Otto Kerner Jr.
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Otto Kerner Jr. (15 August 1908 - 9 May 1976) was an American Democratic politician, 33rd Governor of Illinois and chairman of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. He was also one of four governors of Illinois to be convicted of a criminal offence, with the other three being Dan Walker, George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich.
Criminal charges edit
In 1969, Kerner was accused of corruption after it was revealed that he had accepted bribes of stock options with reduced prices in order to set racing dates at the Arlington Park racetrack selected by the briber. Kerner had then sold the stocks at a profit in 1968, only for the scheme to come to light when the briber deducted the stocks from their tax returns under the impression they could be covered up as business expenses.
Kerner was arrested and charged with 17 counts of bribery, conspiracy, perjury and mail fraud in 1973. He was convicted on all counts, but most of these convictions were overturned on appeal, with the exception of four counts of mail fraud. Kerner was sentenced to three years in prison, and resigned his seat on the National Advisory Committee. He was released early on compassionate leave due to terminal cancer, of which he died in 1976.