Obama Senate Replacement
Fraud involving the appointment of a senator to fill the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama is the most notable charge against Blagojevich. Blagojevich was overheard on a recorded phone call saying "it's a fucking valuable thing, you just don't give it away for nothing", and that "If I don't get what I want ... I'll just take the Senate seat myself."
Blagojevich allegedly sought the following in exchange for an appointment:
- A substantial salary for himself at either a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions.
- Placing 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 to Serbia.
Following Blagojevich's arrest, Richard Durbin, the United States Senator for Illinois who had served alongside Obama, issued a statement regarding the prospective gubernatorial appointment to replace Barack Obama in the Senate: "No appointment by this governor, under these circumstances, could produce a credible replacement". Durbin urged the Illinois General Assembly to quickly set a special election to replace Obama. Durbin noted that Illinois has a need to call a 2009 House of Representatives special election to replace then-Representative and White House Chief of Staff-designate Rahm Emanuel in Illinois's 5th congressional district. Both Illinois Senate President Emil Jones and Michael Madigan, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, stated that they would call a session of their respective chambers to consider legislation to establish a special election to fill the Obama Senate seat vacancy. Bills were introduced in both houses that would have revoked the Governor's statutory authority to appoint a senator, and would have required a special election instead. Neither house debated the bills, nor were they enacted.
Read more about this topic: Rod Blagojevich Corruption Charges
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