Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich often insists, in conversations, that he never intended to sell the Senate seat left vacant by Barack Obama when he became president in 2008. He maintains his innocence regarding the case that led to nearly eight years in federal prison.
Blagojevich claims he was close to appointing Lisa Madigan to the Senate. Her name has faded from public view over the years, but at the time of the scandal, she was the Illinois attorney general and the daughter of the powerful then-Speaker of the Illinois House, Mike Madigan.
Interestingly, the former speaker later was imprisoned for a corruption case of his own. Blagojevich argues that he would have appointed Lisa Madigan in return for her father’s support of his healthcare and budget initiatives.
Following Blagojevich’s arrest in December 2009, both President Obama and Rahm Emanuel, his incoming chief of staff, were interviewed by the FBI. Obama was questioned on December 18, just nine days after the arrest, while Emanuel was interviewed two days later. The outcomes of these discussions remained sealed until now, but Fox News has obtained partially redacted records of those interviews.
According to the notes from Obama’s interview, he was asked if he knew about Emanuel’s talks with Blagojevich’s administration concerning Lisa Madigan as a candidate for the Senate seat in exchange for legislative support.
Notes from Emanuel’s interview reveal that on December 8, 2008, he, along with David Axelrod, met with Senator Dick Durbin, agreeing that Madigan would make a suitable candidate. Following that conversation, Emanuel reached out to Blagojevich’s chief of staff to advocate for Lisa Madigan’s appointment.
Then, just after 6 a.m. on December 9, 2009, Blagojevich was arrested at his Chicago home.
Patrick Fitzgerald, then U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, remarked that the governor was arrested amidst what could only be described as a “political corruption crime spree.” He emphasized the need to stop this alleged spree.
In light of the newly unsealed information, Blagojevich argued that the supposed “Madigan deal” was front and center, asserting, “There was never a crime spree that Mr. Fitzgerald mentioned as justification for arresting a sitting governor in his home.”
Other notable details from these interviews include Obama’s initial preference for Valerie Jarrett to fill his Senate seat, but he later decided he wanted her as a senior advisor in the White House. Emanuel still favored Jarrett for the Senate seat instead of a White House role, which he deemed awkward given her close relationship with Obama.
Blagojevich expressed his views on Emanuel, describing him as a clever and effective political operator who sought closeness to power.
Eventually, Obama came to a firm decision; he told Emanuel that Jarrett would be moving to the White House and he wouldn’t reconsider. Subsequently, a range of other candidates emerged, including Tammy Duckworth and Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Jesse Jackson Jr., the latter also facing prison for a separate case.
Amidst the establishment of his new administration, Obama mentioned that he did not wish to unduly influence the process. Nonetheless, he asked Emanuel to convey that he was looking for a candidate who would be a good senator and also have a strong chance of winning the seat in the upcoming 2010 election.
Ultimately, Blagojevich appointed Roland Burris to fill Obama’s former Senate seat. Burris didn’t seek re-election, and after a competitive race, Republican Mark Kirk assumed the role in 2010, only to be defeated by Tammy Duckworth in 2016.
Blagojevich served nearly eight years in prison until President Trump commuted his sentence in 2020, and he received a full pardon in 2025.
Fox News reached out to both Obama and Emanuel for comment, but they did not respond.
