Afternoon:
10°c
Obama and two top aides questioned over Senate seat
Kiran Randhawa24 Dec 2008
Barack Obama has been interviewed by prosecutors over an alleged bid to sell his vacated Senate seat, it is revealed today.
The president-elect and two of his top aides were quizzed as part of an investigation into Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.
Among the charges the governor faces is the accusation that he tried to sell Mr Obama's Senate seat. He denies the charges and has refused to resign.
Mr Obama, his chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett, were interviewed by federal prosecutors but have since been cleared of any wrongdoing.
According to an internal report, Mr Emanuel and Ms Jarrett, who had initially expressed interest in filling the seat, had been interviewed separately by the US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald last week in connection with the accusations.
It revealed that Mr Emanuel had spoken to Mr Blagojevich about who should fill the seat but added Mr Obama and his team had "no inappropriate discussions" with Mr Blagojevich.
According to the report Mr Obama had no contact or communication with Mr Blagojevich or members of his staff about his Senate seat.
It concluded there was no indication that any "quid pro quo" arrangement over the job had been suggested or considered by any of Mr Obama's staff.
The review was conducted by Greg Craig, legal adviser to Mr Obama.
He said: "My inquiry determined that there was nothing at all inappropriate about those conversations."
Mr Craig stressed that Mr Emanuel was the only figure within the transition team to have direct contact with Mr Blagojevich or members of his staff and said "those contacts were totally appropriate and acceptable".
But the report was unlikely to fully satisfy critics who have accused Mr Obama's team of being less than forthcoming about how much they knew about the way Mr Blagojevich was handling the open Senate seat, for which he alone may name a replacement.
The report said Mr Emanuel had "one or two" phone calls with Mr Blagojevich and discussed possible candidates for the Senate seat that Mr Obama vacated after he was elected on 4 November.
Mr Craig also noted that Mr Emanuel had around four phone conversations with John Harris, chief of staff to the governor, on the subject of the Senate seat.
Mr Blagojevich was charged on 9December with a number of offences including soliciting a bribe. Mr Harris resigned after being charged in the federal case.
Reader views (1)
He's not a Bush or a Republican so the press will give him a pass. After all how could the press own up to being totally wrong about Hussein?
- Frank, ex-England, 25/12/2008 11:32
Report abuse
