Former Blago, Jackson Fundraiser Gets 2 Years
Updated 02/10/14 - 1:49 p.m.
CHICAGO (AP) -- A federal judge has sentenced a former fundraiser for ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to two years in prison.
Raghuveer Nayak had previously pleaded guilty to federal health-care fraud charges. On Monday he apologized before he was sentenced in Chicago federal court, asking the judge to have mercy on him and his family. The 58-year-old Chicago-area businessman faced up to 23 years in prison.
Prosecutors have alleged Nayak offered to raise $1 million for Blagojevich's campaign if the then-governor named Jackson to President Barack Obama's old Senate seat.
Nayak wasn't charged, but prosecutors said the offer should be considered at his sentencing. However the judge said he didn't put much weight on Nayak's role in the Blagojevich scandal when determining Nayak's sentence.
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