Obama says internal probe clears staff
President-elect Barack Obama said Monday he will not release a "comprehensive" internal probe of his staff's contacts with Gov. Rod Blagojevich until next week at the request of federal prosecutors.
"I would ask for your patience because I do not want to interfere with an ongoing investigation," Obama said at a news conference in Chicago announcing his new energy team.
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald confirmed the request in a statement issued Monday, saying the delay was needed so investigators can complete "certain interviews."
Neither Fitzgerald nor the Obama camp shed any light on who was being questioned or what details in the internal probe could compromise the ongoing interviews.
Obama spokesman Dan Pfeiffer said the U.S. attorney's office asked Obama to hold off on releasing the results until next week "in order to not impede their investigation of the governor."
A staff attorney has been in contact with the U.S. attorney's office in relation to the internal probe, Pfeiffer said in a statement issued before the news conference.
Meanwhile, Obama reiterated Monday that his staff did nothing wrong in its interactions with the governor. Blagojevich is accused of trying to profit from his power to choose Obama's replacement in the Senate.
"There was nothing that my office did that was in any way inappropriate or related to the charges that have been brought," Obama said.
The media was granted three questions at the late-afternoon news conference and only one was related to the arrest of Blagojevich on charges he tried to trade the Senate seat appointment for a federal job, high-paying union position or help raising money for a nonprofit he would when his second term expired.
Obama was directly asked if his chief of staff, U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, was referenced in the federal criminal complaint as someone Blagojevich's staff interacted with regarding the appointment.
Obama didn't answer the question and instead referred to the pending release of the internal probe next week.
Pfeiffer said the internal probe found the staff was "not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as U.S. senator."
The federal criminal complaint against Blagojevich features transcripts of secret recordings of the governor talking about trading the appointment. In the transcripts, Blagojevich allegedly directs his staff to talk to an adviser to President-elect Obama about his desires.
However, the transcripts also indicate the governor thought he wouldn't get anything out of Obama for picking someone the president-elect favored.
Blagojevich is allegedly recorded as saying on Nov. 10 that his consultants said he won't get anything from Obama for the appointment and he added, "(Expletive) him. For nothing? (Expletive) him."
The next day, he is allegedly recorded as saying, "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. (Expletive) them."
Weeks later Blagojevich is still recorded as discussing ways he could get something from Obama, including help with fundraising for a nonprofit the governor would control, the criminal complaint says. He is allegedly recorded discussing with his staff ways to present the idea to an Obama adviser.
After the arrest, Obama refused to detail accounts of his staff's interactions with Blagojevich, including who handled the appointment negotiations. He then said details would be released when the internal probe was complete.
The criminal complaint does not allege wrongdoing by Obama or his staff.
Obama is set to conduct another news conference in Chicago on Tuesday.
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