Illinois "Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris were arrested today by FBI agents on federal corruption charges. Blagojevich and Harris were accused of a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy that included Blagojevich conspiring to sell or trade the Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama in exchange for financial benefits for the governor and his wife. The governor was also accused of obtaining campaign contributions in exchange for other official actions. Blagojevich was taken into federal custody at his North Side home this morning. ... Blagojevich was taken into custody hours after the Tribune reported that the investigation into allegations of pay-to-play politics within his administration had been expanded to include his pending choice of a Senate replacement for Obama. The Democratic governor has said he expects to make a decision on the state's next senator in weeks. ... The Tribune previously disclosed that federal investigators had recordings of Blagojevich. Those recordings were aided by the cooperation of longtime Blagojevich confidant and former congressional chief of staff John Wyma." Isn't the US attorney there Patrick Fitzgerald?

Update: Complaint here (.pdf).

And the Trib bankruptcy/Blagojevich corruption story lines converge: "Beginning no later than November 2008 to the present ... defendants ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH and JOHN HARRIS, being agents of the State of Illinois...corruptly solicited and demanded a thing of value, namely, the firing of certain Chicago Tribune editorial members responsible for widely-circulated editorials critical of ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, intending to be influenced and rewarded in connection with business and transactions of the State of Illinois involving a thing of value of $5,000 or more, namely, the provision of millions of dollars in financial assistance by the State of Illinois, including through the Illinois Finance Authority, an agency of the State of Illinois, to the Tribune Company involving the Wrigley Field baseball stadium; in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 666(a)(1)(B) and 2." Who at the Tribune Co. did they solicit that editors-firing-for-baseball-stadium-financing plan from?

More on the investigation from the Chicago Tribune.

Posted by Laura at December 9, 2008 09:41 AM