Governor Rod Blagojevich, of Illinois was arrested and charged with corruption on December 9 in the early morning. The charges include an allegation that he conspired to profit from appointing the senator to succeed Barack Obama. He is also alleged to have attempted to strong arm the Chicago Tribune into firing their editorial staff and hiring more sympathetic journalists. The charges sprung from an ongoing FBI probe that included phone taps in his office and home. His Chief-of-Staff, John Harris was also arrested. No other individuals have yet been indicted in the probe. Currently Governor Blagojevich is still the acting governor. The first 3 minutes of the video explain what Blagojevich did and include footage of the governor daring investigators to tape his conversations; then two journalists discuss the charges and their implications. Quotes "If anybody wants to tape my conversations, go right ahead. Feel free to do it. But I'd appreciate it, if you want to tape my conversations, give me a heads-up and let me know." - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich "After the deal never happened, this is the governor's reaction: Quote, "They're not willing to give me anything but appreciation. Bleep them," close quote." - U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald Warm Up Questions 1. What is corruption? 2. What is conspiracy? 3. Can you name any famous corrupt politicians? Discussion Questions 1. Why do you think that Governor Blagojevich was so confident that he wouldn't be caught? 2. Do you think this type of corruption happens in government a lot? Why or why not? 3. Politicians sometimes call themselves "public servants"-- do you think this is accurate? Why or why not? 4. How do you think we can get rid of this type of corruption in government? 5. How does this story make you feel about politics? Do you want to become a politician? Why or why not? Additional Resources Transcript of this report