Dealing for a U.S. senator? Indictment details lust for money

Gov. Rod Blagojevich was looking for a way to trade his appointment of a U.S. Senator to fill Barack Obama's seat for a new, high-paying job for himself or his wife, according to a criminal complaint released by federal prosecutors Tuesday.

And, if the appointment didn't bring him something of significance in return, Blagojevich planned to simply take the job himself or appoint a candidate not backed by Obama, the complaint alleges. By law, the sitting governor has the sole power to appoint a replacement for the two years left in President-elect Obama's U.S. Senate term.

During the FBI investigation into alleged corruption by Blagojevich, agents intercepted communications about efforts by Blagojevich, the governor's chief of staff John Harris and others to use the governor's power to appoint a Senate replacement in return for jobs or campaign contributions, prosecutors allege.

Obama said Tuesday he was "unaware" of any attempt by Blagojevich to profit from his senate seat.

Blagojevich conspired to trade the seat for "particular positions that the President-elect has the power to appoint (e.g. the Secretary of Health and Human Services)," the complaint said.

The governor also was heard working to "sell the Senate seat in exchange for his wife's placement on paid corporate boards" or him getting a job at a private foundation "in a significant position with a substantial salary."

He also was said to be alternatively working to sell the Senate seat in exchange for millions of dollars for a nonprofit organization that he would start and work for after he leaves office.

Efforts to trade the appointment of a particular unnamed candidate for a private job failed, according to the criminal complaint.

The most recent conversations noted in the complaint concerning the Senate seat focused on getting campaign contributions "upfront in consideration of an appointment."

The day before the election, Blagojevich was discussing the Senate appointment with an aide. The governor told the aide that if he wasn't going to get anything in return, if "they're not going to offer anything of any value, then I might just take it," according to the document.

In another conversation with an adviser, the two discussed media reports that an adviser to Obama was interested in the job if Obama won and that Obama was backing the candidate. According to the complaint, Blagojevich told the adviser, "unless I get something real good, (expletive), I'll just send myself, you know what I'm saying."

He later was quoted in the federal document as saying, "I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore, I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I'm saying. And if I don't get what I want and I'm not satisfied with it, then I'll just take the Senate seat myself."

And, he described the Senate seat as "a (expletive) valuable thing, you just don't give it away for nothing."

On Election Day, a Blagojevich aide suggested compiling a list of things the governor would accept in return for the Senate seat. Blagojevich said the list, though, "can't be in writing."

The governor then talked about whether he could get an ambassadorship in exchange for the Senate appointment, according to the complaint.

Later that day, speaking with Harris, Blagojevich said the "trick ... is how do you conduct indirectly ... a negotiation," the complaint alleges.

He compared his situation to that of a sports agent shopping a free agent, according to the complaint, stating "how much are you offering, (President-elect)? What are you offering, (Senate Candidate 2)? ... Can always go to ... (Senate Candidate 3)."

He later said he would make the appointment in good faith, but "it is not coming for free. ... It's got to be good stuff for the people of Illinois and good for me."

"(President-elect), you want it? Fine. But it's got to be good or I could always take (the Senate seat)," the governor is quoted as saying.

On Nov. 5, Blagojevich and an aide talked about potential positions he could get, including Secretary of Health and Human Services and various ambassadorships. The aide noted that the cabinet position of Secretary of Energy is "the one that makes the most money," but that it's hard not to give that job to a Texan. Yet, the aide said, Blagojevich's experience with coal might help.

During a phone call with an aide on Nov. 5, Blagojevich told the aide that the president-elect could remove somebody from a private foundation and give the job to him. And then, according to the criminal complaint, talking about the Senate seat, Blagojevich said, "I've got this thing and it's (expletive) golden, and, uh, uh, I'm just not giving it up for (expletive) nothing. I'm not gonna do it. And, and I can always use it. I can parachute me there."

In a conversation on Nov. 7 with Harris and a Washington, D.C.,-based adviser, Blagojevich said he would appoint the candidate backed by Obama if he was appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services, explaining that he was "financially" hurting and had to think of his family.

"I want to make money," he's quoted as saying, in the range of $250,000 to $300,000, he said later in the conversation.

They also discussed the possibility of a deal in which Blagojevich would get a high-paying job with Change to Win, a group connected with the Service Employees International Union, and in exchange, the president-elect would help the union with its legislative agenda, the complaint alleges.

The next day, Blagojevich discussed the possibility of getting his wife a good job with a "significantly better salary than she is making now" in exchange, and whether Change to Win could get his wife a job before he gets a job there.

During a subsequent call on Nov. 10, Blagojevich talked about how he could name himself senator in order to avoid impeachment by the state Legislature.

And, he conceded that it was unlikely Obama would appoint him Secretary of Health and Human Services or as an ambassador because of the negative publicity surrounding him.

When advisers suggested Blagojevich would have to give Obama the senator candidate he was backing, Blagojevich said, "(Expletive) him. For nothing? (Expletive) him," according to the federal complaint.

He vowed to put another candidate in the seat if he didn't get anything out of it.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related documents</h2> <ul class="morePdf"> <li><a href="/pdf/pressrelease.pdf">Press release of Blagojevich arrest</a></li> <li><a href="/pdf/complaint.pdf">Full text of complaint</a></li> </ul> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/packages/2008/blagojevich/">Complete coverage of Blagojevich investigation</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </ul> </div> </div> </div>