Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich writes in a new book that White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel wanted a “placeholder” put in the Chicago congressional seat he vacated so he could reclaim it in 2010.

Blagojevich, who is awaiting trial on corruption charges, said he talked by phone with Emanuel Nov. 8, two days after his White House appointment was announced, and the then-U.S. representative asked whether it was possible to name someone to fill his seat who would be willing to step aside later. Emanuel wanted to return to the House after two years in the Obama administration to continue his quest to become speaker of the House one day, according to Blagojevich.

“Rahm understandably wanted to keep his options open,” Blagojevich, 52, writes in “The Governor,” expected in stores on Sept. 8. “That’s what all good politicians do.”

Emanuel’s spokeswoman, Sarah Feinberg, declined to comment. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said he hadn’t spoken with Emanuel about Blagojevich’s claim and wouldn’t comment.

“I’ve not seen the book by the indicted, former governor of Illinois,” Gibbs said.

Filling the Vacancy

Illinois law calls for conducting a special election when a U.S. House seat comes open before the end of a term, unlike a vacancy in the Senate, which is filled by an appointment made by the governor. Blagojevich, a Democrat, was arrested in December on charges that include allegedly seeking favors in exchange for an appointment to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama when he was elected president. Blagojevich subsequently was impeached and removed from office.

Blagojevich writes that he had told Emanuel that it was his understanding that he only had the power to set the date of a special election, not make an appointment.

“Rahm told me that his lawyers thought there was a way where the governor might be able to make an appointment,” the former governor writes.

He also writes that he spoke with Emanuel about appointing someone to fill Obama’s Senate seat. “He did not lobby for anyone in particular,” the book says.

Blagojevich said others pushed the appointment of Obama confidante and adviser Valerie Jarrett. The former governor said his chief of staff was approached by Marilyn Katz, a political activist and owner of a Chicago communications firm.

Tapping Contributors

“She indicated that if I appointed Valerie Jarrett to the U.S. Senate, the Obama people would help me raise money from their network of contributors across the country,” Blagojevich writes.

Katz, in an interview, said it was an “absolute lie” that she had ever promised anything from the Obama camp in exchange for consideration of Jarrett.

“I thought it would be a great idea that the governor consider Valerie,” she said.

Katz is a longtime friend of David Axelrod, a political strategist from Chicago who like Jarrett now works as a senior adviser to the Democratic president.

She said she never discussed Jarrett as a potential appointee with Axelrod, although she did have several conversations with Jarrett about the possibility.

“I told Valerie that I was going to call,” Katz said. “I think that she was tempted to think about it.”

After his arrest, Blagojevich ignored calls for him to stand aside and appointed former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris, another Democrat, to replace Obama.

Emanuel’s Seat

During a campaign for Emanuel’s congressional seat, one of the Democratic candidates said at a public forum that Emanuel, 49, talked to him about potentially returning to Chicago to reclaim the seat.

John Fritchey, a state representative, said he and Emanuel spoke a week or two after Emanuel had accepted the chief of staff job. Emanuel represented the 5th Congressional District from 2003 through 2008, before leaving to work for Obama.

“At that time, he had commented to me that he may be interested in running one day again for the seat,” Fritchey said in February. “I told him that should I be fortunate enough to run, and should I be fortunate enough to win the seat, I would look forward to campaigning against him.”

Fritchey later sought to further clarify, saying Emanuel expressed interest “in running for the seat at some point down the road.”

At the time, Feinberg, Emanuel’s spokeswoman, didn’t dispute Fritchey’s recollection, saying the White House chief of staff was focused on serving the president.

Blagojevich eventually set a special election for the seat and Mike Quigley, a former Cook County commissioner, won the Democratic primary and the general election.

The Associated Press reported on Blagojevich’s book earlier today. Glenn Selig, a Blagojevich publicist, said several Chicago-area stores have violated the release date and begun selling the 264-page book.

To contact the reporter on this story: John McCormick in Chicago at jmccormick16@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: August 31, 2009 18:42 EDT