Illinois Governor Arrested Amid Allegations of Pay-to-Play Politics

Susan Davis reports on politics. Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris , were taken into federal custody amid allegations that he was using pay-to-play tactics, including the jockeying for President-elect Barack Obama ’s vacant Senate seat. The two men are the targets of a broad corruption investigation that includes a conspiracy to exchange Obama’s Senate seat for financial benefits to the governor and his wife. Chicago news reports also said Blagojevich sought an appointment in Obama’s cabinet as secretary of health and human services, or another high profile post in exchange for supporting a union-backed candidate to fill Obama’s seat. The Chicago Tribune provides the criminal complaint found HERE . According to the complaint, after Blagojevich’s efforts to “arrange for a private job… in exchange for appointing a particular candidate to the open Senate seat did not meet with success,” he focused on obtaining campaign ... (link)