Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, Democrat, 51, and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, 46, both of Chicago, were arrested today by the FBI on federal corruption charges alleging that they and others are engaging in ongoing criminal activity. The criminal complaint alleges the following: conspiracy to obtain personal financial benefits for Blagojevich by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a United States Senator; threats 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 obtaining campaign contributions in exchange for official actions. They were each charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. Blagojevich has been under scrutiny in recent months including an ongoing investigation into an alleged $7 million scheme aimed at squeezing kickbacks out of companies seeking business from the state. Prosecutors have also acknowledged they are investigating "serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" under Blagojevich.Read the full criminal complaint here.
Read the DOJ press release here.
Blagojevich must have been either extremely arrogant or certifiable (or both) in his thinly veiled attempts to sell the Obama's former senate seat to the highest bidder - all the while knowing he was under scrutiny by the feds. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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