Federal prosecutors have spent years investigating Easley and aides including Poole. Easley served as North Carolina’s governor from 2001 to 2008. He joined McGuireWoods last April along with Poole and another adviser named Franklin Freeman Jr. All three men became partners. Easley is a corporate partner in Raleigh and specializes in economic development, life sciences and energy. He is also a senior adviser for McGuireWoods Consulting, a public affairs branch of the firm.

Easley is represented by Joseph Cheshire of Raleigh, North Carolina firm Cheshire Parker Schneider Bryan & Vitale. Easley released the following statement:

“We have reviewed the indictment of Ruffin Poole. While Governor Easley has no knowledge of the conduct that makes up the criminal allegations therein, he has faith in Ruffin Poole and finds it hard to believe that he would ever intentionally violate the law. Ruffin Poole, like anyone else charged with a crime, deserves the presumption of innocence, not a rush to judgment.”

Poole is represented by Joseph Zeszotarski Jr., a partner at North Carolina firm Poyner Spruill in Raleigh. Last month Poole invoked his Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate himself when he testified before the State Board of Elections.

• Poyner Spruill Welcomes Summer Associates
• Ex-Governor & Aides Join McGuire Woods
• Pagan NC Mother Cries Foul When Son Comes Home From School with Bible
• Middle District of North Carolina Collecting over $4 Million
• Morning Roundup

The plea agreements for Luzerne County President Judge Mark Ciavarella and Senior Judge Michael Conahan call for sentences of more than seven years in prison. Both have agreed to step down from the bench.

The judges took kickbacks between 2003 and 2007 in exchange for guaranteeing the placement of juvenile offenders into facilities operated by PA Child Care and Western PA Child Care LLC. In some cases, Ciavarella ordered children into detention even when juvenile probation officers did not recommend it.

“They sold their oaths of offices to the highest bidders,” said Deron Roberts, chief of the FBI’s Scranton office.

US Attorney Martin Carlson said the charges were “the first developments in an ongoing investigation” into public corruption at the courthouse in Wilkes-Barre.

PA Child Care and Western PA Child Care have not been charged with wrongdoing, for some bizarre reason beyond the comprehension of the human intellect.

County District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll said her office would review cases in which offenders might have been improperly placed into juvenile detention.

The Juvenile Law Center, a Philadelphia-based advocacy group, complained last year to the state Supreme Court about the treatment of children in Luzerne County juvenile court, asking for the nullification of decisions in hundreds of cases. Juveniles were often denied their constitutional right to lawyers and were disproportionately sentenced to ill-advised, out-of-home placements, the group said.

• Attorney Announces Maryland Mortgage Task Force
• CA State Bar Shuts Down “Illegal” Law Office
• Blago’s Lawyer to Challenge “Illegal” Wiretaps
• Former Brown & Wood Partner Convicted in KPMG Case
• Woman Fired From J&J Snack Foods For Wearing Prosthetic Penis To Work

Last February, the collection-services law firm of Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson was accused of picking up the 2003 travel tab for First Deputy Revenue Director Robert Forgue, even though Forgue had contract management authority over the firm.

Forgue resigned his $137,000-a-year job after Inspector General David Hoffman recommended his firing. Hoffman also urged the city to stop doing business with the law firm, which had raked in $33.6 million since 2002. Corporation Counsel Mara Georges agreed.

Instead, the firm was paid $4.5 million last year for 11 months of collections. In November, the firm was awarded a five-year, $3.4 million contract for “claims management, collection and cost recovery services” stemming from damage to city property.

A Revenue Department employee, who spoke confidentially to the Chicago Sun-Times, blamed the city’s reversal on the “web” of former Revenue Department officials who now work at Linebarger. They include Cathy Murray, head of the law firm’s Chicago office, and Evelyn Ramsey and Matthew Fleming.

The idea of corruption in Chicago or in Illinois is, of course, ludicrous.

Deputy Revenue Director Phil Cobb said Linebarger has assured the city that the employee involved in arranging Forgue’s trip “no longer works on city business, was removed from the Chicago office and no longer receives any compensation” from the city.

Via CST.

• Lakin Law Firm Renamed In Wake of Drug Scandal
• Stickney Police Officer Sued over Date Note
• Sidley Austin Retirement Letter
• This Is ‘Wut’ Happens When You Post Nasty Pics of Your Baby on Facebook: ‘Po Po’ Come Get You
• Third Quarter Report from Citi’s: Robust Collections, Slowing Demand

Chicago attorney Ed Genson criticized FBI wiretaps that prosecutors say record Blagojevich scheming to deal President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat for campaign cash or a plum job.

Genson told an Illinois House panel investigating impeachment that its consideration of the recorded excerpts he characterized as meaningless “jabbering” was inappropriate, if not illegal. “I think you’re using evidence that was illegally obtained,” he said.

Members of the House panel pledged to do nothing that would interfere with the investigation by US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. If Fitzgerald asks lawmakers not to interview certain witnesses, the panelists will abide by that, they said.

Federal prosecutors’ case could be undermined if Illinois lawmakers compel certain witnesses to testify. Following the Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980s, the convictions of Oliver North and John Poindexter were thrown out after the courts determined that the cases against them were built too much on testimony they gave to Congress under a promise of immunity.

Unlike the US Constitution, which allows impeachment in cases of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” the Illinois Constitution does not define an impeachable offense. No Illinois governor has ever been impeached.

Blagojevich’s first substantial public comments on the scandal will probably come today, according to Genson.

• Blago Says He Will “Boycott” His Own Impeachment
• Six Lawyers Hired for Blagojevich Defense Team
• Four Firms Got Blago Payouts in Last 6 Months
• Impeachment Prosecutor Calls 12 Witnesses Against Blago
• Obama Aides Lawyer Up for Blago Probe

Rosenthal piled up millions of dollars in fees with the approval of his former law school pal, disgraced ex-Surrogate Court Judge Michael Feinberg.

On December 4th, the state Appellate Division disbarred Feinberg, and suspended Rosenthal from practicing law for two years.

From 1992 to 2002, Judge Feinberg awarded Rosenthal nearly $9 million in fees. He regularly awarded his buddy 8% of the estates’ assets, while lawyers in other boroughs typically received 6% or less.

Instead of filing the required affidavits, Rosenthal submitted fee requests on Post-it notes.

• Pedophile Lawyer Suspended for 3 Years
• Illinois Legislature to Consider Blagojevich Impeachment
• Myrl Serra Disbarred For A Felony And Misdemenor Harassment Charges
• Yoss LLP To Dissolve At Month’s End
• Gov. Paterson Finally Signs the Bill that Will Raise NY Judges’ Benefits

Genson is best known for defending former Hollinger CEO Conrad Black on fraud charges, and R&B star R. Kelly on child pornography charges.  He also represented Chicago businessman Lawrence Warner, a codefendant of former Illinois Governor George Ryan, Sr., during their 2006 corruption trial.

Genson was famously referred to as “The Devil’s Advocate” by Chicago Magazine.

Genson suffers from a neuromuscular condition called dystonia, which requires the litigator to ride a scooter to court and use a cane.

“If I’m trying the case, it’s going to be a fight,” Genson told reporters Monday morning. He said he needed to run a conflicts check, but expected to be formally retained by the governor shortly. “I think the case that I’ve seen so far is significantly exaggerated. It’s not what people think it is.”

• Blago Says He Will “Boycott” His Own Impeachment
• Four Firms Got Blago Payouts in Last 6 Months
• Blago’s Lawyer to Challenge “Illegal” Wiretaps
• Illinois Legislature to Consider Blagojevich Impeachment
• Illinois Abolishes Death Penalty

Also, an internal review by the Obama transition team concluded there was no improper contact between the President-elect’s camp and Blagojevich’s office. Blagojevich is accused of trying to barter Obama’s vacated US Senate seat for political and personal favors.

Blagojevich was charged Dec. 9 with trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Obama. The governor also was charged with trying to force the Chicago Tribune to fire editorial page editors who opposed him, in exchange for help with the sale of properties by the company, which entered bankruptcy protection last week.

In recent days Republican operatives have speculated publicly, without evidence, about the role Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s incoming chief of staff, may have played in hypothetical negotiations over the disposition of the Senate seat.

Persons speaking on Emanuel’s behalf have acknowledged that he discussed who might be appointed to the Obama seat, but insist that nothing untoward had taken place.

At a news conference last week, Obama said he had no dealings with Blagojevich about whom to appoint to the Senate. He also said his staff had not had any inappropriate contacts, but Obama ordered the internal investigation.

Meanwhile, at a televised news conference, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said he has formed a committee of senior legislators to examine whether Blagojevich should be removed from office.

Depending on the committee recommendation, the full House will decide whether to file impeachment charges, the speaker said. Madigan said the committee will work every day except holidays.

Blagojevich’s top aide, also charged in the scandal, resigned last week.

“We have given the governor six days to resign,” said Madigan, a Chicago Democrat who has frequently clashed with Blagojevich. Madigan’s daughter, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, has asked the state’s top court to rule that the governor is unable to carry out his duties, thus clearing the way for Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn to take over the post. Lisa Madigan is considered a potential candidate for governor.

• Blago Says He Will “Boycott” His Own Impeachment
• Illinois House Impeaches Blago
• Illinois AG Sees No Constitutional Problem Calling A Special Election
• Defense Attorneys Say Blagojevich is Digging Himself Into a Hole
• Impeachment Prosecutor Calls 12 Witnesses Against Blago

• Illinois Legislature to Consider Blagojevich Impeachment
• Defense Attorneys Say Blagojevich is Digging Himself Into a Hole
• “Devil’s Advocate” Joins Blagojevich Defense Team
• Jenner Helps To Win The Case For Man Convicted of Murder Despite Evidence Of His Innocence
• Jenner Block Earns Major Pro Bono Victory; 12,000 Hours Spent on Latest Trial

Amongst other charges, the Feds have accused Blagojevich of trying to sell or trade the US Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Blagojevich was taken into custody at his home at 6:15 this morning. He is being charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. Harris was arrested simultaneously at his home.

The controversial governor has been in the news in the last few days for his attempts to force Bank of America to deal with laid off workers occupying a shuttered factory in Chicago.

UPDATE:

Some more tidbits:

A search warrant has been executed on Blagojevich’s offices.

The full complaint against Blagojevich contains the following charges:

BLAGOJEVICH has also been intercepted conspiring to sell the Senate seat in exchange for his wife’s placement on paid corporate boards…
BLAGOJEVICH has also been intercepted conspiring to sell the Senate seat in exchange for millions of dollars in funding for a non-profit organization…
BLAGOJEVICH told Deputy Governor A that if he is not going to get anything of value for the open Senate seat, then ROD BLAGOJEVICH will take the Senate seat himself: “if . . . they’re not going to offer anything of any value, then I might just take it.”
BLAGOJEVICH spoke with Deputy Governor A regarding positions that ROD BLAGOJEVICH might be able to obtain in exchange for the soon-to-be vacated Senate seat. Among the potential positions discussed were Secretary of Health and Human Services and various ambassadorships. Deputy Governor A noted that the cabinet position of Secretary of the Energy is “the one that makes the most money.”

UPDATE 2:

According to HuffPo:

The FBI has searched two Joliet pharmacies owned by a fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

FBI spokesman Ross Rice said agents took records from Basinger’s Pharmacy stores but declined to say what they were investigating. Rice said no arrests were made.

The pharmacies are owned by Harish Bhatt. Bhatt was investigated by Illinois State Police after Chicago pharmacy owner Jatin Patel claimed Bhatt encouraged him in 2005 to make a campaign contribution so his pharmacy would be treated fairly in a Medicaid fraud dispute. The investigation went nowhere.

We will post more as the story develops.

• Impeachment Prosecutor Calls 12 Witnesses Against Blago
• Blago’s Lawyer to Challenge “Illegal” Wiretaps
• “Devil’s Advocate” Joins Blagojevich Defense Team
• Illinois Legislature to Consider Blagojevich Impeachment
• Blagojevich’s Troubles Deepen [Update]