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The Corruption Trial of Rod Blagojevich was supposed to be Explosive – What happened? Ever since impeached Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested on December 9th, 2008 he has not only maintained his innocence but insisted repeatedly that he would expose the truth on the stand. After the prosecution rested its case weeks earlier than expected, Blagojevich's defense team rested after only two days – and without the testimony of the defendant who assured the public it would hear his story. Many expected the defense to call well known figures such as: Rahm Emanuel, Valerie Jarrett, Harry Reid, Dick Durbin,...

It’s a wild political climate out there. In keeping with the blistering heat afflicting previously ultra-safe incumbents, a happily retired Queens businessman by the name of Bob Turner thinks he can unseat his Democratic congressman, six-term representative Anthony Weiner. It’s a long shot, but crazier things have happened. Just ask Sen. Scott Brown. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -...

May 29, 2008 By Andrew Walden (Hawai'i Free Press) Nadhmi Auchi, seen here with the Governor of Illinois, Rob Blagojevich (middle) at a 2004 Chicago dinner in Auchi's honor arranged by Antonin Rezko (potentially, right)[1]. All three men have been convicted of corruption related charges (Auchi 2003, Rezko 2008, Blagojevich 2009).[2] “A British-Iraqi billionaire lent millions of dollars to Barack Obama's fundraiser (dual US-Syrian citizen Tony Rezko) just weeks before an imprudent land deal that has returned to haunt the presidential contender, an investigation by The Times discloses. The money transfer raises the question of whether funds from Nadhmi Auchi,...

U. S. District Judge James Zagel has started reading the 93 legal instructions the jury will use to decide the case against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his brother, Robert.

After closing arguments Monday, the fate of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will finally be in the hands of his jury. If you're betting on what tape jurors would most like to hear during deliberations, go with the one where Blago expresses his feelings about the voters (who make up federal juries). "I (bleeping) busted my ass. I gave your (bleeping) baby health care. … What do I get for that? Only 13 percent of you think I'm doing a good job, so (bleep) all of you," he said on federal tape. Rewind. Play again. Rewind. Play again. Has the jury...

To win a conviction in a criminal case requires establishing opportunity, means and motive. Recent testimony in the ongoing corruption trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich reveals more than a few clues as to the motive part. Blagojevich and his wife, Patti, as it turns out, had about $200,000 in outstanding consumer debt at the time of his December 2008 arrest. Anxiety, if not desperation, over how to pay the money back was likely a major explanation for the ex-governor's eagerness to peddle President-Elect Barack Obama's soon-to-be-vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder. Worse, Mrs. Blagojevich's real estate...

CHICAGO – Rod Blagojevich says the prosecution in his corruption trial proved that he did nothing wrong. He spoke after his defense rested Wednesday without calling any witnesses — including the ousted Illinois governor himself. Blagojevich says the government showed "that I never took a corrupt dollar, not a corrupt dime, not a corrupt nickel, not a corrupt penny."

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Click to enlarge1 of 1 Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich leaves federal court following opening arguments at his trial June 8, 2010 in Chicago. The trial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich is coming to a sudden and unexpected end on Wednesday, as defense attorneys announced that Blagojevich was not taking the stand, despite repeated promises over the past 19 months that he would. The former governor's defense team then rested it case. Blagojevich will make a statement later today and you can watch that here on cbs2chicago.com. U.S. District Judge James Zagel asked Blagojevich if it was...

Plot to get Obama to kill feds' investigation wrecks testimony July 20, 2010 BY MARK BROWN Sun-Times Columnist Everything had gone so well on the witness stand Monday for Robert Blagojevich, the former governor's brother and co-defendant. Finally, after all these months, he'd gotten the chance to tell his story and to tell it his way, coming across as every bit the solid former military officer and successful businessman that his lawyer Michael Ettinger had portrayed in opening statements.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Who says Illinois politics is a tough business? The trial of Rod Blagojevich shows that even a foul-mouthed clotheshorse can be elected to the state's highest office. Twice. Wiretap tapes played in court portray Blagojevich as dim and lazy. He was so disconnected that he had never heard of the United Way. He was so detached from his job that it was a big deal for him to spend eight hours at the office - eight hours a week, that is. This is a guy so strange that even Joan Rivers thought he was full of...

CHICAGO — The judge presiding at Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial has narrowed to about a dozen the number of FBI wiretap tapes jurors haven't heard yet that the ousted Illinois governor's lawyers can play as they begin the case for the defense. Following two days of hearings, Judge James Zagel also told Blagojevich's lawyers they can replay some of the FBI wiretap tapes that jurors have heard.

When Valerie Jarrett was still in contention for the Senate seat in early November 2008, Rahm Emanuel called longtime Rod Blagojevich friend John Wyma. Emanuel wanted Wyma to deliver a message to Blagojevich. Wyma, a state lobbyist, just testified that Emanuel told him to call Blagojevich and express something on behalf of the President-Elect. "He said the President-Elect would value and appreciate Valerie Jarrett in the Senate seat," Wyma said. Wyma said he then tried to call Blagojevich at home but "missed him." He then called Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris. Wyma said he passed on Emanuel's message. "I...

Federal prosecutors say US Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D) of Illinois was directly involved in a potential $1 million offer to win a US Senate seat controlled by former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Representative Jackson’s involvement was brought up Wednesday in federal court in downtown Chicago, where Mr. Blagojevich is on trial facing 24 counts of fraud, conspiracy, bribery, and racketeering related to a pay-to-play scheme involving the Senate seat formerly held by President Obama. What makes the allegation significant is that this is the first time prosecutors have said publicly that Jackson met with Blagojevich representatives, offering to raise...

CHICAGO (AP) - Rod Blagojevich hid in the bathroom, ducked into the back room and left the office early to avoid discussing complex issues with his top aides, his former deputy said Thursday at the ousted governor's corruption trial. Former Deputy Governor Robert Greenlee portrayed Blagojevich as disengaged from daily affairs of state, saying Blagojevich spent on average about two to eight hours a week in his office when he was governor. He said that during working hours, the governor generally was at home or attending high-profile events. Greenlee said he would confer with Blagojevich by telephone when they discussed...

It's the trial the White House hopes you won’t watch. The federal corruption saga of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been rattling along during the sweltering Chicago summer, offering a daily dose of low-grade theatrics, low-impact bombshells and low-brow humor. The top White House officials — President Barack Obama, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett — haven't been too badly bruised so far, by Chicago standards at least, even as federal prosecutors air wiretaps of Blagojevich's ugliest private conversations about them.  But despite the trial's Jerry Springer start, the threat of political damage remains...

CHICAGO – An angry Rod Blagojevich is heard ripping into Barack Obama on FBI tapes played Wednesday at his corruption trial, calling the newly elected president "all take and no give" for ignoring his overtures about an alleged deal that the Illinois governor hoped would secure his financial future. "I get nothing," Blagojevich thunders. At another point, sounding desperate to assure himself of enough money after leaving the governor's office, he rails against Obama and his aides, saying, "The arrogance of these people." In the days after the November 2008 election, the Blagojevich heard on tape seems determined to secure...

Here is video of White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dodging a question from ABC News’ Ann Compton on whether President Obama called to lobby for Valerie Jarrett to be appointed to fill his Senate seat back in 2008, just ahead of his election. Compton was referring to testimony during the Illinois Blagojevich trial by Thomas Balanoff, that Obama made such a call to him. Gibbs refused to comment at all, and when Compton reminded him that he had previously said Obama never got involved in the process of filling his Senate Seat, he again brushed her off by saying...

Sheldon Sorosky, one of Rod Blagojevich’s lawyers, has been trying to drag President Barack Obama into the fray this afternoon, asking union official Tom Balanoff whether the FBI asked him about campaign money going to Obama. Prosecutors objected, as they have so often during cross-examinations, and U.S. District Judge James Zagel said Sorosky should only ask in general what the FBI had said to Balanoff. Sorosky tried the question again, using Zagel’s recommended wording. “I know that won’t be objected to,” Sorosky said, causing the nearby Blagojevich to laugh.

Sheldon Sorosky, one of Rod Blagojevich’s lawyers, has been trying to drag President Barack Obama into the fray this afternoon, asking union official Tom Balanoff whether the FBI asked him about campaign money going to Obama. Prosecutors objected, as they have so often during cross-examinations, and U.S. District Judge James Zagel said Sorosky should only ask in general what the FBI had said to Balanoff. Rest @ link Sorosky tried the question again, using Zagel’s recommended wording. “I know that won’t be objected to,” Sorosky said, causing the nearby Blagojevich to laugh. But Balanoff didn’t get to give an answer,...

W.H. quiet on Obama-Blago link By: Glenn Thrush and Jonathan Allen June 29, 2010 06:50 PM EDT The White House was mum Tuesday after a union leader testified that Barack Obama personally asked him to approach then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich about appointing confidant Valerie Jarrett to his Illinois Senate seat. In testimony at Blagojevich’s federal corruption trial, Tom Balanoff said Obama — speaking a day before his Nov. 8, 2008 triumph in the presidential election — said that Jarrett wanted the job and was qualified, although he wanted her to join him in the White House. Balanoff, a close Obama ally...