The governor’s relationship with Dominic Longo and his comments about the controversial political organizer/fixer/etc. have changed over the years:

On Tuesday, Blagojevich said he believed in giving Longo a chance at rehabilitation in 1996 but broke ties with him in recent years because of his questionable work history with the city. Longo has bounced from department to department, leaving one job after reports that he did personal chores on city time.

“I’ve made it clear that some of the individuals that have been named in that organization have no place in state government with me,'’ Blagojevich said.

Blagojevich has praised Longo for his help getting Blagojevich elected to Congress in 1996, and Longo’s group has contributed money to the campaign funds of Blagojevich and his father-in-law, Ald. Dick Mell (33rd). Blagojevich insists neither Longo nor Boyle has any role in his campaign, but Ryan released a videotape this week purportedly showing the two at a Northwest Side political office plastered with signs promoting Blagojevich and other Democrats.

The Chicago Sun Times (10/9, Fornek) reports Jim Ryan “unleashed his own barrage at Blagojevich for political contributions the Northwest Side congressman accepted from a group of political operatives called the Coalition for Better Government. Ryan produced documents showing the group contributed $47,080 between 1997 and last June to the political war chests of Blagojevich or his father-in-law, Chicago Ald. Richard Mell (33rd). […]

Doug Scofield “said that only $4,750 of the $47,080 went directly to Blagojevich, and he returned it all to the group. ‘Rod is his own man, and he runs his own campaign,’ Scofield said.”

Blagojevich publicly thanked Longo for his campaign help in 1996 when he won his first primary for Congress. But he said he has become concerned about Longo’s questionable work history with the city of Chicago since then.

Blagojevich said Longo, a volunteer, never was on his campaign payroll and that he’s not even sure he knew about Longo’s vote fraud conviction during the 1996 campaign.

Vote fraud felon Dominic Longo has landed on a new government payroll — the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District — just a week after he took early retirement from the Chicago Park District.

Gov. Blagojevich’s office denies a claim it got Longo the job. […]

He took early retirement March 31. On April 7, he became an aide to Water Reclamation Commissioner Frank Avila Sr.

Avila declined comment, but another aide, Howard Handler, issued this statement: “Mr. Longo’s impropriety occurred over 20 years ago. He has since worked with distinction in public service, and his experience and qualifications will be an asset to the district. This is a non-issue.”

Avila’s son, Frank Avila Jr., who lost a bid in March to join his father at the district, said Blagojevich’s chief of staff, Lon Monk, approached him about getting Longo a job at the district.

“Dominic Longo came highly recommended by the governor’s chief of staff, Lon Monk,” Avila Jr. said. “Lon Monk personally asked me to help him out.”

Monk, through a spokesman, denied seeking a job for Longo.

“He did not recommend and has never recommended Dominic Longo for a job and he really doesn’t even know Mr. Longo, so he wouldn’t be in a position to do so,” said Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottendorf.