Illinois Governor Arrested in Corruption Case

For three years, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been under scrutiny by federal investigators on the lookout for signs of corruption, and on Tuesday Blagojevich and his chief of staff were arrested. The story of what happened to provoke the arrests was still developing Tuesday morning, but it apparently involves Wrigley Field, the Chicago Tribune and the hunt for President-elect Barack Obama’s successor in the U.S. Senate.

USA Today:

Federal prosecutors allege that Blagojevich, a Democrat, was trying to sell the Senate seat that Barack Obama vacated following his presidential win. Here’s more from the complaint:

Rod Blagojevich has been intercepted conspiring to trade the Senate seat for particular positions that the President-elect has the power to appoint (e.g. the Secretary of Health and Human Services). Rod Blagojevich has also been intercepted conspiring to sell the Senate seat in exchange for his wife’s placement on paid corporate boards or Rod Blagojevich’s placement at a private foundation in a significant position with a substantial salary. Rod Blagojevich has also been intercepted conspiring to sell the Senate seat in exchange for millions of dollars in funding for a non-profit organization that he would start and that would employ him at a substantial salary after he left the governorship.

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