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Illinois Governor 'is in custody' State governor seized in US probe
(about 1 hour later)
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has been arrested by federal agents, following a corruption probe.Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has been arrested by federal agents, following a corruption probe.
He has been charged with conspiring to get financial benefits through his authority to appoint a US senator.
As governor, Mr Blagojevich is responsible for selecting someone to take up Barack Obama's now vacant Illinois senate seat.As governor, Mr Blagojevich is responsible for selecting someone to take up Barack Obama's now vacant Illinois senate seat.
Mr Blagojevich's arrest stems from charges related to the selection of Mr Obama's replacement, the Associated Press has reported. He has also been charged with illegally threatening to block state aid to the company that owns the Chicago Tribune.
His chief of staff John Harris has also been arrested, according to Reuters. Mr Blagojevich allegedly demanded that the company fire members of the newspaper's editorial board in return for financial assistance in the sale of Wrigley Field, a Chicago sports stadium.
The governor's chief of staff, John Harris, has also been arrested.
'Staggering'
The FBI has released a 76-page affidavit detailing the charges against Mr Blagojevich, which includes transcripts of his telephone conversations intercepted by court-authorised wiretaps over the the last month.
In the conversations, Mr Blagojevich discussed offering Mr Obama's senate seat in return for getting a well-paid position at a nonprofit organisation or a group affiliated with trades unions, according to the affidavit.
He also allegedly talked about getting his wife Patti placed on a corporate board.
"The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering," said US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in a statement.
"They allege that Blagojevich put a for sale sign on the naming of a United States senator," he added.