Pritzker also was hammered by millions of dollars in attack ads from Rauner, who sought to link him not only to Madigan, the governor’s chief political nemesis, but also to imprisoned ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The Chicago Tribune reported that in November 2008, Pritzker was caught on federal wiretaps asking Blagojevich to appoint him state treasurer and strategizing with the soon-to-be-arrested governor on who to appoint to President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat.