Archive for July, 2010

Robert Blagojevich is getting knocked around by prosecutor Chris Niewoehner again this morning. But Robert B is holding firm, insisting that he never mixed fundraising with government business. Niewoehner produced transcripts, some from recordings that have not been heard before, that show Robert talking about fundraising and state business in the same sentence. For example, [...]

Robert Blagojevich told his brother he would head up Friends of Blagojevich for four months in August of 2008.  He did it because his wife Julie reminded him of a promise he had made to his parents, that the two brothers would be there for each other when their parents were gone.  Only 18 months [...]

In just six weeks the Government has wrapped up its case against Rod Blagojevich, Illinois’ ex-Governor.  Judge Zagel has excused the jury until Monday, when the defense will begin to present its case.   Meanwhile, lawyers on both sides will return tomorrow and Thursday – outside of the jury’s presence – to hammer out which of [...]

The last of Rod Blagojevich’s former best friends who rolled over on him, is now on the stand.  John Wyma, Blagojevich’s chief of staff when Blago was in Congress, and a top fundraiser for him his entire time as Governor, told the jury he thought the way Blagojevich was raising money was “wrong.”  It was [...]

Sam Adam Sr. laid out the defense strategy to Judge Zagel this morning without the jury present.  “The defense is lack of willfulness,” Adam said Blagojevich did not commit a crime, he relied on advice as to what he could and couldn’t do, and he acted on his advice.  Blagojevich, said Adam, will testify as [...]

As Blagojevich continues to talk to his staff and advisers in early December 2008, he vacillates between appointing Lisa Madigan and Jesse Jackson Jr. to the senate seat.  But in a taped conversation with his Washington D.C. advisers, Blagojevich says Jesse Jackson Jr. is the only one offering “tangible political support.”  Former Deputy Governor Bob [...]

Rod Blagojevich had high hopes of becoming Secretary of Health and Human Services in the new Obama administration.  But in fact, he couldn’t even get an invitation to the Grant Park celebration on election night.  Former Deputy Governor Bob Greenlee testified that he wangled an invitation for Blagojevich to the Grant Park rally by promising [...]

Former Deputy Governor Bob Greenlee took the stand today and became one more Blagojevich staffer who couldn’t say no to the boss. Greenlee, a University of Chicago trained lawyer, told the jury the easiest way to maintain a good relationship with the Governor would be “to tell him what he wanted to hear.” In a [...]

In a court filing today, the defense laid out its “anticipated defenses to be presented to the jury”.  The defense will say Rod Blagojevich’s actions show a:  “1) lack of criminal intent; 2) reliance on the advice of others including attorneys; 3) reasonable doubt.” In other words, the defense will say Blagojevich did not honestly believe [...]

New tapes played in court show Rod Blagojevich moving toward appointing Jesse Jackson Jr. to the senate seat.  Rajinder Bedi, an Indian businessman and fundraiser, told the jury that Jackson was interested in the senate seat and another Indian fundraiser, Raghuveer Nayak would raise money for Blagojevich if he appointed Jackson.

Former construction executive Gerald Krozel has completed his time on the stand after two days of testimony.  Krozel left the Dirksen Federal Building this afternoon without comment.

Judge Zagel just told the Blagojevich defense team that they will be able to introduce new tapes, but he also introduced restrictions.  Zagel said the tape offerings, as proposed, would take the jury 2 to 3 weeks to hear, and much of it would be a waste of time.  But the judge said the defense [...]

Former construction executive Gerald Krozel told the jury that he was “afraid” that a proposed 6 billion dollar tollway construction plan would be scuttled if he didn’t raise money from the construction industry for Blagojevich.  But Krozel said, he never did raise any money, in part because a subpoena was delivered to the road builders [...]

The FBI began talking to Rod Blagojevich way back in March of 2005, said the lead FBI agent, Patrick Murphy today.  The FBI called on Blagojevich because of an investigation that had begun into Stuart Levine’s dealings with state boards and commissions. Murphy said he wanted to ask Blagojevich about trading state jobs for seats [...]