Obama had to answer feds' questions about Blago
President-elect Barack Obama, his top adviser Valerie Jarrett and his chief of staff appointee, Rahm Emanuel, were interviewed last week by federal authorities probing allegations that Gov. Blagojevich put Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat up for sale.
The interviews on Thursday (Obama); Friday (Jarrett), and Saturday (Emanuel) were disclosed in a five-page report released Tuesday about the Obama camp's contacts with Blagojevich, his staff and others close to him.
(AP)
In a memo to Obama, incoming White House counsel Greg Craig wrote that the internal investigation shows "no indication of inappropriate discussions" by Obama or his advisers about the Senate vacancy. But the report, when meshed with allegations in Blagojevich's criminal complaint, portrays Jarrett as being far more involved in seeking to be appointed to the Senate than has been previously known. She removed herself from consideration after a conversation with a union official who had spoken with Blagojevich.
The only person from Obama's camp who had direct contact with Blagojevich about the Senate seat was Emanuel, who had "one or two telephone calls" with Blagojevich "that occurred between Nov. 6 and Nov. 8." Emanuel also talked to Blagojevich's co-defendant, gubernatorial chief of staff John Harris, "about four" times.
In his interview with the U.S. attorney's office, Emanuel listened to one of several conversations secretly recorded by investigators during their probe of the governor, the Associated Press reported, quoting an anonymous source. An Obama transition aide on Thursday declined to confirm that report.
Obama, who had no conversations with Blagojevich or anybody associated with him about the seat, was interviewed in his downtown transition office by two assistant U.S. attorneys and two FBI agents, the Obama aide said.
The report revealed another figure in the Blagojevich saga: Tom Balanoff, head of the Illinois chapter of the Service Employees International Union. Balanoff's emergence raised new questions about whether Jarrett could have been aware of Blagojevich's willingness to trade the Senate seat in exchange for the governor being appointed to a job in Obama's Cabinet.
The criminal complaint alleges that Blagojevich was interested in having Obama name him Health and Human Services secretary. Blagojevich, the complaint indicates, met with Balanoff around Nov. 5, at which time the governor understood Balanoff "was an emissary" to discuss Jarrett's interest in the Senate seat.
On Nov. 7, Jarrett spoke with Balanoff, according to the Obama report.
"Mr. Balanoff told Ms. Jarrett that he had spoken to the Governor about the possibility of selecting Valerie Jarrett to replace the President-elect" and that the governor had raised the possibility of being appointed Health & Human Services Secretary." During that conversation, Jarrett and Balanoff agreed "it would never happen," according to the Obama report.
Though their conversation would seem to suggest that Blagojevich -- who holds the sole power to appoint Obama's replacement -- was seeking a quid pro quo, "Ms. Jarrett did not understand the conversation to suggest that the governor wanted the cabinet seat as a quid pro quo for selecting any specific candidate to be the President-elect's replacement," the Obama report states.
On Nov. 9, two days after her meeting with Balanoff, Jarrett withdrew herself from consideration for the Senate seat, according to the report. She later accepted a job as a senior adviser in Obama's administration.
After Jarrett withdrew, Obama had Emanuel suggest other qualified candidates who might be able to fill the Senate vacancy, including Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes and Illinois veterans' Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth, according to the Obama report. Later, Emanuel suggested Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson.
Obama, who has downplayed his role in the Senate selection process, "believed it appropriate to provide the names of multiple candidates to be considered," according to the report.
Contributing: Lynn Sweet, Abdon Pallasch, Tim Novak