Governor accused of trying to sell Obama seat

The governor of Illinois “put a for-sale sign on the naming of a United States senator” to fill the vacant seat left by president-elect Barack Obama, US authorities said today.

Rod Blagojevich, governor of Mr Obama’s home state of Illinois, was taken into US federal custody today on charges of conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat for personal benefits for himself and his wife, Patti.