Rajinder Bedi, managing director of the state's Office of Trade & Investment, resigned his post Tuesday -- a day after the Sun-Times reported he was involved in an alleged scheme surrounding U.S. Rep.Jesse Jackson Jr.'s bid to be appointed to the U.S. Senate seat post. The Sun-Times reported Monday that Bedi approached the brother of Rod Blagojevich last October to tell him of a proposal to appoint Jackson to the Senate seat. The proposal was that Jackson would raise $5 million for Blagojevich after his appointment and the Indian community, through the efforts of Raghuveer Nayak, would raise another $1 million. Nayak made another, similar approach. Sources say that Bedi's approach to Blagojevich was to convey what Nayak could do for the now ex-governor. Sources say Nayak represented himself as a Jackson representative. Jackson denied he allowed Nayak to make any pay-to-play overtures.
Bedi resigned after Gov. Quinn told him he'd likely be fired by the end of the month.
Former Gov. Blagojevich, who pleaded not guilty to charges yesterday, hired Bedi back in 2003.