The Federal Bureau of Investigation [3] (FBI) has arrested Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich [4] after wiretaps showed he planned to sell or trade the open Senate seat left by Barack Obama [5] to obtain financial and personal benefits for himself and his wife. If he couldn't get what he considered to be satisfactory compensation for the appointment, Blagojevich planned on taking the Senate seat himself. The government also accused Blagojevich of threatening to withhold state financial assistance to the troubled Tribune Company [6], publisher of the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, unless the Tribune fired its editorial board members who had been critical of him. The Governor is alleged to have said in a phone call about the board members, "Our recommendation is fire all those [expletive] people, get 'em the [expletive] out of there and get us some editorial support." Blagojevich is the second Illinois governor in a row to be arrested and charged with corruption. Former Governor George Ryan [7] was convicted of racketeering and fraud in 2006.