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A lawyer for ex-governor Rod Blagojevich deemed a slew of allegations leveled by onetime top aide Lon Monk: "one-thousand percent false."
In a plea deal made public today, Monk, 51, said there was an ongoing agreement among Blagojevich and his closest advisers that involved making hundreds of thousands of dollars off state business deals.
The money would be split four ways, according to Monk. The alleged recipients: Blagojevich, the now-deceased fund-raiser Christopher Kelly, convicted businessman Tony Rezko and Monk.
"That is completely false. One-thousand percent false," Sheldon Sorosky told the Sun-Times. "Blagojevich never participated in any deal or conference where he'd receive a kickback from any investments or any money that Rezko and Kelly made -- from the state or otherwise."

In a major victory for federal prosecutors, a longtime friend and ex-chief of staff to Rod Blagojevich said today he was an eyewitness to a litany of corruption under the former governor in a deal that pledges his cooperation in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Lon Monk, 51, of Decatur, said in his plea agreement that during the ex-governor's first term in office, there was an ongoing agreement among Blagojevich's closest advisers involving making tens of thousands of dollars off of state business.

The money would be split four ways, according to the plea. The alleged recipients: Blagojevich, the now-deceased Christopher Kelly, convicted businessman Tony Rezko and Monk.

Monk admitted to knowing about a variety of alleged schemes, but pleaded guilty to just one charge -- that he schemed with the ex-governor to shake down a racetrack businessman for a $100,000 campaign contribution in exchange for the governor's signature on a pending piece of legislation that would benefit horse racing in Illinois. Some of the conversations related to the scheme were caught on tape, according to the plea.

He was charged in just one count in a wide-reaching corruption case, but Rod Blagojevich's former chief of staff is expected to be a key government witness against his old boss -- and friend.
Lon Monk is slotted to plead guilty this morning in federal court, his lawyer said.
Monk's plea deal has been pending for months and was rescheduled at least twice.
Reached Monday, Monk's lawyer had no comment when asked if negotiations with the government were jammed up over the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to take up three cases that challenge the government's use of the honest services statute.
Monk's one charge is predicated on that statute. However, he's also mentioned elsewhere in the indictment.
Monk's cooperation is significant because he is a longtime, close friend of Blagojevich. The two were law school roommates and Monk was close to Blagojevich during both gubernatorial terms, either as a top aide or working for Blagojevich's campaign fund.
The Sun-Times first reported that the feds had tapped Monk's cell phone last year and secretly recorded numerous conversations.
That included a conversation between Monk and the ex-governor about an alleged shakedown of a horse-racing executive.
Even as a lobbyist, Monk was intensely involved in helping the ex-governor raise campaign cash up until the final months of 2008.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports today that the president of a topless bar was among those on a clout list who appeared to get people hired during Rod Blagojevich's administration.
Perry Mandera, of Glenview, was listed among clout-heavy political sponsors in a secret hiring database obtained by the Sun-Times.
Mandera's name was linked to 10 job candidates.
Four of the people on Mandera's list wound up getting state jobs, the records show.
Mandera, the president of a company that owns VIP's A Gentlemen's Club, a topless bar on the Near North Side, said he knew of no such list.
"I have no knowledge of what you're talking about," Mandera told a Sun-Times reporter. "This is the first time I'm hearing about this."

The Mandera report was the third report in a series about patronage under Blagojevich.
The first report indicated that Blagojevich ordered a hiring freeze while in state office, but, behind the scenes, "flouted the supposed freeze, forging a patronage machine that -- despite their boss' public promises -- eventually would provide state jobs or promotions to nearly 2,500 people with enough clout to have political sponsors."
On Sunday, the Sun-Times reported that the same lawmakers who forced the ex-governor's ouster, once begged him for jobs.

A longtime friend, onetime fund-raiser and ex-chief of staff to Rod Blagojevich has once again postponed pleading guilty in the corruption case of the former governor.
Plans are off for a guilty plea tomorrow by Lon Monk, whose cell phone was among those tapped in the probe of the ex-governor.
Monk's new plea date is now Oct. 20.
It's at least the third time the lobbyist's plea has been rescheduled.
But that's not because talks are falling apart, sources insist. They say small issues keep cropping up, including ones that are simply logistical.
Monk was indicted on a single count of wire fraud. He's a longtime friend of Blagojevich who is expected to act as a witness at the trial scheduled for next June.

Rod Blagojevich's onetime good friend, fund-raiser and chief of staff has yet to hammer out the final details of his plea deal.
Tomorrow's scheduled plea of Lon Monk has been delayed yet again.
Monk is now set to plea Oct. 7 before U.S. District Judge James Zagel.
Sources say that Monk's cooperation is not in jeopardy, despite this being the second official rescheduling of his plea.
Monk's cooperation with the government has been significant because his ties to Rod Blagojevich go back to their law school days. Monk remained close to Blagojevich, which included taking part in significant fund-raising activities, up until the ex-governor's last days in office.