Illinois Gov. Facing Corruption Charges Also Passed Unconstitutional Gaming Laws

Oh, sweet irony. It seems every other time we hear about a politician being brought up on some sort of criminal charges, they also happen to be lobbyists for strict video game legislation. Well, now you can add the now-infamous governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, to that list as well. It’s been all over the mainstream news lately how he essentially tried to pull all sorts of corrupt scams while in office, from asking for bribes for a replacement in Barack Obama’s senate position to trying to fire Chicago Tribune editors who criticized him.

Well, guess what? Turns out he’s also one of those who have tried (and failed) to impose strict video game laws. In 2005, he helped impose a video game sales law in his state that was eventually ruled unconstitutional in a matter of months. This move ended up costing Illinois tax payers over half a million dollars to reimburse the video game industry for legal fees. He also lobbied for GTA: San Andreas ads to be removed from buses in 2004.

The word “hypocrite” barely does justice here. Personally though, I’m still waiting for an anti-gaming politician to be somehow linked to a WoW gold-farming scheme.