🚀 go-pugleaf

If only Democrats had a Code of Omerta like the Nazi Republican
Mafias...unregulated Holy Capitalism is A Good Thing but ONLY if you
shout "Jesus"


Ill. Gov. arrested in Obama successor probe

By MIKE ROBINSON, Associated Press Writer Mike Robinson, Associated
Press Writer � 27 mins ago

CHICAGO � Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on Tuesday on
charges that he brazenly conspired to sell or trade the U.S. Senate
seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest
bidder.

Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold
state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in
the sale of Wrigley Field, according to a federal criminal complaint.
In return for state assistance, Blagojevich allegedly wanted members
of the paper's editorial board who had been critical of him fired.

A 76-page FBI affidavit said the 51-year-old Democratic governor was
intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps over the last month
conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat for personal
benefits for himself and his wife, Patti.

Otherwise, Blagojevich considered appointing himself. The affidavit
said that as late as Nov. 3, he told his deputy governor that if
"they're not going to offer me anything of value I might as well take
it."

"I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you
know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain," Blagojevich allegedly
said later that day, according to the affidavit, which also quoted him
as saying in a remark punctuated by profanity that the seat was "a
valuable thing � you just don't give it away for nothing."

The affidavit said Blagojevich also discussed getting a substantial
salary for himself at a nonprofit foundation or an organization
affiliated with labor unions.

It said Blagojevich also talked about getting his wife placed on
corporate boards where she might get $150,000 a year in director's
fees.

He also allegedly discussed getting campaign funds for himself or
possibly a post in the president's cabinet or an ambassadorship once
he left the governor's office. He noted becoming a U.S. senator might
remake his image for a possible presidential run in 2016, according to
the affidavit. And he allegedly said a Senate seat would also provide
him with corporate contacts if he needed a job and present an
opportunity for his wife to work as a lobbyist.

"I want to make money," the affidavit quotes him as saying in one
conversation.

The affidavit said Blagojevich expressed frustration at being "stuck"
as governor and that he would have access to greater resources if he
were indicted while in the U.S. Senate than while sitting as governor.

U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said in a statement that "the
breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering."

"They allege that Blagojevich put a for sale sign on the naming of a
United States senator," Fitzgerald said."

Messages left for Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero and at the
governor's press office were not immediately returned Tuesday morning.

Among those being considered for the Senate post include U.S. Reps.
Danny Davis and Jesse Jackson Jr.

The affidavit outlined a Nov. 10 call between Blagojevich, his wife,
his chief of staff � John Harris, who also was arrested Tuesday � and
a group of advisers in which Harris allegedly suggested working out an
agreement with the Service Employees International Union.

Under the plan, Blagojevich would appoint a new senator who would be
helpful to the president-elect and in turn get a job as head of Change
to Win, a group formed by the union. The union would get an
unspecified favor from Obama later.

Nothing in the court papers suggested Obama had any part in the
discussion. In fact, Blagojevich allegedly said in the same
conversation that Obama most likely would not appoint him as secretary
of health and human services or to an ambassadorship because of the
negative publicity that has surrounded the governor for three years.

One day later, according to the affidavit, Blagojevich allegedly told
an associate he knew Obama wanted a specific Senate candidate but
"they're not going to give me anything except appreciation." He
finished the remark with an expletive.

Blagojevich also was charged with using his authority as governor in
an attempt to squeeze out campaign contributions.

Corruption in the Blagojevich administration has been the focus of a
federal investigation involving an alleged $7 million scheme aimed at
squeezing kickbacks out of companies seeking business from the state.
Federal prosecutors have acknowledged they're also investigating
"serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" under Blagojevich, who
has a $177,412 salary, though it's unclear whether he accepts the
total.

Political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko who raised money for the
campaigns of both Blagojevich and Obama is awaiting sentencing after
being convicted of fraud and other charges. Blagojevich's chief
fundraiser, Christopher G. Kelly, is due to stand trial early next
year on charges of obstructing the Internal Revenue Service.

According to Tuesday's complaint, Blagojevich schemed with Rezko,
millionaire-fundraiser turned federal witness Stuart Levine and others
to get financial benefits for himself and his campaign committee.

Federal prosecutors said Blagojevich and the chairman of his campaign
committee have been speeding up corrupt fundraising activities in the
last month to get as much money as possible before the end of the year
when a new law would curtail his ability to raise contributions from
companies with state contracts worth more than $50,000.

According to the affidavit, agents learned Blagojevich was seeking
$2.5 million in campaign contributions by the end of the year, with a
large part allegedly to come from companies and individuals who have
gotten state contracts or appointments.

The affidavit also outlines Blagojevich conversations related to
Tribune Co., which has been hoping to sell Wrigley Field, the home of
the Chicago Cubs which the publishing giant also owns.

Blagojevich was quoted in court papers as telling Harris in a
profanity laced Nov. 4 conversation that his recommendation to Tribune
executives was to fire the editorial writers "and get us some
editorial support."

Harris is quoted as telling the governor Nov. 11 that an unnamed
Tribune Owner, presumably CEO Sam Zell, "got the message and is very
sensitive to the issue."

The affidavit said Harris quoted a Tribune financial adviser as saying
cuts were coming at the newspaper and "reading between the lines he's
going after that section," apparently meaning editorial writers.
Blagojevich is quoted as saying: "Oh, that's fantastic."

"Wow," Blagojevich allegedly replied. "Keep our fingers crossed.
You're the man. Good job, John."

Harris allegedly told Blagojevich in his conversation with the
financial adviser he had singled out deputy editorial page editor John
McCormick as "somebody who was the most biased and unfair."

After hearing that, Blagojevich allegedly stressed to the head of a
Chicago sports consulting firm that it was important to provide state
aid for a Wrigley Field sale.

Blagojevich took the chief executive's office in 2003 as a reformer
promising to clean up former Gov. George Ryan's mess.

Ryan, a Republican, is serving a 6-year prison sentence after being
convicted on racketeering and fraud charges. A decade-long
investigation began with the sale of driver's licenses for bribes and
led to the conviction of dozens of people who worked for Ryan when he
was secretary of state and governor.

FBI spokesman Frank Bochte said federal agents arrested the governor
and Harris simultaneously at their homes at 6:15 a.m. and took them to
the Chicago FBI headquarters.

He did not have any details about Blagojevich's arrest, only that he
was cooperative with federal agents.

"It was a very calm setting," he said.

The governor was to appear later Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge
Nan Nolan to answer the charges. The time was not immediately set. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081209/ap_on_re_us/blagojevich_corruption_probe