Chicago Sun – Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was found guilty on the first 11 counts announced in court Monday, with verdicts on other counts still to be read. The jury said earlier today it had agreed on 18 of 20 federal corruption charges against the former governor.

Of the 20 charges Blagojevich was facing, 11 of them involved the alleged sale of Obama’s vacant Senate seat — nine wire fraud counts as well as conspiracy to commit extortion, attempted extortion and conspiracy to solicit a bribe. Prosecutors broke down the case into five alleged shakedown schemes, including regarding the Senate seat and charged that he held up official acts on the Illinois Tollway, horse-racing legislation, a school grant and on Children’s Memorial Hospital while demanding campaign contributions.

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