Enlarge By Nancy Stone, Chicago Tribune, via AP Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to manipulate state government to enrich himself and his family, according to 76-page complaint. THE BLAGOJEVICH FILE THE BLAGOJEVICH FILE Blagojevich Age: 52. Born Dec. 10, 1956. Home: Chicago. Family: Wife, Patricia; two daughters Education: Northwestern University, graduated in 1979; Pepperdine University, law degree, 1983. Experience: Elected Illinois governor in 2002, re-elected in 2006; served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois' 5th District from 1997-2002; served in the Illinois House from a North Side Chicago district from 1992-1996; assistant Cook County state's attorney. Quote: "I don't care whether you tape me privately or publicly. I can tell you that whatever I say is always lawful." Enlarge By Gerald Herbert, AP Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, back seat, sits behind a member of his security detail Tuesday as he leaves the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago after being released on a bond of $4,500. 3 EX-GOVERNORS SERVED TIME 3 EX-GOVERNORS SERVED TIME Three former Illinois governors have gone to prison in the past 35 years: • Otto Kerner, a Democrat who was governor from 1961 to 1968, served less than a year of a three year prison sentence after his conviction in 1973 on bribery, tax evasion and other counts. He was convicted of arranging favorable horse racing dates as governor in return for getting horse racing association stock at reduced prices. He died in 1976. • Dan Walker, a Democrat in office from 1973 to 1977, served 1½ years of a seven-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in 1987 to bank fraud, misapplication of funds and perjury. The charges were unrelated to service as governor. • George Ryan, a Republican who was governor from 1999 to 2003, was convicted of corruption in 2006 for steering state contracts and leases to political insiders while he was Illinois secretary of State and then governor. He is serving a 6½-year prison term. Source: The Associated Press CHICAGO  Corruption has tainted politics here since Al Capone's heyday, but the arrest Tuesday of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich revealed alleged conspiracy and bribery schemes so brazen that veteran investigators and prosecutors could barely contain their revulsion. "The conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave," said U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. In breathtaking detail, the criminal complaint describes the efforts of the Democratic governor and his chief of staff John Harris, who also was arrested, to "sell the U.S. Senate seat" once held by President-elect Barack Obama for a high-paying job, promises of campaign funds, a Cabinet post or ambassadorship or corporate-board seats for Blagojevich's wife, Patricia. POLITICS BLOG: What scandal might mean for Obama Senate seat READ: The formal complaint JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: Official press release FBI agents were "disgusted and revolted" by the evidence they heard on wiretaps of Blagojevich's phones, said Robert Grant, special agent in charge of the FBI's Chicago office. The 76-page complaint describes efforts by Blagojevich (pronounced bluh-GOY-uh-vich) to manipulate state government to enrich himself and his family, use his authority to withhold funding for a children's hospital until one of its executives would write a $50,000 check and intimidate the Chicago Tribune into firing editorial writers who had criticized him. The allegations turned the city's pride over Obama's election into shock and could be a distraction to the Obama team as it prepares its transition to the White House, an effort that has been mostly free of controversy. Obama served in the Illinois Senate for seven years and top officials in his administration, including former Illinois representative Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod, a Chicago political consultant, also are products of an Illinois political system that has long been plagued by corruption. "I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so I was not aware of what was happening," Obama told reporters Tuesday. "It is a sad day for Illinois. Beyond that, I don't think it's appropriate to comment." Fitzgerald said there's no indication that Obama was aware of Blagojevich's alleged attempts to use the governor's power to appoint Obama's replacement for financial gain. The complaint by prosecutors makes no allegation against Obama or any of his aides and advisers. In fact, in taped remarks included in the complaint — which, like many of Blagojevich's conversations gleaned from federal wiretaps or bugs in his office, are laced with profanities — the governor complains that Obama's staff "is not willing to give me anything but appreciation. … (Expletive) them." Blagojevich's taped complaints that he wouldn't get anything for appointing Obama's top choice to the Senate seat likely allows the president-elect to come out "smelling like a rose while all these other folks are swimming in a sewer," said American University political historian Allan Lichtman. Obama has so far "survived this state basically unscathed by corruption, which demonstrates his ability to sail above it," said Paul Green, a political science professor at Chicago's Roosevelt University. Even so, questions about the Blagojevich case will be a "huge distraction, and they need to address it as soon as possible," said Emory University political scientist Merle Black. For Obama, "this is like a case of the hives — it emerges suddenly and is very annoying but is not fatal," Lichtman said. "It's not something he wanted and not something he needs, but he can still do his job." Tuesday's revelations also leave unanswered questions. Among them: Who will appoint Obama's successor to the U.S. Senate? The state constitution says only the governor may do so unless he or she has been convicted or impeached, said Dan White, executive director of the Illinois Board of Elections. On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin urged the state Legislature, which isn't scheduled to resume work until Jan. 12, to authorize a special election to fill Obama's old seat — a move that would require passage of new legislation. "The alternative is a tainted appointment," Durbin said. Illinois state Rep. Jack Franks, a Democrat who sought Blagojevich's impeachment or recall, introduced a bill Tuesday that would bar indicted governors from filling U.S. Senate vacancies. Blagojevich hasn't been indicted but several state lawmakers were calling on him to step down. He would be succeeded by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat. The governor "should resign," said Republican state Sen. Dan Cronin. "It taints all of us who are in this business of public service. I feel sick about it." Sheldon Sorosky, Blagojevich's attorney, said he didn't know of any immediate plans for Blagojevich to resign. The governor believes he didn't do anything wrong and asks Illinoisans to have faith in him, Sorosky said. The feds step in Fitzgerald said federal agents who have been investigating alleged corruption in Blagojevich's office for more than five years moved suddenly to arrest the governor early Tuesday morning because he was engaged in "a political corruption crime spree" that had to be stopped. The prosecutor said $8 million in state funding for a children's hospital was held up while Blagojevich waited for a $50,000 personal campaign donation from the hospital's CEO, and said the governor delayed signing pending legislation that would divert funds to horse racing tracks while awaiting $100,000 in donations. Dick Simpson, political science professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago and a former Chicago alderman, said he believes the quick arrest was meant to "prevent Blagojevich from making the Senate appointment" to the highest bidder. "We're talking about tainting the selection of a U.S. senator," said Kent Redfield, a political science professor at the University of Illinois-Springfield. That makes the stakes in the case much higher than "a continuation of the let's-make-a-deal, where's-mine part of Illinois politics." Blagojevich also is accused of seeking campaign donations in exchange for official actions and threatening to withhold state assistance from the Tribune Co., owner of the Chicago Tribune, to force firings of editorial board members who had criticized the governor. Fitzgerald thanked the Tribune for honoring a request about eight weeks ago not to report on certain aspects of the probe. Tribune Editor Gerould Kern said in a statement the newspaper delayed publishing some stories, but refused other requests to do so. The editorial writers Blagojevich wanted fired remain with the paper and Kern said he was not pressured by the governor's staff. Blagojevich, who turns 52 today, was elected in 2002 and re-elected two years ago, was arrested before dawn at his Chicago home and released after an appearance before U.S. District Judge Nan Nolan. He forfeited his passport and firearm owner's ID card and will lose $4,500 if he doesn't show up for court dates. A 'profane wheeler-dealer' Roscoe Howard, former chief federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., said the "remarkable" allegations against the Illinois governor conjure an image of a "profane wheeler-dealer." Howard said the governor's attorneys likely will challenge the government's arguments for seeking wiretaps. "You try to make the government's actions look as bad as the governor's," he said. But it's "going to be very hard for the governor. His raw words on the tapes are just killers." Houston attorney Ron Woods, a former FBI agent and federal prosecutor, said the complaint reveals "an unrelenting pursuit" of money and power. "I've never seen somebody so blatant," Woods said. One possible avenue for defense lawyers, Woods said, is to attack the government's reasoning for tapping the governor's phone calls. "Tapping phones is so obtrusive that you have to show that there is no other way to get the information," Woods said. "In this case, the tapes are so damaging. The government has a lot to use against him." Fitzgerald said Blagojevich continued to talk on wiretapped phones even after the Tribune reported on its front page Friday that agents were making covert tape recordings of Blagojevich. The complaint includes excerpts of Blagojevich's conversations: • On Nov. 3, Blagojevich's wife, Patricia, could be heard in the background of a conversation between the governor and an aide, urging them to delay financial help for the Tribune Co.'s effort to sell the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field. She told her husband to tell his aide to "hold up that (expletive) Cubs (expletive). … (Expletive) them." • On Nov. 5, Blagojevich and an aide discussed whether he could be named Health and Human Services or Energy secretary in exchange for making a Senate appointment that Obama approved of. He also discussed with Harris whether Obama could get him a good job in the private sector, such as head of a foundation. "I've got this thing and it's (expletive) golden," Blagojevich said of the Senate appointment, "and … I'm not just giving it up for (expletive) nothing." • On Nov. 7, Blagojevich told Harris and a consultant, "I want to make money." Harris said the governor would be interested in a position with a group called Change to Win, which is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). SEIU spokeswoman Ramona Oliver said Tuesday the group has "no reason to believe that SEIU or any SEIU official was involved in any wrongdoing." • On, Nov. 10, Blagojevich, his wife, Harris and other advisers were on a conference call to discuss the open Senate seat. Blagojevich said he would not simply name an Obama associate to the seat without getting something in return. He complained his advisers were telling him to "suck it up" and give this "(expletive) (the president-elect) his senator. (Expletive) him. For nothing? (Expletive) him." • On Nov. 11, Blagojevich wondered whether Obama supporter and billionaire Warren Buffett could give up to $15 million to a charitable organization that Blagojevich could head. Veterans of Illinois politics are less surprised, but some worry that the Blagojevich scandal will make it harder for the state to shake its reputation for tolerating corruption, jeopardize Chicago's chances of hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics and complicate efforts to deal with a state budget crisis. "I thought I'd be happier, but I'm not," said Franks, who has pushed to remove Blagojevich from office. "We need to demand change to clean up our government." Contributing: Kevin Johnson, Fredreka Schouten and Kathy Kiely Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more