CHICAGO  Rod R. Blagojevich, the ousted governor of Illinois, used his chance to fill the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama as one more money-making plan in a vast racketeering scheme, federal prosecutors said Thursday, an operation they portrayed as the “Blagojevich Enterprise.”
In a 19-count indictment, prosecutors said the “primary purpose of the Blagojevich Enterprise was to exercise and preserve power over the government of the State of Illinois for the financial and political benefit of” Mr. Blagojevich, his family and his friends.
Running 75 pages, the indictment had been expected for nearly four months, since Mr. Blagojevich was arrested. The former governor, a second-term Democrat whose political career has come apart, was charged with 16 felonies, including racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, extortion conspiracy, attempted extortion and making false statements to federal agents. Five of his closest advisers  his brother, one of his top fund-raisers, two of his former chiefs of staff and a Springfield businessman  were also charged with crimes.
Mr. Blagojevich, who was believed to be vacationing with his family near Walt Disney World in Florida when the indictment was announced here late Thursday, issued a statement through his publicist. “I’m saddened and hurt, but I am not surprised by the indictment,” he said. “I am innocent. I now will fight in the courts to clear my name.”
Milorad "Rod" Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich, the former governor of the US state of Illinois, was indicted on Thursday on charges of corruption for allegedly planning to "sell" Barack Obama's Senate seat when the latter vacated it to become President.

Five of his advisers, including Blagojevich's brother Robert, were also indicted. The others are 
former fundraiser, Christopher Kelly, former chief of staff John Harris, former aide Lon Monk, and the lobbyist William Cellini.

A jury indicted Blagojevich on sixteen felony counts, among them wire fraud, extortion conspiracy, and racketeering conspiracy. The indictment states that if convicted, the ex-governor could face over three hundred years in prison, as well as US$4 million worth of fines, including restitution.

The governor insists that he did nothing illegal, and claims that he was the victim of a politically motivated witch hunt. He pledged to fight his charges in court.

"I'm saddened and hurt but I am not surprised by the indictment. I am innocent," read a statement released by Blagojevich. "I now will fight in the courts to clear my name. I would ask the good people of Illinois to wait for the trial and afford me the presumption of innocence that they would give to all their friends and neighbors."

Blagojevich, a governor serving his second term, was arrested on December 9 of last year on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Shortly thereafter, the Illinois House impeached him before the Senate, which nearly unanimously convicted him and expelled him from office.