Free Republic

The Blago Blog - Inside the Rod Blagojevich investigation and related cases Jackson statement: 'I have many strong feelings' about the caseBy Lark Turner on May 25, 2011 11:42 AM In a statement from Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s lawyer Reid Weingarten, the congressman said he had "strong feelings" about Rod Blagojevich's trial, but wouldn't elaborate. "As you can imagine, I have many strong feelings about this entire matter," Jackson says in the statement. "My strongest feeling, however, is respect for our judicial system. Therefore, I will have no further comment about the case or how it has affected me until...

Rod Blagojevich's retrial may not start until next year, and if he wants the public to pay for his defense, he will get only two lawyers -- down from seven. In a private conference last week, Judge James Zagel told lawyers a quick retrial on the corruption charges wasn't likely because of the logistics of getting a new jury pool. Zagel said he didn't want to put a "Christmas burden" on jurors, pushing a retrial possibly to January at the earliest, according to sources with knowledge of the meeting. The two lawyers are not likely to be Sam Adam Jr....

Rumors of a mistrial, hung jury or partial verdict ran rampant this morning. Then jurors in Rod Blagojevich's case threw us a curve ball. They've asked for a complete transcript of testimony of a governor's onetime aide. Bradley Tusk's June 21st testimony was relatively brief and came on a busy trial day. Tusk, a onetime aide to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, testified about an alleged shakedown scheme contained in the government's indictment. Tusk said while he was deputy governor of Illinois Blagojevich told him he wanted a message delivered to then-U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel: A $2 million grant...

Sam Adam Jr. has just accused President Barack Obama and his transition team of negotiating with Blagojevich. The offer came from Rod to Tom Balanoff, Adam says. Balanoff brought it to Valerie Jarrett and word came back from Rahm Emanuel through John Wyma. It's a negotiation they were in, he said of Obama and Blagojevich. "You start high and they come low," Adam said. In another comical moment, Adam mocks the prosecution and judge for keeping him quiet. Adam is trying to explain extortion to the jury when prosecutor Reid Schar shoots up. Adam is silent and puts his arm...

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,...

Judge James Zagel denies a defense request to gain access to the FBI report summarizing then President-Elect Obama's 2008 interview with federal investigators. Defense lawyers argued in a filing last week that the government minimized Obama's knowledge of the then-Governor's attempts to horsetrade for the Senate seat appointment. They said that testimony by government witness John Harris contradicted that portrayal by federal prosecutors. Harris testified last week that Blagojevich believed Obama knew about the then-governor's request for a presidential cabinet appointment in exchange for appointing Valerie Jarrett to the Senate seat. Zagel said there was nothing relevant concerning Harris's testimony...

Jurors selected to hear the upcoming criminal case against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will have their identities withheld from the public until they reach a verdict, the judge who’ll oversee Blagojevich’s trial said Monday. In a meeting with reporters about news-gathering procedures for the trial, U.S. District Court Judge James Zagel expressed concern that people might email or otherwise barrage jurors with opinions about Blagojevich, who has made numerous television and radio appearances since his December 2008 arrest. Jurors are not supposed to discuss trials — or even view news coverage about them — outside of court. Similarly, Zagel said...