Emanuel and Obama have remained silent about what, if anything, Emanuel knew of the governor's alleged efforts to peddle Obama's vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder.
Emanuel contacted the governor's office about the appointment and left Blagojevich with the impression he was pushing Valerie Jarrett, a close Obama friend, so he wouldn't have to compete with her in the White House for Obama's attention, said a person close to Blagojevich. The person requested anonymity because the person was not authorized to talk about the governor's discussions regarding the vacancy.
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2008/12/20/blagojevich_scandal_threatens_obama_chief_of_staff.html