FBI Arrests Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich

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 at 1:30 p.m. Central time before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan in the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert D. Grant held a news conference at 11 a.m. in Chicago to provide details on the case.

"This is a sad day for government. It's a very sad day for Illinois government," Fitzgerald said at the news conference. "Governor Blagojevich has taken us to a new low . . . he attempted to sell the Senate seat, the Senate seat he had the sole right to appoint to replace President-elect Obama . . . The conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave." 

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.

Under law, the governor has sole authority to fill a Senate vacancy. If Blagojevich were to resign or be forced to leave office, that responsibility would fall to Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn (D), who would replace him as governor.

The alleged attempt to profit from the "sale" of the Senate seat is the most explosive accusation. But Blagojevich is also accused of demanding campaign contributions from organizations whose projects were receiving state money, and of threatening to withhold state assistance for a land-use project involving the Chicago Tribune in an effort to pressure the newspaper to fire editorial writers who had been critical of him.

In a Nov. 3 call intercepted by the FBI, Blagojevich told an ally that if he could not get a financial windfall in exchange for appointing someone to the Senate job, "then I just might take it," according to a lengthy FBI affidavit attached to the criminal complaint. Later that day, speaking to an unnamed adviser, Blagojevich said: "I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain."

He added later that the seat "is a [expletive] valuable thing, you just don't give it away for nothing."

The day after the election, the governor repeated the sentiment. "I've got this thing and it's [expletive] golden, and uh, uh, I'm just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing," he said, according to the court papers.

Later the governor, Harris and others discussed a deal with regard to the Senate appointment that appeared to involve the Service Employees International Union, based in Washington, and that seemingly would attempt to involve Obama as well.

"Harris said they could work out a deal with the union and the President-elect where SEIU could help the President-elect with Blagojevich's appointment . . . while Blagojevich would obtain a position as the National Director of the Change to Win campaign and SEIU would get something favorable from the President-elect in the future," the court papers said.