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Could this be the end for Blago? The Trib is citing unnamed sources as saying Governor Blagojevich has been taken into federal custody at his Chicago home. Holy crap. Spokesman Lucio Guerrero responded to an inquiry by saying, "Haven't heard anything -- you are first to call." We're checking the Blagojevich (Political) Death Pool as we await word
Update - The FBI has confirmed to WGN TV that both Blago and chief of staff John Harris have been arrested. A press conference and hearing will happen later today. The Trib has also speculated that the Gov has been taped since November and that a pay-to-play scheme has extended to his search to replace Sen. Obama.
Update II - Here's the criminal complaint. [PDF] The two counts involve defrauding the people of Illinois, which could be any number of things, and promised money and state services in exchange for the firing of Trib editorial members who were critical of Blago and his administration.
For anyone wondering, Blagojevich is still Governor of Illinois. He has not resigned nor been incapacitated as Governor so Blago is still driving this here truck off the cliff.
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Blago Death pool ... I lose.
I'm running for governor in 2010 on the platform that I won't go to jail.
"I'm running for governor in 2010 on the platform that I won't go to jail."
I think thats the same platform Blago ran on...
And on WGN-TV at 8:41AM, Danny Davis said: "I hope he will be cleared of the charges".
What an asshole who hopes that Blago will appoint him as Senator.
Expect Blago to get impeached this week & removed by the state senate very quickly.
Though no surprise, this still merits a "Wow".
And now, WGN-TV was talking to their legal consultant Terry Sullivan, said it was a 76 page indictment that he was recorded asking for money to appoint "Senate Candidate Five". He was asking for $500,000 & said "his family was hurting for money".
OMFG, just how stupid is this man to be asking for bribes to appoint a replacement for Obama, knowing full well that the feds have been after him for three years?
One wonders whether they'll make him shave his head in prison.
I am not a big fan of the ball of hair and hairspray that is our Governor. However, how this was done is an indicator the case against him by the Feds may be extremely weak.
Let me explain this in that Fitzgerald is a Guiliani disciple. When Guiliani or one of his disciples have an open and shut case, they first leak it to the press they are making the arrest, then they perp walk the individual through a phalanx of media while passing out a laundry list of charges to the media. Then the charges are reduced from the dozens they listed to 1, maybe 2 charges a few months later.
One thing Fitzgerald did in the Guiliani vein was to make the arrest at the Holidays. This is done in the hope the accused seeks a plea immediately.
Then, you also have the frustrated side of Fitzgerald. Decorum says he must submit his resignation with the change of Administration.
Once again, I am not a fan of the Furbie-in-Chief of the State of Illinois. But there would have been more cameras and media around if they had a solid case.
c'mon blago death pool!
can't wait to see how that pans out. . .
Umm Pat Quinn's now our governor?
One wonders whether they'll make him shave his head in prison. we can only hope.
so what happens now?
Wait you mean that's really hair? I always secretly hoped it was a terrible, terrible toupee.
I agree with VE,we all knew this was coming but still, WOW.
I don't know Bulldog, I think they grabbed him now before he could really sell the U.S. Senate seat.
It's bad enough this state is going to have two governors in a row indicted but if you add a tainted Senate seat, vacant because the people in this country elected him president, it would be an even bigger deal. They grabbed him now to prevent that from happening.
Now who is U.S. Senate candidate five?
U.S. Senate Candidate Five: Danny Davis.
Just a hunch.
++ to Zack. I think Fitzy saw this as a threat to the senate seat and had to act. It is outside his usual MO, and I hope the feds have enough to make it stick.
Now, can we please knock over Daley next?
What an embarrassment.
As much as it may be surprising, Daley is too smart to get caught by this type of thing. He insulates himself too well.
You know what else is going to be "tainted"? Blagojevich. In prison. By a guy named Bubba.
I hope this means we're really going to be rid of him. Just looking at him makes me want to take a shower and scrub the slime off.
I always thought he looked like a chipmunk, but "Furby" made me laugh out loud.
From listening to NBC5 just now, (it's not like I'm going to read the thing myself, after all), it sounds like Blago was hitting up several senate possibilities for cash. I would suspect this is part of why Luis Gutierrez effectively dropped out after expressing such early interest. He knew he'd have to pay and didn't want to do that. That also would explain the sudden surge of interest in people like Danny Davis or Emil Jones, who realized they could just buy it.
DAMN THIS RAIN.
My normal morning dog walking route runs right by his house! And I walk the dog between 6-6:30! Due to the rain we just made a quick in and out instead of a longer walk. Seeing the Gov in a perp walk/handcuffs would have made my decade.
On the plus side we get to hear all of the national news talking heads get hung up when his name rolls by for the first time on the tell-a-prompter.
Zack:
You do make a point about intervening now as he is allegedly selling the Senate seat. However, there are dozens of points laid out in the complaint alleging previous corruption. Why not intervene at any of those points? Because the evidence was thin.
The Tribune board stuff is petty politics and any good white collar attorney can rip it apart. There is no deal in place for aiding the sale of Wrigley with state funds. Thus, the Furbie-in-Chief has no leverage to exact that revenge his wishes on McCormick and Friends.
By the way, that Wrigley aid deal was being brokered by former Governor, James Thompson - a man who walked between the rain drops himself. Is he next?
Then you have the Senate Seat for Sale. Unless they have an exchange of cash, let alone a number tendered and a conspiracy on tape to back it up, the charge would be massacred by an average white collar attorney in court.
I don't want to jinx it, but If we have P.Q as governor, our state will change over night for the better which will also help Obama
"I would suspect this is part of why Luis Gutierrez effectively dropped out after expressing such early interest."
Good point. That guy is a sleazeball too, and when I saw him on Chicago Tonight saying "oh, I've decided not to pursue the senate seat and would rather focus on my current duties", I saw right through BS.
Will someone link to that post on the Blago Death Pool? I can't remember what everyone said...
Jenny - link is in the first paragraph of the post.
I wonder what, if anything, the feds have on his wife. That could be a huge angle in this for obvious reasons.
Spook: I hope Quinn does well, assuming he serves what will likely be a limited time as gov (I doubt he can win election on his own, not against the likes of L. Madigan or others.). But Blago, M. Madigan and others have left this state in a massive financial/economic mess that will take years, or even a decade, to fix, even with a state income-tax hike, which is likely.
Sorry, I was sans coffee. Mike was really close! Send him a Chicagoist t-shirt.
Wow.
The guesses on the death pool were close!
It will never cease to amaze me how people like this, in the public eye, get to the point where they risk their freedom by thinking they are above the law.
The hubris of these jerks...these ELECTED officials, is just mind blowing.
No kidding, Matilda....how lovely to have your husband finagle a
$150,000 a year job for you.
They both need to go to jail.
This is a great day for the state of Illinois.
I know, doesn't seem like it, but it is.
This haircut in a suit tried to SELL A SENATE SEAT.
And he's on tape doing it.
After all the whispers and allegation and knowing glances, the bastard finally fucked himself and the US Attorney nailed his ass to the wall.
This is a great day for the state of Illinois.
No more posturing Blago giving free rides to left-handed people in a desperate bid to curry favor. Just shame, a trial, and likely a prison cell.
This is a great day for the state of Illinois.
Because the system worked. For once.
Could the feds be holding back on an indictment of Patti, in hopes that Blago will cop a plea in return for an agreement not to indict her?
I read the compalint and the U.S. Attorney's press release. I am almost speechless, other than to say that I think that Blago is delusional, and needs to be removed from office as soon as humanly possible.
Quinn seems like a pretty cool guy (he works a few floors up from me in the TC), one of those do-gooder politicans who all the other politicans sort of shun (they don't consult him on anything, don't seek any favors from him), because basically the lt. governor is a do-nothing job, which is probably how he gets quietly re-elected each time. Quinn has to wait until the slow weekend to get media attention for his programs and protests and proposals. He's kinda corny like that but it makes him seem earnest and honest.
On the other hand, I had such high hopes for Blago when he came in. Don't know why but I thought he was different. Then again, I should have known better, what with Mell being his dad-in-law and all.
BTW, what happenens to Mrs. Blago? Wasn't she being looked at too? Is there a husband-and-wife jail somewhere?
When the Mayor of Detroit was indicted on perjury charges (and convicted), it became clear that there was a clause in the city charter that any elected official convicted of a felony would be removed from office immediately.
Does the State of Illinois have a similar clause for the gov?
other than to say that I think that Blago is delusional
I agree. There is ego and stupidity, both close cousins, and there is is insanity. No matter the truth or emptiness of the charges, I think there is a strong case that Blago has gone insane.
This is a great day for the state of Illinois.
Because the system worked. For once..
Indeed. But we, the citizens of this state, also need to prove that we can actually vote in semi-honest and competent leaders from time to time. I've seen little evidence of that yet. We can't rely on Fitzgerald forever.
Does the State of Illinois have a similar clause for the gov?
Probably not. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a clause that let's a guy govern from jail.
No more posturing Blago giving free rides to left-handed people in a desperate bid to curry favor.
Wait... when was this? I missed it? Dammit!
Sorry to keep posting, but I just heard on the radio that Blago threatened to withhold funding for Wrigley Field improvements unless the Trib agreed to fire certain members of its editorial board.
WHAT TESTICLES!
Wait, somebody already posted the Wrigley info. sorry.
By the time he gets out of prison, I reckon he'll qualify for free rides on the CTA. I hope that makes him cry.
this is truly hilarious. he does not pull off being corrupt very well. hahhahah
has anyone read the indictment? Some of these wiretaps/testimony are golden...
the 12 page press release from fitzgerald's office is great reading.
it includes many gems. our soon to be ex-gov is quoted as saying: if he is not going to get anything of value
for the open seat, then he will take it for himself: “if . . . they’re not going to offer anything of any value, then I might just take it.” “I’m going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain.” He added later that the seat “is a [expletive] valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for
nothing.”
Vallas was great. Why did people elect this piece of garbage?
I'm reading through the indictment and Blago was trying to be appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services. This sounds like it would implicate Obama (or some one on his staff). Granted Obama probably laughed him out of the room and appointed Daschle instead but conspiracy takes two. Who was on the other side of that deal?
I don't doubt that our dog-faced governor deserves to go to jail, but my gut tells me that this has everything to do with having the city divest from Bank of America following Blog's support of the workers at their factory. The big banks are manufacturing these crises (small banks are having no problems extending credit lines to their customers--and they don't like opposition. It smells fishy, and I think we ought to be sending quite a few corporate banking execs to the slammer along with Blago.
"I'm reading through the indictment and Blago was trying to be appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services. This sounds like it would implicate Obama (or some one on his staff). Granted Obama probably laughed him out of the room and appointed Daschle instead but conspiracy takes two. Who was on the other side of that deal?"
At least in terms of the senate appointment, Obama looks clean. Take this tidbit from page 68:
"Later in the conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he knows
that the President-elect wants Senate Candidate 1 for the Senate seat but “they’re not willing
to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them."
I'm not sure about that. I'm sure BoA is mighty pissed, but this appears to be a case of our wonderful leader SELLING A DAMN SENATE SEAT. The simple explanation seems better here.
Don't tell anyone I told you this but I just got word this morning that the governor's office has told state workers to cease all travel business wih Bank of America. For whatever that';s worth...,
@UTV:
I think BoA is popping champagne this morning.
I love how Nixonian this all sounds. His petty vendetta with the Tribune, his foul mouthed invectives, such a little twerp he is.
And all on tape. I cannot WAIT to hear those. I think the line "hold up that fucking Cubs shit" will be my ringtone.
I don't doubt that our dog-faced governor deserves to go to jail, but my gut tells me that this has everything to do with having the city divest from Bank of America following Blog's support of the workers at their factory.
Not to rain on fun conspiracy theories, but this investigation has been ongoing for a long time, and many informed people expected that Blago would, in fact, be arrested just before Thanksgiving, well before the issue involving Republic. I would tell your gut to take the day off due to illness and return on Wednesday, as it was clear to just about everyone--well, perhaps not Blago, given the recent calls--that another Ill. gov was going to be wearing handcuffs.
Here's a fun question, what about Ryan's pardon?
You think Bush is going to give George a free pass when Blago is on tap?
I am giddy at all this. I've loathed this man and his faux-populism bullshit for ages. Judy Barr Topinka is doing a little dance this morning I'm sure.
Thanks Via, I hadn't got to that part yet. It sounds like the talk of HHS secretary was pretty aspirational and not any actual discussion with Obama people.
Valarie Jarrett sounds like the unnamed Senate Candidate 1.
Reading through this thing make Blago look like a friggen crack whore. He just needs money, he doesn't care how he gets it. I'm looking into his mortgage records because I'm wondering what sort of upside down financial BS he might be involved in to need money so bad.
@dopplerd:
I would not be surprised if he got into a cycle of being scared of indictment, shaking people down for money, being more scared, getting more money and so on.
Politicians are generally not very smart or capable, just personable and driven. Hence so many of them getting caught on completely bone-headed charges.
My favorite part about this is how they got him. All they did was tap his phone! This guy...he's been under threat of indictment for months now, and yet he still discusses this crap in the open, on his phone.
It reminds me of how the whole thing came down in the movie Casino...the Feds weren't even trying, it was just some guy with a big mouth spilling all the details into a wire. ROFL.
Tower: In the new conference with the prosecutor mentioned that "wire taps and bugs" were used. So Blago may have thought he was being sneaky but the FBI was sneaker.
This is all still very wow to me. I knew it would happen one day, but not to this level.
I'm sure he's regretting his line about anyone can tape any of his conversations whenever they want.
Too bad we have to wait for a conviction for him to actually be out of power. Maybe lets try to get someone in there who will actually obey the law while in office.
I too am amazed at his willingness to discuss it...what is the saying? Never send an email when you can make a phone call, never make a phone call when you can meet in person, never speak when you can wink.
Why didn't we elect Judy Baar-Topinka. She was calling Blago out on all of this during the election. Oh Judy! Where are you now???
Got to wonder what Emil Jones' role in all of this was...
Judy, Judy, Judy.
The only republican who actually looked embarrassed by Alan Keyes traveling sideshow in 2004. I remember her wincing saying "We think we have a fine chance of winning".
When she called Blago "Public Official A" in the debates I nearly plotzed.
She was a good egg, a decent Illinois style republican. Blago steam-rolled her with money, not to mention the 2006 general "fuck the republicans" vibe nationally.
Pat Quinn seems a decent sort.
The person benefiting the most from all this is Larry Craig. Congratulations to him for losing his appeal on a day where no one is paying attention.