When FBI Called, Governor Asked: 'Is This A Joke?
Mike Parker
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Dec. 9, 2008
Agents Arrived At 6 a.m. To Take Blagojevich Into Custody
CHICAGO (CBS) ― After being released on bond this afternoon, Gov. Blagojevich returned to his Northwest Side home, which is where the drama began unfolding early this morning.
CBS 2's Mike Parker reports on how the arrest went down
Hours after it happened, the governor's security detail was still outside the house, probably wondering what they were supposed to do now. The man they're supposed to protect had been taken into FBI custody just before dawn.
The governor, his wife and two children were asleep. Christmas decorations could be seen in the front window.
Robert Grant, the FBI special agent in charge, called the house on the phone.
"I advised him that we had a warrant for his arrest, that there were two FBI agents outside his door
"I woke him up. So the first thing was, he asked if this was a joke. He tried to make sure that was an honest call."
Once convinced, Blagojevich gave himself up to the agents on his front porch and was taken away in handcuffs to FBI headquarters where he sat for four hours before he was moved to court.
The governor's children were apparently unaware of their father's arrest.
"They were beginning to stir, and we left but they were not awake. But his wife was awake," Grant said.
It was also revealed today that the governor's home phone and campaign offices had been wiretapped for two months.The campaign offices were raided today by federal agents with search warrants.
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