Rod R. Blagojevich

Quick Summary

Rod Blagojevich, the 40th Governor of Illinois, was arrested on December 9, 2008 for attempting to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. FBI wiretaps captured Blagojevich declaring the Senate seat was "a f***ing valuable thing, you just don't give it away for nothing." He was impeached and removed from office by the Illinois legislature in January 2009, convicted at trial in June 2011 on 17 of 20 federal charges including wire fraud, extortion, and solicitation of bribes, and sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. President Trump commuted his sentence in February 2020 after Blagojevich had served approximately eight years.

Timeline of Events

The Details

The Senate Seat Scheme

The most infamous aspect of the case was Blagojevich's attempt to profit from his power to appoint a successor to President-elect Obama's Senate seat. FBI wiretaps recorded him saying: "I've got this thing and it's f***ing golden. And I'm just not giving it up for f***in' nothing." He explored multiple options: selling the appointment for campaign contributions (seeking up to $500,000), trading it for a Cabinet position, trading it for a high-paying job at a nonprofit or union, or appointing himself to the seat.

At various points, Blagojevich discussed appointing a union-friendly candidate in exchange for the Service Employees International Union placing him on their payroll; appointing a candidate favored by the Obama transition team in exchange for a Cabinet appointment; and appointing himself to the Senate as a way to escape the governorship and position himself for a 2016 presidential run.

The Shakedown Pattern

The Senate seat was only the most dramatic part of a broader pattern. The investigation revealed multiple instances of "pay-to-play" corruption:

• Children's Memorial Hospital: Blagojevich allegedly withheld $8 million in state funding for the hospital until its CEO contributed $50,000 to his campaign fund.
• Racetrack legislation: Blagojevich held up legislation that would benefit the horse-racing industry until racetrack owner John Johnston contributed $100,000 to his campaign.
• Tollway contracts: Blagojevich's fundraiser, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, extracted contributions from companies seeking state contracts.
• State jobs and appointments: State positions were exchanged for campaign contributions or political favors.

Tony Rezko

Antoin "Tony" Rezko was Blagojevich's chief fundraiser and a central figure in the corruption. Rezko ran a pay-to-play operation in which companies and individuals seeking state business were directed to make campaign contributions. Rezko was convicted in June 2008, six months before Blagojevich's arrest, on 16 counts of fraud and money laundering. He was sentenced to 10.5 years.

What Happened

Blagojevich was impeached by the Illinois House (114–1) on January 9, 2009, and removed from office by the Illinois Senate (59–0) on January 29, 2009. He was also barred from holding future state office. His first federal trial in August 2010 ended largely in a hung jury, with conviction on only one count of lying to the FBI.

At his second trial in June 2011, Blagojevich was convicted on 17 of 20 counts including wire fraud, attempted extortion, solicitation of bribes, and conspiracy. On December 7, 2011, Judge James Zagel sentenced him to 14 years in federal prison; one of the longest sentences imposed on a public official for corruption.

Blagojevich reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Englewood, Colorado on March 15, 2012. On February 18, 2020, President Donald Trump commuted his sentence. Blagojevich had served approximately eight years of his 14-year term. Trump described the sentence as "ridiculous" and noted that Blagojevich had appeared on his television show The Celebrity Apprentice.

Blagojevich was the fourth of the last nine Illinois governors to be charged with a crime, following Dan Walker (fraud), Otto Kerner Jr. (bribery), and George Ryan (racketeering). The pattern earned Illinois a reputation as one of the most politically corrupt states in America.

Financial Impact

The financial scope of Blagojevich's corruption extended across his entire tenure as governor. His campaign fund raised over $58 million between 2001 and 2008, much of it through pay-to-play arrangements. The specific corrupt acts documented in the indictment included: the attempted sale of the Senate seat (up to $500,000 sought), the shakedown of Children's Memorial Hospital ($50,000), the racetrack legislation hold-up ($100,000), and numerous other contributions extracted in exchange for official actions.

Connections

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