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Loading ...Illinois Gov. Charged With Trying To Sell Obama Senate Seat
12.09.2008 2:57pm EST
(Chicago, Illinois) Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on federal charges that he conspired to sell or trade Illinois’ vacant senate seat.
The seat became open when Sen. Barrack Obama was elected president. The Illinois constitution gives the governor the sole authority to fill a Senate vacancy.At a news conference in Chicago on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald reiterated a number of times that there were no allegations of impropriety on Obama’s part.
The FBI affidavit contends that the governor was intercepted on wiretaps last month conspiring to shake people down, and it alleges he even considered appointing himself if he wasn’t offered anything of value.
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.
“We were in the middle of a corruption crime spree and we wanted to stop it,” Fitzgerald said Tuesday, calling the corruption charges against Blagojevich “a truly new low.”
Federal investigators bugged the governor’s campaign offices and placed a tap on his home phone. Chicago FBI chief Robert Grant said even seasoned investigators were “stunned” by what they heard on the tapes.
Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero said the governor’s office did not have immediate comment on the charges but issued a statement saying the “allegations do nothing to impact the services, duties or function of the State.”
The 51-year old governor has had a mixed relationship with the state’s gay community, though his sister-in-law is openly lesbian legislator Deb Mell.
In 2005, he signed legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. That summer he marched in Chicago’s gay pride parade.
Blagojevich opposed an amendment to the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage, saying a 1996 state law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman was sufficient.
He refused to support moves that would allow gays and lesbians in the state to marry, but said he supported legislation that would give limited rights to gay couples.
I live here in Illinois, Chicago to be exact and all I have to say is “What a sleeze bag”
It’s a shame we no longer publicly CANE notorious felons, ESPECIALLY crooked POLITICIANS!
Republican or Democrat?
@Karen: He’s a Democrat.
This whole story makes me sad. I lived in Chicago for 13 years – I remember covering Blago’s victory party.
The Chicago GLBT community had such high hopes for his governorship….
Hopefully this Gov will be replaced with someone more interested in the marriage and civil rights of the gay community.
There comes a time when maybe a politician has been in office too long and needs for the good of the people to move on to another type of job before he/she makes too many very bad choices.
Term limits are a very necessary thing anwhere re: public office to bring in fresh ideas and ways of dealing with the issues of people and to ease out people before they “rot” in their jobs so to speak and hopefully before they begin committing crimes related to their ability to abuse their power and authority.
>> “In 2005, he signed legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. That summer he marched in Chicago’s gay pride parade.”
Hmm. Did he get a package deal for both?
It all sounds like “business as usual” for Chicago poiltics. The only surprise here is that he got busted. He must have pissed off some “IBM” for that to happen.
I wonder how close the scandal will come to Saint Obama. I’m betting that this governor is gonna sing like a canary if he is offered a deal.
Trace Said “I wonder how close the scandal will come to Saint Obama.”
I doubt he’s worried because His loyal subjects will be there to cushion the blow to His Royal Majesty.
I started to ask the eponymous “Trace” if he/she REALLY thinks that the President-Elect of the United States (who was elected with a landslide / mandate) would REALLY consider getting involved in a shady deal to sell his Senate seat for a few hundred thousand dollars and a few favours … but then the BuschReich blatantly bought the Presidency not once but TWICE … and Nixon authorized Watergate … so I suppose it IS theoretically possible.
But not bloody likely.
Obama won. He’s going to be President, reich wing-nutter lawsuits about his citizenship notwithstanding. Even the Opus Dei Supreme Court refused to hear THOSE.
Deal with it.
I think this is more than “Chicago politics as usual.” There’s more to this story than meets the eye. Why would someone who’s been mentioned as a very possible presidential candidate himself in 2012 or 2016 throw away his entire career?
Brain tumor? Substance abuse? Blackmail?
We haven’t heard the whole story yet.
Bud Burgoon-Clark
San Diego CA USA
And Obama is one in the same with Chicago politics.
Things is gonna get really interesting, ehhh Bud?
And by the way Bud, it’s He.
Morgan – WELL SAID! I agree totally.
Bud Hi! Re the good governor: How about he’s a power crazed, egotistical, greedy, arrogant son of a bitch!
Just a thought!
Yes, Morgan, like making license plates.