What Patricia Blagojevich said ON THE TRIBUNE AND THE CHICAGO CUBS . . . What Rod Blagojevich said

WHAT BLAGOJEVICH SAID ABOUT FILLING OBAMA’S SENATE SEAT

Tribune staff report

December 9, 2008

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 involving Wrigley Field, currently owned by Tribune Co., in order to have Chicago Tribune editorial board members fired for writing critical editorials.
Here are excerpts:

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.