Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich ‘is in custody’ over Obama Selection

Updated with more info and video: Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois was arrested by federal authorities on Tuesday morning on corruption charges, including an allegation that he conspired to effectively sell President-elect Barack Obama’s seat in the United States Senate to the highest bidder. Mr. Blagojevich, a Democrat, called his sole authority to name Mr. Obama’s successor “golden,” and he sought to parlay it into a job as an ambassador or secretary of Health and Human Services, or a high-paying position at a nonprofit or an organization connected to labor unions, prosecutors said. He also suggested, they said, that in exchange for the Senate appointment, his wife could be placed on corporate boards where she might earn as much as $150,000 a year, and he tried to gain promises of money for his campaign fund. If Mr. Blagojevich could not secure a deal to his liking, prosecutors said, he was willing to appoint himself.

“If I don’t get what I want and I’m not satisfied with it, then I’ll just take the Senate seat myself,” the governor said in recorded conversation, prosecutors said.

- from NYTimes

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has been arrested by federal agents, following a corruption probe. As governor, Mr Blagojevich is responsible for selecting someone to take up Barack Obama’s now vacant Illinois senate seat. Mr Blagojevich’s arrest stems from charges related to the selection of Mr Obama’s replacement, the Associated Press has reported. His chief of staff John Harris has also been arrested, according to Reuters.

- from BBC

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said in a statement. The 51-year-old Democrat was charged along with John Harris, his chief of staff, on the charges related to Blagojevich’s role in picking a U.S. Senate successor for President-elect Barack Obama and obtaining campaign contributions in exchange for official actions, the statement said. – from Reuters

The arrest is part of a three-year probe of “pay-to-play politics” in the governor’s administration. The criminal complaint by the FBI says each man was arrested on two charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery.

The charges also relate to allegations that Blagojevich and Harris schemed with previously convicted defendants and Obama associates Antoin Rezko, Stuart Levine, Ali Ata and others to arrange financial benefits in exchange for appointments to state boards and commissions, state employment, state contracts and access to state funds. – from Foxnews

Ilinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, were arrested today by FBI agents on federal corruption charges alleging that they and others are engaging in ongoing criminal activity: conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits for Blagojevich by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a United States Senator; threatening to withhold substantial state assistance to the Tribune Company in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field to induce the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members sharply critical of Blagojevich; and to obtain campaign contributions in exchange for official actions – both historically and now in a push before a new state ethics law takes effect January 1, 2009. – from Chicago

Here’s his bio:

Rod R. Blagojevich was sworn in to serve a second term as the 40th Governor of Illinois on January 8, 2007.

As Illinois’ chief executive officer, Gov. Blagojevich is working aggressively to create jobs, build stronger communities, provide Illinois families the tools they need to improve their lives, and restore the people’s confidence in state government.

Gov. Blagojevich’s top priority is ensuring access to quality healthcare for everyone in Illinois. That is why Gov. Blagojevich proposed a historic and comprehensive plan to give every Illinoisan access to affordable and quality health coverage. While the Governor’s “All Kids” plan, which took effect last year, extended coverage to all children in the state, approximately 1.4 million adults in Illinois are currently uninsured. The Governor’s plan will provide affordable coverage to the uninsured and will also help many middle-income families and small businesses that are currently enrolled in health insurance plans save thousands a year on healthcare costs. The plan will also reform the existing healthcare system to improve quality and require more accountability.

Providing safe and affordable prescription drug medication is also an important initiative of the Governor. In fact, Gov. Blagojevich has been a leading advocate for providing Americans access to safe and affordable prescription drugs from Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as expanding their healthcare coverage. Gov. Blagojevich created the Illinois Cares Rx Program to make sure no seniors fell through the gap when the new Medicare drug benefit went into effect on January 1, 2006. The new “wrap around coverage” provided to Illinois seniors and persons with disabilities helps cover the increased costs of the Medicare program, including premium costs, coinsurance, coverage during the “donut”, and the deductible.

Additionally, the Governor is committed to improving the quality of education in Illinois. During his first four years in office, Gov. Blagojevich dedicated $3.8 billion of new funding into Illinois schools. This represents more new money invested in education than any other state in the Midwest, more than 43 other states in the nation, and more than any administration in one term in Illinois history. In addition to new PreK-12 education funding, last year’s budget also funds new initiatives proposed by the Governor, including universal preschool, a pilot program to reduce class sizes in kindergarten through 3rd grade, and a grant program for families struggling to afford the high costs of college.

Prior to his election, Gov. Blagojevich was a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney. During his tenure, he prosecuted domestic abuse cases and felony weapons charges, which made him a strong advocate for tougher sentencing laws when he was elected to the General Assembly in 1992.

In 1996, he was elected to represent Illinois’ 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. While a congressman, he secured funding for after-school tutoring programs and distinguished himself as an advocate for education. He was also a leader in the fight to establish a Patients’ Bill of Rights, to assure prompt access to mammograms, and to require higher safety and care standards at nursing homes.

Gov. Blagojevich was born December 10, 1956, on the Northwest side of Chicago. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1979 and earned his law degree from Pepperdine School of Law in 1983. He and his wife, Patti, have two daughters, 10-year-old Amy and 4-year-old Annie.