But the shakedown ban didn't take effect until the end of the year, which forced Blago into a mad dash to raise funds, which of course led to his being removed from office.
The Chicago Sun-Times found a "hit list" of Blago targets.
Blagojevich -- booted out of office by the Illinois Legislature after being charged in December with trying to sell an appointment to the Senate seat, among other crimes -- has maintained he is innocent of those charges and never tried to sell the seat.
Still, the list created by his campaign organization shows that, during the time he was deciding on a Senate replacement for Obama, Blagojevich targeted billionaire J.B. Pritzker, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Luis Gutierrez and Roland Burris, the man he ultimately appointed, to approach for contributions. All were reported to be under consideration for the Senate post.
Federal investigators used an early version of the list to obtain permission to install secret wiretaps that provided key evidence to charge Blagojevich.
An emissary for a fifth candidate for the Senate seat, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., was also on the list, as were two others who were being discussed as possibilities for the Senate seat -- Chicago Park District board President Gery Chico and former Blagojevich spokeswoman Cheryle Jackson.
That's not the image Blago, who said he was "fighting for the people," has been foisting on the public since he was sent packing by the state Senate.
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