Former Illinois Governor Rod Y'gotta pay to play!Blagojevich
Who was tried on federal corruption charges that he tried to sell or trade Obama's old U.S. Senate seat, resulting in a hung jury. He was convicted of lying to the FBI.
has been convicted of trying to swap US President Barack
B.O.Obama's vacated senate seat for financial gain.
A jury in the central US city of Chicago found Blagojevich guilty on Monday of 17 of the 20 charges against him in connection to what prosecutors called a "political corruption crime spree".
Prosecutors had accused Blagojevich of trying to secure personal benefit and campaign funds in exchange for appointing a US senator to fill the seat vacated by Obama after he was elected president in 2008.
The jury also found Blagojevich not guilty of soliciting bribes in the alleged shakedown of a road-building executive. But they deadlocked on a charge of attempted extortion on that same case.
Blagojevich, a Democrat ousted from office in 2009 during his second term by the state legislature, spoke after the verdict was announced, saying he was disappointed at the outcome.
"Frankly, I am stunned," he said.
"Patti and I are obviously very disappointed in the outcome. ... We want to get home to our little girls and talk to them and try to sort things out," he said, referring to his wife.