Unsealed FBI interviews reveal Obama, Emanuel's discussions about Blagojevich Senate seat deal

Anyone who has a conversation with former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is likely to hear his claim that he was never going to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by former President Barack Obama in 2008, insisting his innocence in the high-profile case that led to him serving nearly eight years in federal prison. 

Blagojevich has repeated for years that he was closing in on a deal to appoint Lisa Madigan to the U.S. Senate.

Hers is a name that has largely dropped out of the public arena. At the time of the scandal, Madigan served as Illinois attorney general. More relevant to this case, she is the daughter of the very powerful and entrenched then-Speaker of the Illinois House Mike Madigan. 

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The former speaker has since gone to prison for a separate corruption case. (Welcome to Illinois.) Blagojevich claims he would have appointed Lisa to the Senate in exchange for the father supporting his healthcare package and budget.

Shortly after the arrest of Gov. Blagojevich in December 2009, both President-elect Obama and his incoming chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, were interviewed by the FBI. Obama was interviewed Dec. 18, nine days after the governor was arrested. Emanuel was interviewed on the 20th. The records of those interviews were kept out of both criminal trials and away from the public, until now. Fox News has obtained the partially redacted FBI FD-302s of those interviews.

The Obama interview notes, "Obama was asked whether he was aware of Emanuel having a conversation with the Blagojevich administration regarding Lisa Madigan being considered for the Senate seat in exchange for legislation being passed.

"Emanuel would have been aware that Lisa Madigan was an acceptable candidate to Obama. Emanuel had an open line of conversation with the Blagojevich administration."

The Emanuel interview notes that, on Dec. 8, 2008, "(David) Axelrod and Emanuel went to see (U.S. Senator Dick) Durbin, D-Ill. In this meeting, they all agreed that Lisa Madigan would be a good candidate.

"As a result of this conversation, Emanuel contacted (Blagojevich Chief of staff, John) Harris and told him the merits of appointing Lisa Madigan as Senator."

The next morning, Dec. 9, 2009, just after 6 a.m., Blagojevich was arrested at his home in Chicago.

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Then-U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald said, "Governor Blagojevich was arrested in the middle of what we can only describe as a political corruption crime spree. We acted to stop that crime spree."

"That just proves the Madigan deal was very much front and center. It was something I was about to do," Blagojevich said in light of the newly unsealed information. "There never was a crime spree that Mr. Fitzgerald, the U.S. attorney, said he was stopping to justify arresting a sitting governor in his home."

Other interesting notes from the interviews: President Obama initially wanted Valerie Jarrett to succeed him in the Senate. But he reversed his thinking early in the process, deciding "that he would like Jarrett to join him at the White House as a senior advisor."

However, "Emanuel was still interested in Jarrett taking the Senate seat rather than working in the White House."

Because, according to the Emanuel interview, "the fact that she is the president-elect’s best friend, having her on the White House staff would be awkward."

"Rahm’s a crafty, political, crafty, cunning and very effective political operator," Blagojevich chimed in. "He was interested in being closer to the king."

Eventually, according to the Emanuel interview, Obama became resolute. 

"Obama told Emanuel he made a decision that Jarrett was going to the White House, and he was not going to reconsider this decision."

After that, a gaggle of familiar names entered the ring for consideration: Tammy Duckworth, and Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., and Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., who also went to prison for a separate case.

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Then Obama, busy with establishing a new administration, stated, "He did not want to put his thumb on the scale."

Still, he dispatched Emanuel to communicate with the governor’s office that "Obama was interested in someone who he thought would be a good senator for the people of Illinois and who could also hold the seat in the 2010 election."

Blagojevich ended up appointing Roland Burris to Obama’s vacated seat. Burris did not run for re-election.

Republican Mark Kirk won the seat in 2010 and was defeated by Tammy Duckworth in 2016.

Blagojevich served 7 years, 11 months in prison until President Trump commuted his sentence in 2020. Blagojevich received a full pardon in 2025.

Fox News reached out to both former President Obama and Rahm Emanuel. They did not respond.