Blago -- The Trial(s)
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June 27
AP: "Jurors deliberating in the corruption trial of ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich told a judge on Monday that they have reached a verdict on 18 of the 20 counts against him, and attorneys in the case have agreed that the verdicts should be read. Judge James Zagel said that will happen Monday afternoon." ...
... ** Update: "A federal jury today convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich of corruption." ...
... Update: the Chicago Sun-Times has a more expansive story.
Chicago Tribune: "Now that a federal jury has decided former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's fate, three onetime close advisers await sentencing for their roles in the corruption, while a longtime state power broker faces trial."
AP: Notable quotes from the retrial.
June 16
Okay, I admit it. I gave up on the second Blago trial. Here's the latest from today's Chicago Tribune: "After sending out a question about wire fraud, the jury deciding the fate of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich completed its fifth day of deliberations today without reaching a verdict. Jurors will resume their behind-closed-door discussions on Monday, court officials said." The Trib's Blago index pages begin here.
June 7
Chicago Tribune: "Blagojevich's testimony started late last month with a recitation of his rise from a modest Northwest Side upbringing to the height of Illinois politics and ended Tuesday with a still-defiant Blagojevich insisting the federal charges against him essentially were the result of a massive misunderstanding. During Blagojevich's cross-examination, [Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid] Schar repeatedly dented the former governor's version of events with his own words, secretly recorded during the climax of a years-long federal probe of his administration. Time and again, Blagojevich acknowledged his recorded utterances but insisted that prosecutors were taking them out of context."
June 3
NPR: "Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been testifying at his corruption trial for days, giving jurors background information. But on Thursday afternoon, the trip down memory lane ended as the prosecution got its chance to question the former governor." Chicago Tribune story here.
May 12, 2011
Chicago Sun-Times: "Five hours after meeting with U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill) in October of 2008, a fund-raiser told Rod Blagojevich’s brother that the then-governor would get 'a lot of money' in exchange for a Jackson Senate seat appointment, according to testimony in Blagojevich’s retrial on Wednesday."
May 11, 2011
Chicago Sun-Times: Prosecutors replay Blagojevich's best-known F-bomb tape, in which he does not spare President-Elect Obama.
May 5, 2011
AP: Prosecutors at Rod Blagojevich's corruption retrial Thursday kept hammering at the most tantalizing allegation against the former Illinois governor by playing wiretap recordings of a foul-mouthed Blagojevich allegedly trying to trade or sell President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat."
May 4
Chicago Tribune: "In the last undercover recording played today at Rod Blagojevich’s retrial, the alleged trade of campaign money for the appointment of U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to a vacant Senate is first raised."
May 3
Chicago Tribune: "Prosecutors in the corruption retrial of Rod Blagojevich wasted no time Tuesday trying to shoot holes in the defense strategy that the former governor was merely trying to cut a political deal, not sell a U.S. Senate seat, and was unaware that any of his actions might be illegal."
May 2
Chicago Tribune: "Eight months after the first panel was hung on all but one count, a new jury was picked to weigh [Rod Blagojevich']s retrial and heard a much slimmer, more focused version of the government's corruption case."
April 20, 2011
Okay, we're all sick of this story, but it's back. Chicago Tribune: "Day One of jury selection at Rod Blagojevich’s retrial has come to a close today after lawyers in the case worked through a list of 27 prospective panelists, removing nine from the pool but not seating any yet."
October 22
AP: Federal Judge James B. Zagel "has agreed to delay the second corruption trial of ousted Gov. to April 20 from January."
September 14
Chicago Tribune: "Lawyers for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich have asked the judge who presided over his trial to throw out his conviction for lying to the FBI, alleging that a "plethora of errors" led to the jury's guilty verdict on the lone count."
August 24-27
Brian Ross of ABC News interviews Rod Blagojevich after announcement of the verdict:
Sun Times: "Federal prosecutors announced in court Thursday that they were dropping the case against Robert Blagojevich, the brother of the former governor. Prosecutors said the decision was made in the interest of justice and the “disparity in roles’’ between the brothers in the sweeping corruption case, which largely targeted Rod Blagojevich." ...
... Dawn Reiss of Time on Robert Blagojevich's reactions & plans after the government dropped all charges against him.
AP: "The juror who was the lone holdout on some counts at former Ill. Gov. political corruption trial has said she had a responsibility to follow her conscience and that she stands by her vote."
New York Times: "A second trial for , the ousted governor of Illinois, is expected to start in January...."
Blago Does "The Daily Show." I turned off the teevee when the Blagojevich segment began, but maybe you'll enjoy it. Probably I won't watch. On-air interview plus Web extra:
The Chicago Tribune has links to many Court documents, including tapes of phone conversations between Gov. Blagojevich & others, which you can listen to.
August 16-21
Washington Post: former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is broke, so the federal government (i.e., you) may have to pay for his defense in his retrial.
It’s funny, he’s kind of going around bragging that he’s only guilty of one felony. I’ve never known anybody to brag about that. -- DNC Chair Tim Kaine, on Rod Blagojevich ...
... It was like, ‘Here’s a manual, go fly the .' -- Blago juror Steve Wlodek, on the complexities of the charges, jury instructions & verdict sheet
New York Times: "As the jurors in the corruption case against , the former Illinois governor, entered a 25th-floor conference room here, one problem was instantly clear: They were overwhelmed."
Chicago Tribune: The juror who was the single holdout on a number of counts angered some of her fellow jurors. "Jury foreman James Matsumoto ... said the holdout's unwillingness to change her mind created tension." Juror John Grover said, "If it wasn't for that one lady, we'd have had him convicted on probably 80 percent of (the indictment)."
Sun-Times: "... a number of jurors weighing the case said Wednesday they wanted the lesser-known Blagojevich brother [Robert] to walk out of court a free man. And some said they were not so sure the prosecution should retry him."
New York Times: "... as prosecutors prepare to retry Mr. Blagojevich on the most serious corruption charges against him – charges that a federal jury found itself deadlocked over on Tuesday – one thing does seem to have come and gone: the impetus to cleanse Illinois’s long-derided political system."
Scott Turow argues in a New York Times op-ed that there are now so many ways to "commit legal bribery" of public officials that it's no wonder jurors couldn't reach a decision in the Blagojevich case.
Sun-Times Editorial Board: the prosecution should retry the Blagojevich brothers. "Blagojevich and his brother, Robert, were exonerated of nothing, and Illinois remains too crooked a state for the feds to start looking the other way now."
Chicago Tribune: "... with federal prosecutors pushing for a quick retrial, Democrats seeking election this fall could find themselves up against a daily drumbeat of Blagojevich revelations during the heart of campaign season."
Sun-Times: "The jurors were all 'independent people'’ with 'strong personalities,'’ said jury foreman James Matsumoto, 66. From the start, tensions ran high.... While some votes were split 7-5, 6-6 or 9-3, the most explosive of the charges — that Blagojevich tried to sell Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat — came down to a single hold-out vote, jurors said."
Chicago Tribune: "After a federal jury convicted him of just one count -- lying to the FBI -- and deadlocked on 23 other counts, Rod Blagojevich declared his innocence today and defiantly taunted prosecutors." From the Sun-Times, here's the transcript of his remarks.
** JURY CONVICTS BLAGOJEVICH OF LYING TO FEDERAL AGENTS. Reached unanimous verdict on only one count. AP: There were 23 other counts against Blagojevich and four against his brother. The "judge says he intends to declare a mistrial on the remaining counts."
** Chicago Tribune: "The jury in Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial has reached a verdict, and Blagojevich and his brother are in the courtroom awaiting the announcement after being summoned by U.S. District Judge James Zagel." Note: the story has been updated to reflect the jury's decision.
New York Times: "Jurors deliberating the fate of , the former Illinois governor, offered another hint on Tuesday that they might not be able to reach an agreement on at least some of the corruption charges against him."
Chicago Tribune: "On the 13th day of deliberations, jurors in the Rod Blagojevich corruption trial have made a new request of U.S. District Judge James Zagel: they want to see a transcript of the testimony of Bradley Tusk, a former deputy governor who spoke on the stand about what he perceived as an attempted shakedown of U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel. Over the objections of a defense lawyer, Zagel said he would provide the transcript."
August 9-12
Chicago Tribune, August 12: the jury in the Blagojevich trial has gone home & will not resume deliberations until Monday.
Deadlocked. New York Times: "Unable to reach a unanimous decision on several counts in the wide-ranging corruption trial of , the ousted former governor of Illinois, jurors sent a note late Wednesday to the presiding judge asking for advice." Chicago Tribune story here. ...
... Tribune Update: "The federal jury in former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's trial has reached a verdict on only two counts in the case and is deadlocked on others, U.S. District Judge James Zagel announced in court today. The jury still hasn't deliberated on wire fraud counts, the judge announced in court. Zagel said he would instruct the jury to continue to deliberate on the wire fraud counts."
Chicago Tribune: "It was the start of a new week but the same result Monday for jurors weighing the fate of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich as they deliberated quietly for the ninth day without reaching a verdict. It was the sixth straight day without any communication from the six-woman, six-man jury. The jury, which began deliberations July 28, has been working Monday through Friday."
August 2-5
Chicago Tribune: the jury has signaled it likely will be deliberating into next week.
Chicago Tribune: Rod Blagojevich lawyer Sam Adam, Jr. nervously awaits the verdict. With video.
July 26-29
Chicago Tribune: "The judge in Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial refused today to give jurors a transcript of one of the closing arguments, saying they are not evidence."
John Bohrer, who reported the Blagojevich trial for Esquire, says he hates Rod Blagojevich, but the government didn't prove its case. If he were a juror, he'd vote to acquit.
New York Times: "Jurors on Wednesday began deliberating the fate of ..., [who] now faces 24 counts in a federal corruption trial."
AP: "Jurors will go off to deliberate the fate of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich with the image of an immaculately dressed and smiling man with his two daughters sitting nearby in the courtroom, but also with the memory of him cursing in the vilest of terms about everyone from the president to the voters who elected him."
"The Accidentally Corrupt Governor." The AP on closing arguments.
AP: "Rod Blagojevich is insecure, he talks a lot and he's a bad judge of character — but he is not a criminal, the ousted Illinois governor's defense attorney told jurors at his corruption trial Tuesday during a theatrical closing argument." Sun-Times story here. New York Times story here.
A Family of Canned Hams? AP: "Rod Blagojevich's teenage daughter fell into her mother's arms crying during closing arguments of her dad's corruption trial. Amy Blagojevich's courtroom tears came a day after her 7-year-old sister, Annie, clutched their mother's hand as the family walked past a line of photographers to enter court on Monday."
Chicago Tribune: Sam Adam, Jr. makes his closing argument for Rod Blagojevich.
The New York Times on the prosecution's closing arguments.
AP: " Rod Blagojevich attorney Sam Adam, Jr. complained today that Judge James Zagel "was gutting his closing arguments"; Adam pledged "to go to jail for contempt if the judge did not change his mind" on rulings that Adam could not mention witnesses prosecutors didn't call. The judge "sent the jury home for the day."
Chicago Tribune: for the ever-classy Rod & Patti Blagojevich, it was Bring Your Daughters to Court Day.
Sun-Times: "Robert Blagojevich, the one-time head of the Friends of Blagojevich campaign fund, did not mix politics and fund-raising, his lawyer said as the defense began presenting its two-pronged closing arguments this afternoon."
Chicago Tribune: "After seven weeks of listening to the testimony of more than two dozen witnesses, jurors in the corruption trial against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich are set to hear closing arguments beginning Monday morning. And it should be quite a show." AP story here.
Chicago Tribune on closing arguments: "The decision not to put Blagojevich on the stand to defend himself frees his legal team to both acknowledge his painfully flawed character and try to turn that embarrassment to his advantage on closing arguments."
July 19-22
"The Brothers Blagojevich." Dawn Reiss of Time: both defendants in the same trial, but barely on speaking terms.
Blago may not be talking to jurors, but he sure is talking to everybody else:
AP: "Rod Blagojevich stood up in court Wednesday and told the judge the opposite of what he has been saying for months. He now says that he will not testify in his own defense to charges that include trying to sell an appointment to President Barack Obama's old Senate seat." New York Times story here. ...
... AND Chicago Tribune: the defense rests. Closing arguments are set to begin Monday.
Chicago Tribune: "in a stunning twist..., [Gov. Rod] Blagojevich's attorneys told U.S. District Judge James Zagel on Tuesday that the ex-governor would not testify and that they were prepared to rest their case without calling a single witness.... After conferring that message privately to Zagel and prosecutors in a lengthy sidebar, the defense team was told by the judge to mull the decision overnight. The decision means Blagojevich won't be able to play any undercover recordings that he felt backed up his denials of wrongdoing."
Washington Post: former Gov. Rod "Blagojevich's attorneys unexpectedly said Tuesday they could rest the defense without calling a single witness - including the former governor - which would leave jurors to hear nothing from him but his voice on profanity-laced wiretap recordings made by the FBI."
Mark Brown of the Sun-Times: testimony went well for Robert Blagojevich, the brother of the former governor, who is also a defendant in the trial, until the prosecutor began cross-examining him & played "a tape of a previously unheard conversation in which he [Robert] counseled brother Rod to conduct 'horse trading' with then President-elect Barack Obama to kill the federal criminal investigation of his administration."
Chicago Tribune: "Robert Blagojevich will be back on the stand this morning [Tuesday], perhaps serving as the warm up act for his younger brother. The former governor could take the stand as early as this afternoon."
July 12-13
Sun-Times: "Prosecutors in the case of Rod Blagojevich have rested their case against the former governor. The move comes in the sixth week of trial. Judge James Zagel had set aside 17 weeks -- nearly three times the time -- for the case." Jurors won't return till Monday.
Chicago Tribune: "John Wyma had been a close friend and ally of Rod Blagojevich's for years, serving as his chief of staff when he was in Congress, his political director during his first run for governor, and an adviser and fundraiser once Blagojevich won election. But testifying Tuesday under a grant of immunity from prosecution, Wyma said.... 'I was increasingly alarmed about the level of aggressiveness that the fundraising had taken on, and it made me uncomfortable.'"
Washington Post: "Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich may or may not have broken the law, but he sure did hate his job. He reviled his political enemies, mocked many of the candidates for a vacant U.S. Senate seat and disparaged the voters who failed to appreciate his talents."
As the government prepares to rest, Mike Robinson of the AP asks, "but have prosecutors proved their case against Blagojevich?"
July 6-11
Politico (July 11): on ABC's "This Week" David Axelrod denies that the Administration was hiding contact between President Obama and Service Employees International Union official Tom Balanoff. Alexrod said the conversation "was encompassed in a report that Obama legal counsel Greg Craig issued in 2008, even though the conversation was not specifically described there."
Lynn Sweet of the Sun-Times: Robert Greenlee testifies as to how the Obama team tried to keep Blagojevich out of the Grant Park election night celebration.
The Case of the Reluctant Governor. Chicago Tribune: Robert Greenlee, a deputy governor, testified that as governor, Blagojevich was so inattentive to duties that at least once he hid in the bathroom to avoid a meeting on the state budget, & at other times Greenlee had to track down Blagojevich to get his to sign legislation.
Jonathan Allen & Glenn Thrush of Politico: testimony in the Blagojevich trial nips at Obama Administration figures & some testimony discredits Obama himself.
Chicago Sun-Times: "Federal prosecutors said Wednesday for the first time that U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. attended a meeting in 2008 at which $1 million in fund-raising for Rod Blagojevich was discussed in exchange for Jackson's own Senate seat appointment. The meeting described by prosecutors was not previously disclosed by Jackson."
AP: audio tapes reveal that Gov. Blagojevich was shaken when he learned that his phone conversations were being recorded.
Chicago News Co-op: Blagojevich finance director Kelly Glynn introduced jurors to the Governor's "Bullshitters' List," a list of major donors who didn't meat their goals.
June 27 - July 1
Chicago Tribune: "Prosecutors sought to portray Blagojevich as the Imelda Marcos of Illinois on the same day that they played wiretaps of him complaining loudly and profanely that he might not be able to afford college for his girls.... The government presented testimony indicating that the Blagojeviches' extravagant lifestyle was in part fueled by questionable income brought in by former first lady Patti Blagojevich through her real estate firm."
NBC News reports on the latest:
Related: Oh, boy. The appointment of Sen. Roland Burris is back in the news. Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times reports: "A little-noticed federal appellate panel ruling may trigger two elections for an Illinois Senate seat on Nov. 2 -- one to fill a new six-year term and, in a stunning development, another to elect someone to finish the remaining days of Barack Obama's original Senate term.... The decision said that Burris is only a temporary appointee until an election is held."
"The arrogance of these fucking people." Sun-Times: tapes show that then-Gov. Blagojevich was frustrated that Obama aides were refusing to cut deals with him over the President-Elect's open Senate seat.
Monica Davey of the New York Times: "Mr. Blagojevich devoted so much time to “war-gaming” whom he might pick for Mr. Obama’s seat that one might reasonably wonder whether there was time to manage any other state business."
Chicago Tribune: union official Thomas Balanoff testifies he had a phone discussion with Sen. Barack Obama, November 3, 2008, the day before the general election, about Valerie Jarrett's filling Obama's Senate seat. Balanoff said Obama didn't push it.
Chicago Tribune: former Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris was on the stand for the fifth day Monday; the prosecution played a tape in which he & the then-governor discussed possible appointments to President-elect Obama's vacated Senate seat; Blagojevich suggested Oprah Winfrey.
Washington Post: "U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias said Sunday that he won't be hurt politically by his subpoena to testify at the corruption trial of ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, but his Republican opponent pounced at the chance to try to shift attention from his own troubles in the contentious race for President Barack Obama's old Senate seat."
June 21-24
Michael Scherer of Time on how President Obama & members of his Administration are getting sucked into the Blagojevich trial.
Sun-Times: "Rod Blagojevich's lawyers say they should be privvy to remarks that President-Elect Obama made to FBI agents in December, 2008. The defense team has filed a motion asking for written reports of Obama's two-hour interview with prosecutors and the FBI...."
Chicago Tribune: Rod Blagojevich ... often appeared to do everything but run the state, dwelling instead on his political fortunes and his family's finances, two former top aides to Blagojevich testified at his political corruption trial on Monday."
Chicago Tribune: Patti Blagojevich "agreed to drop her defamation lawsuit against a Chicago Christian Industrial League official, the two sides said Monday. Terms of the settlement weren't disclosed."
June 17-18
The strongest witness against Rod Blagojevich is Rod Blagojevich.
-- Law Prof. Albert Alschuler, on the Blago tapes, linked above
Court was not in session Friday.
Peter Slevin of the Washington Post on the two faces of Blago: he's "Defendant Blagojevich" for the prosection, just plain "Rod" for the defense.
Chicago Tribune: "Prosecutors this morning completed their questioning of Joseph Cari, the former national Democratic Party fundraiser who says Blagojevich once spoke to him of national political aspirations and talked of lavishing state contracts and investment banking business on those who contributed to his campaign."
June 14-16
Chicago Tribune: "Federal prosecutors are seeking a gag order to keep ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his lawyers from making public comments, saying Blagojevich has attempted to manipulate media coverage to gain favorable attention and influence the jury in his corruption case." CW: good luck with that! ...
... Sun-Times Update: "Responding to a prosecution's request to bar Blagojevich from talking, [Judge] Zagel said an outright ban is a last resort but he already has 'significant concerns' about Blagojevich's out of court remarks."
Chicago Tribune: "The defense for Rod Blagojevich tried today to link money from a kickback scheme to President Barack Obama."
Chicago Tribune: Lon Monk's four days on the stand end with a blistering cross by Rod Blagojevich's attorney Sam Adam.
Chicago Tribune: "defense lawyer Sam Adam Jr. spent time trying to batter Alonzo "Lon" Monk about his dishonesty."
Sun-Times: Monk testifies to occasional drug use with Rod Blagojevich back in their college days....
... So the Sun-Times reprises a 2002 story when Blagojevich more or less channeled Clinton on weed use.
June 9-11
There is no trial activity Friday; testimony is to resume Monday.
Sun-Times: the judge warns Rod Blagojevich "not to be so animated in front of jurors."
WGN reports on Lon Monk's June 10 testimony & tapes played for the jury:
Alonzo "Lon" Monk. Chicago Tribune photo.
Sun-Times:"Lon Monk testified today that Rod Blagojevich was in the room when there was a discussion to divvy up hundreds of thousands of dollars made through state action. Monk described a 2003 meeting in which Blagojevich, Monk, Tony Rezko and Chris Kelly are in the room talking about how to make money off of state deals."
AP: Alonzo Monk, "a key aide who was by the side of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich through most of his political career, took the stand in his corruption trial Wednesday to testify against his old law school roommate." Chicago Tribune story here.
Chicago Tribune: "The first prosecution witness up in court today is Daniel Cain, a veteran FBI agent..., [who was the 'case agent”in both the Blagojevich case as well as the investigation of Blagojevich’s former fundraiser, Antoin 'Tony' Rezko, leading to Rezko’s 2008 corruption conviction.... Cain is on the stand to lay the foundation for the investigative techniques... used by the FBI to gather evidence...."
June 7-8
Bob Secter & Jeff Coen of the Chicago Tribune analyze the opening arguments & styles of the lawyers in the Blagojevich trial. Despite their adversarial stances, both lawyers made Blago out to be a jerk!
"He didn't take a dime." Chicago Tribune: "Rod Blagojevich opened his defense against corruption charges today with a fiery oration from attorney Sam Adam Jr., who painted the former governor as not a conspirator but rather a victim of greedy friends and associates."
Chicago Tribune: Blagojevich saw Obama's vacated Senate seat, according to the prosecution, as "his golden ticket."
Here's a super update from the Chicago News Co-op, complete with a video of Blago introducing writer Jimmy Breslin (who's writing a book about Blago) & the usual daily Blagojevich proclamation of innocence.
AP: "The judge in the corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has seated a jury. Judge James B. Zagel named 18 jurors — a panel of 12 and six alternates. The judge postponed an immediate decision on a request by Blagojevich's attorneys to dismiss fraud and racketeering charges against him."
Chicago Sun-Times: "...prosecutors today will lay out a blueprint of their evidence against" former governor Rod Blagojevich.
Tweeting His Way to Acquittal. Chicago News Co-op: Blago is learning to tweet, begins with, “Please follow on Twitter for the latest updates. I am innocent and look forward to clearing my name.” Evidently not a quick study, he actually had his publicist post the tweet. CW: what every indicted gentleman needs: his own personal Twitter manager....
... Twitterless. Chicago Tribune Update (June 8): Aw, too bad. Judge "Zagel just banned Blagojevich from tweeting from the courtroom."
Chicago Tribune: "Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will be back in federal court Monday morning as lawyers in his corruption case continue to whittle down a list of dozens of prospective jurors and prepare to give opening statements Tuesday."
June 4-5
The Trials of Blagojevich. Chicago Sun-Times: "Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich might not be able to attend his daughter's graduation Tuesday afternoon because opening statements in his corruption trial likely will be under way. U.S. District Judge James Zagel said he was unlikely to grant a defense request to take a break that afternoon." CW: graft & corruption can complicate your schedule. Not that Blago isn't presumed innocent.
Chicago Tribune: "Opening statements in the corruption trial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich are expected to take place Tuesday after the judge overseeing the case said "decent progress" in seating a jury had been made this week. After questioning more prospective panelists Friday, U.S. District Judge James Zagel said 30 possible jurors had cleared the initial round of quizzing."
June 2-3
Patti Blagojevich defends her husband as his trial begins:
Chicago Sun-Times: "Rod Blagojevich, the former governor of our state -- and his brother -- arrive today in federal court to face extensive corruption charges. Jury selection is set to begin this morning as Blagojevich becomes the second Illinois governor in four years to face trial on misconduct allegations. Former Gov. George Ryan is still serving a 6½-year sentence in federal prison."
New York Times: "As jury selection in the corruption trial of begins on Thursday, people [in Chicago] are less curious about what they may learn about the impeached former Illinois governor than they are about who else will be tainted in the proceedings." ...
Chicago Tribune: "Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's federal corruption trial will feature prosecutors feeding voters a steady reminder of the worst elements of Illinois' political culture — allegations that money, insider influence and personal interest drive public policy in this state." ...
Chicago Sun-Times: "President Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, was subpoenaed by the defense to testify in Rod Blagojevich's upcoming trial, the White House acknowledged Wednesday. Presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett also was subpoenaed, according to the White House.
Washington Post: now Blago the Showman will be "playing to an audience of 13."
AP: "Officials with WLS-AM (890) say they're putting Blagojevich's weekly Sunday afternoon radio show on hiatus until after the his federal corruption trial."