Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrested, sought payment in naming Obama replacement
Illinois Goveror Rod Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff John Harris were arrested on corruption charges Tuesday morning. Those charges included Blagojevich seeking to be paid for appointing a particular replacement for Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat.
According to BuzzFlash’s Mark Karlin, Blagojevich is also accused of threatening to withhold a preferable state financing authority relating to the sale of Wrigley Field — currently owned by the just-bankrupt Tribune — if the Tribune did not fire editorial writers who have been critical of “Blago.”
America’s favorite U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald says that “The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering.” He goes on to say that “They allege that Blagojevich put a ‘for sale’ sign on the naming of a United States senator; involved himself personally in pay-to-play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target; and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism.”
Hopefully this guys and his 13% approval rating will resign soon because anyone he appoints to the Senate will be dirty by associations. Tomorrow is Blagojevic’s 52nd Birthday.
