Subpoenaed firms gave cash to Blagojevich

CHICAGO, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Eighteen Illinois engineering and construction firms named in a recent federal subpoena were big contributors to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, records show.

None of the companies have been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the federal corruption case against Blagojevich, who was impeached by the state Legislature last month. But official documents indicate they made hefty political contributions to him and obtained lucrative contracts from the state and from Chicago City Hall, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Monday.

The newspaper's analysis revealed the 18 companies have made more than $3.6 million in campaign contributions since the mid-1990s. The firms' names were revealed in a federal subpoena that was served on the Illinois Department of Transportation in December and made public after a lawsuit filed by an Illinois watchdog group, the Better Government Association.

Two of the companies named were Castle Construction and MBB Construction, both owned by Robert Blum, a former business associate of former top Blagojevich fundraiser Christopher Kelly. Castle was general contractor for the $38 million Emil & Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center at Chicago State University and also did extensive work at O'Hare International Airport, the Sun-Times said.