From the Feds’ case. . .
At 78 pages, the criminal complaint filed against Gov.
Rod Blagojevich is a litany of pay-for-play allegations
about campaign fundraising; the filling of the Senate seat
vacated by President-elect Barack Obama; and an effort to
have members of the Tribune’s editorial board fired.
The complaint lists two counts by FBI special agent
Daniel Cain: that Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John
Harris, engaged in wire and mail fraud; and that the two
men conspired to withhold state financial assistance in-
volving Wrigley
Field, currently
owned by Trib-
une Co., in
order to have
Chicago Trib-
une editorial
board members
fired for writ-
ing critical
editorials.
Here are
excerpts:
’[O]ur recommendation is fire all those [ex-
pletive] people, get ’em the [expletive] out
of there and get us some editorial support.’
‘to hold up that [expletive] Cubs
[expletive] ... [expletive] them.’
‘I’ve got this thing and it’s [expletive] gold-
en, and, uh, uh, I’m just not giving it up
for [expletive] nothing. I’m not gonna do
it. And, and I can always use it. I can
parachute me there.’
During a Nov. 3 telephone conversation, Blagojevich and
Deputy Governor A discussed a Tribune editorial endorsing
the creation of a legislative impeachment committee. The
governor’s wife, Patricia, can be heard in the background
telling Blagojevich to tell Deputy Governor A:
On Nov. 5, while discussing his authority to name President-elect
Barack Obama’s replacement in the U.S. Senate, Blagojevich said
Obama could use his influence to name the governor to a lucra-
tive spot with a private foundation. Blagojevich told Advisor A:
The complaint alleges that Blagojevich directed
Harris to inform owners of the Chicago Tribune that
the state would withhold financial assistance for the
sale of Wrigley Field unless members of the Tribune
editorial board were fired.
‘they’re not willing to give me
anything except appreciation.
[Expletive] them.’
During a conversation with Harris on Nov. 11, Blagojevich said he
knew Obama wanted Senate