Illinois governor arrested by FBI

Illinois governor arrested for trying to sell Obama senate seat

2 hours ago

CHICAGO (AFP) — The governor of Illinois was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiring to sell an appointment to president-elect Barack Obama's recently vacated US Senate seat in what prosecutors called "a political corruption crime spree."

Governor Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were also accused of demanding kickbacks for government contracts, jobs and appointments and trying to get certain editors fired from the Chicago Tribune newspaper because of their critical coverage of his administration.

"The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering," US attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said.

"They allege that Blagojevich put a 'for sale' sign on the naming of a United States senator; involved himself personally in pay-to-play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target, and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism."

"Governor Blagojevich has taken us to a truly new low," Fitzgerald said at a press conference, adding that the state's top leader "has been arrested in the middle of what we can only describe as a political corruption crime spree."

Obama said he was not aware of allegations that Blagojevich - who as governor is charged with appointing a US senator when a seat becomes vacant - was shopping it around to find the highest bidder.

"I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so I was not aware of what was happening," Obama told reporters.

"Like the rest of the people of Illinois, I am saddened and sobered by the news that came out of the US attorney's office today," the president-elect said, adding that it would not be "appropriate" for him to comment further on the ongoing investigation.

Blagojevich was released on a 4,500 dollar bond Tuesday after making a brief appearance before a federal judge in Chicago. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment or calls for his resignation.

Fitzgerald made no allegations that Obama was aware of any scheming by the governor. The complaint included descriptions of recorded conversations in which Blagojevich complained bitterly that while Obama's team had a preferred candidate in mind, "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. (expletive) them."

Fitzgerald said the breadth of alleged corruption by Blagojevich was "appalling," especially given that the governor had known he was under investigation for years.

"You might have thought in that environment that pay-to-play would slow down. The opposite happened," Fitzgerald said.

Blagojevich was allegedly intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps comparing himself to a sports agent shopping the seat to the highest bidder, according to the 76-page criminal complaint.

Authorities allege he considered taking the seat himself to avoid impeachment by the Illinois legislature and to remake his image for a potential run for president in 2016.

In a conversation recorded the day after Obama's historic November 4 win, Blagojevich told an unnamed advisor: "I've got this thing and it's (expletive) golden, and, uh, uh, I'm just not giving it up for (expletive) nothing. I'm not gonna do it. And, and I can always use it. I can parachute me there," the affidavit states.

Democrat Blagojevich was elected in 2003 after vowing to reform the culture of corruption surrounding his predecessor, Republican George Ryan, who is currently serving more than six years in prison for corruption.

Blagojevich was soon involved in corruption scandals of his own as federal prosecutors investigated a host of allegations of pay-to-play politics including insider-dealing, influence-peddling and kickbacks.

Fundraiser Tony Rezko, who is a former friend of Obama and had close ties to Blagojevich, was convicted earlier this year on corruption and bribery charges.

The charges against Blagojevich also include allegations that he held back state funds from a children's hospital and highway project in order to pressure a contractor and the hospital's chief executive officer to donate money to his campaign.

Blagojevich, 51, and Harris, 46, were each charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. If convicted they face a maximum of 30 years in jail.

Corrupt politics in Chicago? Pfffffff, no way.

I loved hearing he told a children's hospital he would pull their funding if they didn't give him $50,000.

I'm looking forward to finally learning how to pronounce this Dude's name.

How to pronounce Blagojevich.

Why did you choose Suge Knight? Nobody was dangled outside an hotel window and forced to sign any contracts and there were no setups to get anyone shot.

All the more applicable comparisons (Nixon, LBJ, Agnew, Edwards{former gov. of Louisiana}, etc.) are all dead.

Suge was beat up weeks ago.

Six months ago..

Here

Don't read the comments to that story or JRV may ban you.

Quote:

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The barber is reportedly only 5'10" and 173 lbs. Suge is 6'4" and 315 lbs.

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Meet Candidate 5.

Is he Half White too. I like that Suge is firmly commited.
Vote- Suge flat on his arse. Fucken barberism.pfff

Assuming that Blog-hu...do..vanichiksky...wojo...howitz..ski...sky? gets convicted (a mortal lock), four of Illinois' last eight governors will have served time.

Citizens of Louisiana and Alaska are starting to feel pretty, pret-ty, preeet-ty superior...

Blagojevich to Name Obama Senate Replacement

Updated 1:30 p.m. Eastern

Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois will name Roland Burris, a former state attorney general, to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the United States Senate, someone with knowledge of the governor’s plans confirmed on Tuesday.

Mr. Blagojevich, who faces federal corruption charges including allegations that he tried to sell Mr. Obama’s former senate seat for a high-paying job or money, had not been expected to try to fill the seat. As recently as ten days ago, his lawyer, Edward Genson, said he would not attempt to make an appointment, since Senate leaders had indicated they would not accept anyone whom the beleaguered Mr. Blagojevich had appointed.

Mr. Burris, 71 and a Democrat, is a longtime political player in this state, who has run for governor before, including mounting a primary challenge against Mr. Blagojevich. Mr. Obama backed him over Mr. Blagojevich in that race.

An aide to Mr. Obama said Tuesday that the news came as a surprise. The president-elect, who is vacationing in Hawaii, had no immediate comment.

The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times reported the planned appointment on their Web sites today, saying that Governor Blagojevich would hold a news conference in Chicago at 2 p.m. Central time (3 p.m. Eastern) to make the announcement.

Mr. Blagojevich was arrested on Dec. 9 in the federal corruption case, prompting national and local political leaders of both parties to call for his resignation. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, warned him that he should ”under no circumstances make an appointment,” and Senator Dick Durbin, a fellow Democrat and the senior senator from Illinois, said that “no appointment by this governor could produce a credible replacement.” The Senate has the power to refuse to seat an appointed new member.

Mr. Burris is now senior counsel at the Milwaukee-based law firm of Gonzales Saggio & Harlan; a capsule biography of him is posted on the firm’s Web site.



New York Times

-Chuck, Vegetarian fanboy