former campaign fundraisers, Antoin “Tony” Rezko, who is reportedly speaking with federal prosecuors about his business deals with Blagojevich.
A jury found Rezko guilty of fraud and bribery for using his connections in state government to trade state contracts for campaign contributions to Blagojevich and other Democrats such as White House contender Barack Obama.
Obama has since redistributed Rezko’s contributions to his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign to charitable organizations, but contributions to Blagojvich remain in the governor’s accounts.
Political analysts, such as Charlie Wheeler of the University of Illinois Springfield, believe Blagojevich will be indicted as a result for the probe.
Despite Blagojevich’s absence, other state Democrats including Sen. Gary Forby of Benton, Harrisburg Rep. Brandon Phelps and State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias made an appearence. Each of the three said Smith played an important roll in their campaigns and felt he was a close friend.
Giannoulias said he did not attend to makeup for Blagojevich’s absence, but had driven to this rural southern Illinois town on his own dime.
