The Downfall of Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich
Paul Beaty / AP
Persona Non Grata
Blagojevich's long legal battle began in earnest on Dec. 9, 2008, when the former Illinois governor was arrested on federal corruption charges. In the weeks after his arrest, he vehemently asserted his innocence despite the presence of tape-recorded phone conversations in which he discussed ways he might from profit from his power to appoint someone to fill the Senate seat vacated by President Obama. Above, Blagojevich looks out at the media after announcing his choice of former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to fill the U.S. Senate seat, Dec. 30, 2008, in Chicago.
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