Rod Blagojevich

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/rod-blagojevich

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Rod Blagojevich born?December 10, 1956
2. Where was Rod Blagojevich born?Chicago, Illinois
3. What is the governor of illinois?Served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009
4. What is the conviction?Convicted in a federal criminal trial in June 2011 on corruption charges
5. Who was Rod Blagojevich?Rod Blagojevich was a politician who became the governor of Illinois in 2002, the first Democratic governor in thirty years. He had earlier served as a prosecutor and a member of the Illinois House and U.S. Congress.
6. Why was he removed from office?He was impeached and removed in 2008 after federal investigators charged him with corruption, including trying to sell the Senate seat left by Barack Obama.

Impeachment: The formal process by which a legislative body brings charges against a high official of government, potentially leading to removal from office.
Corruption: Dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery, extortion, or misuse of public funds for personal gain.
Federal Prosecutor: An attorney who prosecutes criminal cases in federal court on behalf of the U.S. government.
Executive Clemency: The power of a president or governor to reduce a criminal sentence, commute it to a lesser one, or grant a pardon.