When States Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald announced the investigation of the pay-to-play scandal centered around Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich there came to light a meeting between Blago and a top officer of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). There was no indication of what the meeting was about and at fist no one knew who the SEIU representative was.

Later it came out that Blago met with Tom Balanoff, president of the Ill. chapter of the SEIU. This was blown off as of little importance ever since. However, now it has been learned that the president of the SEIU, Andy Stern himself, also met with Blago during the period of time that Blago was trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat.

What was originally assumed to be only a meeting of a local union chief and a governor is now seen to be a meeting with a corruption mired governor and the national head of one of the most powerful unions in the country. And all at the same time when that same governor was trying to elicit bribes unto himself!

This is interesting news.

So, what was SEIU President Andy Stern doing in Illinois and at this meeting? What was discussed? Was Stern in Illinois to offer a special deal? If not, why did he come all the way to Illinois for this meeting? What was so important to drag him out of D.C. to fly to Chicago for this meeting? What was so important that the local Ill. SEIU president could not handle?

Naturally, Stern is stonewalling the issue, so we just do not know. But the timing of the meeting sure raises questions that need to be answered.