FBI: Blago wanted payoff to give Obama adviser Senate seat
By: Jonathan Martin and Carrie Budoff Brown
December 9, 2008 01:22 PM EST
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was captured on tape saying that unless he received “something real good” for the appointment of a top adviser to Barack Obama to fill the president-elect’s Senate seat he would appoint himself, according to the criminal complaint.
Federal prosecutors allege that Blagojevich explored one possible quid-pro-quo – he’d appoint a top adviser to Obama in exchange for Obama giving Blagojevich the post as as secretary of health and human services. The indictment makes clear the Obama adviser is Valerie Jarrett, now an Obama White House aide.
“Unless I get something real good [for Senate candidate 1], s***, I’ll just send myself, you know what I’m saying,” Blagojevich was taped saying on Nov. 3, the day before Election Day.
Blagojevich, a Democrat, added that the Senate seat: “is a f***ing valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.”
In announcing the indictment, federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said of Blagojevich: “The conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave. . . Governor Blagojevich has taken us to a truly new low. He attempted to sell a Senate seat.”
As for Obama, Fitzgerald said, “I’m not going to speak to what the president-elect knew. We make no allegations that he’s aware of anything.”
Obama’s transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The charges upend the process of filling the open Senate seat and threaten to subject the president-elect to an onslaught of press scrutiny about what he knew about the investigation.
The governor and his chief of staff John Harris were also charged with demanding the firing of members of the Chicago Tribune’s editorial board in exchange for helping the Tribune Co. with the sale of Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
Blagojevich also was caught on federal wiretaps saying he was interested in private sector jobs as well, including a well-paid position on a foundation board, or millions of dollars for a nonprofit organization that he would run after leaving office, according to a 78-page federal criminal complaint. Additionally, Blagojevich sought a seat for his wife on corporate boards where she could reap significant salaries.
The complaint details conversations between Blagojevich and Tony Rezko, a major Chicago fundraiser and one-time benefactor to Obama.
"I want to make money," the affidavit quotes the governor as saying.
The Illinois Republican Party called on the governor to resign his office effective immediately.
“If Governor Blagojevich does not resign his position, we urge the General Assembly to move swiftly with impeachment proceedings,” the party said in a statement. “Furthermore, Governor Blagojevich should not, under this cloud of extremely serious allegations, appoint a United States Senator. While there is a presumption of innocence, in these troubling economic times, the people’s work should be placed ahead of Governor Blagojevich’s legal troubles.” http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16348.html
Here we go again. So lets hear it 23%ers, you know you've been waiting for something.
Alex
I've been following this all day, pretty sure Obama had absolutely no involvement whatsoever.
Lebezniatnikov
quote:
Originally posted by Alex
I've been following this all day, pretty sure Obama had absolutely no involvement whatsoever.
Seriously.
josh4
That seems true, apparently page 66 of the indictment covers that Blagojevich was pissed, because Obama refused to do anything for him. No bribe, no payoff, nothing.
Not that it is going to appease the naysayers. They'll bring up Rezko and try to make Obama sound guilty by association.
Shakka
The press conference was "bleeping" hilarious. I highly recommend it.
The17sss
Politics Chicago style. Could be the dumbest racket ever attempted by a major politician... He knew the U.S. Attorney was investigating him, he knew he couldn't trust his cronies that had been rolling over on him the past couple of months, and yet he was still willing to talk openly about selling a seat in the United States Senate?
Q5echo
Jeez, wtf? unfukkinbelievable
...btw Tony Rezko
pkcRAISTLIN
i thought this was just how things worked in politics? not that im saying i agree with it of course, but its pretty standard fare i would have thought "you scratch my back and ill vote this way on the amendment" etc :/
Clovis
Obama what?
This is about as much of an Obama scandal as Mark Foley was a Bush scandal.
elFreak
josh4 likes penis.
The17sss
kinda sketchy here...
Obama today: "I had no contact with the governor or his office and so I was not aware of what was happening," Obama told reporters today in Chicago. "It's a sad day for Illinois. Beyond that, I don't think it's appropriate to comment.
Axelrod on November 23rd saying Obama has talked to the governor (1:23 mark of the video).
...followed by an Obama aide today saying Axlerod "misspoke" on the 23rd:
quote:
An Obama aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity, took back David Axelrod's remark last month that Barack Obama and Rod Blagojevich had spoken recently.
Then right after that, Axlerod with the predicted "oh yeah, I didn't really mean it... they never spoke" statement:
quote:
I was mistaken when I told an interviewer last month that the President-elect has spoken directly to Governor Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy. They did not then or at any time discuss the subject.
