WASHINGTON  Amid accusations of widespread corruption, an empty seat in the United States Senate awaits a new occupant from Illinois, where the governor is not trusted to make the choice.

That was the story in 1927, when the Senate ultimately denied a seat to Frank L. Smith because of questions surrounding his appointment by Gov. Len Small. But it all sounds familiar today as yet another sordid tale is added to a long and colorful history of the intense machinations that come when the prize is appointment to the most exclusive of political clubs.

Given the prestige of a Senate seat and its magnetic allure to politicians, it is perhaps not surprising that when these vacancies come up, the process of awarding the office has become fraught with malfeasance and political peril.

Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois, caught on wiretaps that were unsealed in a criminal complaint this week, might have been crude but was certainly right when he said his unfettered power to install anyone he liked in President-elect Barack Obama’s old Senate seat was golden. It confers a singular ability to provide admission to the lofty legislative body without the inconveniences of facing an election  or of having to raise millions of dollars to finance one.