Marathon Pundit: Blago, Jesse Jr. figure Nayak arrested

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Blago, Jesse Jr. figure Nayak arrested

Raghuveer Nayak, the businessman who, at the request of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr, held a fundraiser for Rod Blagojevich several days before the hair-brained governor's arrest for attempting to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat, was arrested himself this morning.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported last year that Nayak was under investigation in regards to surgical centers he owns.

As I've written before, the reach of corruption and sleaze in Illinois reaches far beyond the political arena. I've seen it.

Jesse Jr. is still under investigation by the House Ethics Committee in regards to his role in Blago's attempted sale of that Senate seat.

UPDATE 12:00pm: The Chicago Tribune has more details on Nayak's indictment:

Raghuveer Nayak, a figure in the U.S. Senate seat scandal that helped bring down Rod Blagojevich, was arrested at his Oak Brook home this morning and charged with paying bribes and kickbacks to doctors for sending patients to his string of surgery centers.

Nayak was charged with mail fraud, interstate travel in aid of racketeering and filing false income tax returns in a 19-count indictment, according to the U.S. attorney's office. Prosecutors are seeking $1.8 million in "alleged fraud proceeds," including forfeiture of Nayak's Oak Brook home, his Rogers Park One Day Surgery Center and his Lakeshore Surgery Center.