ILLINOIS GOV. TRIES TO SELL OBAMA’S SENATE SEAT

Dec 09, 2008 ezstreet Uncategorized 0

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Everyone has notions that government officials are dirty and will do anything for a buck. Well, the Governer of Illinois has taken that to a whole other level. He was caught trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat to the highest bidder.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is in federal custody on corruption charges, a law enforcement official said Tuesday. Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Illinois.  Read the rest of this bullish!

Both men are expected in U.S. District Court in Chicago later Tuesday.A news conference is expected at noon ET. Federal prosecutors say Blagojevich, Harris and others conspired to gain financial benefits in appointing President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate replacement, according to the statement.

“The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering,” U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said in a statement. “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.”

According to the statement, Blagojevich is alleged to have discussed obtaining:

# a substantial salary for himself at either a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions;

# a spot for his wife on paid corporate boards, where he speculated she might garner as much as $150,000 a year;

# promises of campaign funds — including cash up front;

# a Cabinet post or ambassadorship for himself.

The Obama transition team is aware that Blagojevich is in federal custody, but has no comment, according to a senior Democratic source.

Can you believe this isht? Let’s talk about it. What do you think made him do it besides plain old greed?
SOURCE

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