Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrested
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has been under investigation for over three years, but it appears that his arrest today had little to do with his very public support for workers staging a sit-in in Chicago yesterday. Instead, it appears that he was trying to leverage Barack Obama’s Senate seat into some cash for him and his wife. If this is true, I look forward to seeing him go up the river. It is past time that we clean up politics.
Read the indictment here.
From WaPo:
FBI agents this morning arrested Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich (D) and his chief of staff on conspiracy and bribery charges, including allegations that the governor was seeking to benefit financially from his appointment of a successor to the U.S. Senate seat that was vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
The arrest of Blagojevich, 51, and his top aide, John Harris, 46, capped a lengthy investigation into public corruption at the highest levels of state government.
The two men will appear in a federal courthouse in Chicago later today, and U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert D. Grant are preparing to describe their case at a news conference at noon eastern time.
The arrests, which authorities say occurred “without incident,” follow news reports that a well-connected lobbyist turned FBI informant had taped the governor saying that he might “get some [money] up front, maybe” from an unnamed candidate to fill the Senate seat Obama had held since 2004. (more… )
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