It's not everyday that a sitting Governor gets arrested. And it's not everyday that the FBI indicates it has recorded phone calls of a Governor evidently trying to "sell" the appointment to replace President Elect Barack Obama.
I can only say that mouths dropped wide open here in the U.S. Senate Radio TV Press Gallery when this story broke this morning.
We've all been waiting for Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) to announce who would replace Obama.
We didn't realize that the feds had been wiretapping him for weeks, evidently waiting for the Governor to allegedly play Let's Make A Deal.
Not only was his home phone tapped, but the feds also placed bugs in the offices of the Governor's campaign offices.
The Governor was arrested at his home this morning in Illinois by federal agents. He's been under investigation by the feds for months, well before Obama's election.
You can read the 76 page FBI affadavit backing these charges at http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/acrobat/2008-12/43789434.pdf
In that, it is very obvious that the Governor is trying as best as he can to get something of value - whether a job or money - in exchange for choosing a certain person for the seat.
The affadavit refers to "Senate Candidate 1" - who we think is Valerie Jarrett, a key Obama adviser whom he evidently wanted to see appointed.
But Governor Blagojevich wanted something in exchange, and it was clear that Obama wasn't offering anything to his fellow Democrat.
"(T)hey're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. F*** them,'" says the complaint.
At one point, the Governor wants to "send a message" to the Obama team that their Candidate 1 might not be the choice, so he has his spokesman leak to the Chicago Sun Times that someone else is in the running.
"Is Gov. Rod Blagojevich toying with tossing Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who wants Blago's job?" said the column on November 7th.
Senate Candidate 3 is still unclear. Senate Candidate 4 seems to be Deputy Gov. Louanner Peters. Senate Candidate 5 might be a member of Congress - some here think it is Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. And there is a Senate Candidate 6, who is unknown for now.
The affadavit is filled with all kinds of scheming by the Governor and his aides as he looks to get something of value for making a Senate appointment.
You can also read a statement from the federal prosecutor running this case at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2008/pr1209_01.pdf
One note is that the prosecutor is Patrick Fitzgerald, the same guy who went after Bush Administration officials in the Valerie Plame CIA Leak case.
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