Feds interview Obama on 'pay-to-play'

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By Stephen Dinan and Christina Bellantoni, THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Federal prosecutors have interviewed President-elect Barack Obama and two advisers during the corruption investigation of Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, the incoming administration disclosed Tuesday as it released an internal review that concluded a top aide tried to influence the selection of Mr. Obama's Senate replacement but did not violate any laws.

Rahm Emanuel, the president-elect's pick to be White House chief of staff, had at least four conversations with Mr. Blagojevich's chief of staff, during which he offered the names of Senate replacements that would be acceptable to Mr. Obama and had one or two contacts directly with the governor, the internal review found. Mr. Emanuel, however, did not offer any favors or otherwise engage in the so-called "pay-to-play" scheme that federal prosecutors allege is at the heart of the criminal case filed earlier this month against the Illinois governor, the report concluded.

"We are satisfied there was nothing inappropriate that took place here," said incoming White House Counsel Greg Craig, the lawyer Mr. Obama tapped to look into the contacts with Mr. Blagojevich.

Since Mr. Blagojevich was arrested earlier this month on federal charges he tried to sell the vacant Senate seat, the Obama team has faced questions about what, if anything, it did to influence the decision to name a successor to Mr. Obama in the Senate. The release of the report was designed to answer questions and clear the incoming administration of any wrongdoing, but also injected the political specter of an incoming president being interviewed by federal authorities in a Chicago corruption investigation shortly before taking the oath of office.

Mr. Obama, Mr. Emanuel and another top Obama aide, Valerie Jarrett, were each interviewed last week by authorities, Mr. Craig said. Mr. Craig said his report was done last week, but was held at the request of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who wanted to interview the Obama team.

Mr. Craig's report said a close friend of Mr. Obama's, Eric Whitaker, was approached by a deputy governor who wanted to know who was authorized to speak for Mr. Obama about the Senate seat. According to Mr. Craig, Mr. Whitaker, after talking with Mr. Obama, relayed that no one was authorized to speak on the president-elect's behalf.

Mr. Fitzgerald has said Mr. Obama is not under investigation for wrongdoing, and the president-elect has never been particularly close to Mr. Blagojevich. But the charges against the governor of his home state, and the allegations concerning Mr. Obama's old Senate seat, have distracted attention from Mr. Obama's transition.

Mr. Obama was vacationing with his family Tuesday in Hawaii, where he attended his late grandmother's memorial service. Mr. Emanuel was in Africa on vacation.

Republicans said they still want to see more information come out.

"While Obama certainly deserves some credit for releasing his team's contacts with Governor Blagojevich, it remains unfortunate he acted only after political pressure was exerted. Hopefully, President-elect Obama's promises of transparency related to this matter will extend to all communications, including written," said Republican National Committee spokesman Alex Conant.