At least it was pretty upfront:
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. agents arrested Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff on Tuesday morning on federal corruption charges related to the appointment of a senator to succeed President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate and a threat to withhold state assistance to the Tribune Co.
On wiretaps, Blagojevich was intercepted conspiring to trade the Senate seat, a former U.S. senator from Illinois, for positions that Obama would have the power to appoint, or in exchange for millions of dollars in funding for a non-profit organization that Blagojevich would run, according to federal charges.At one point, Blagojevich complained that Obama's team wasn't "willing to give me anything except appreciation" in exchange for appointing Obama's preferred candidate.As governor of Illinois, Blagojevich has the power to appoint a successor for Obama in the Senate.Blagojevich, 51, and his chief of staff John Harris, 46, were each charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery.Calls intercepted by the FBI allegedly also show that Blagojevich directed Harris to tell the owner of the Chicago Tribune that state financial assistance for the Chicago Cubs' Wrigley Field would be withheld unless members of paper's editorial board were fired, primarily because Blagojevich viewed them as driving discussion of his possible impeachment.Blagojevich, a Democrat, has been governor of Illinois since January 2003.
Update: Rebekah, who lives in Illinois, sent this link to more. She also says her brother put in a bid on e-Bay, but I haven't confirmed that...