- [Narrator] While the FBI strategized about his take down, the governor appeared carefree.

- I don't believe there's any cloud that hangs over me.

- [Interviewer] Well, getting back to that, can we discuss-- - I think there's another sunshine hanging over me.

- [Narrator] The walls were caving in, but if he was worried, Blagojevich certainly didn't show it.

- I should say if anybody wants to tape my conversations, go right ahead.

Feel free to do it.

- [Narrator] 16 hours later, the world and the governor would find out that his challenge had been accepted.

- [Newscaster] Breaking news, Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has been taken into federal custody.

- [Narrator] The day before his 52nd birthday, Governor Rod Blagojevich was handcuffed and charged with 24 counts of corruption, including racketeering, fraud, and extortion.

After being fingerprinted and booked, Blagojevich was released on bond and went right back to being governor.

- I knew I didn't break any laws.

I've made all kinds of mistakes in life and someone I was governor, but no laws, didn't break any of 'em.

Those conversations were all legal.

- [Narrator] Three weeks later, against the advice of nearly every elected Democrat in the country, Blagojevich appointed his choice for US senate, former state comptroller and attorney general Roland Burris, who had run for governor and lost to Blagojevich.

- And now I'd like to ask everyone to do one last thing.

Please don't allow the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man.

- The media came down on me as I was an ordinary, unadulterated crook.

20 years of public service without a hit of a scandal with all types of pedigrees and helps.

Thousands of thousands of Illinoisans that I had helped, it all meant nothing.

All of a sudden, Burris was a crook from this appointment and that was - that just tore at me.

- [Narrator] Despite the intense scrutiny, Burris served out Obama's two remaining years and decided not to run for reelection.

Blagojevich, on the other hand, was unseeded, impeached by the Illinois House and Senate and banned from holding public office in Illinois government.

While out awaiting trial, he made it clear he had no intention of going away quietly.

- I've been wanting to be on your show in the worst way for the longest time.

- Well, you're on in the worst way, believe it.

- It seems like only yesterday, I was the governor of the fifth largest state in America.

I have never done anything that would be a crime.

The tapes tell the whole story.

They charged me with political horse trading.

You ought charge themselves with crimes and throw another count in there about hypocrisy.

- I don't think they're gonna do that.

- I don't think they are either.

- [Narrator] The disgraced former governor was out of work and out of money, and that's when reality TV came calling.

- At the time, then businessman Donald Trump headed up this celebrity apprentice in which he would famously fire somebody at the end of each episode and Rob Blagojevich joined this.

These were just absurd things that defendants typically wouldn't do and certainly not public officials.

- I have great respect for you.

I have great respect for your tenacity for the fact that you just don't give up.

But Rod, you're fired.

- Looking back, probably the best thing I ever did was going on that show and getting fired by Donald Trump.

We had our children in school and we paid private school.

We still have a $5,000 a month mortgage on the home I was arrested in, and we need income.

The one place where you can actually earn a living is entertainment.