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| Blagojevich Trial Underway |
(IRN)-An FBI agent who set up wiretaps to keep an ear on former Governor Rod Blagojevich is set to testify in federal court Tuesday.
Agent Daniel Cain, who has roughly 25 years of experience with the FBI, will talk about setting up wiretaps and how the FBI decided what to record.
Meanwhile, opening statements Monday laid out the trial for jurors. The prosecution laid out five different instances where they say Blagojevich tried to shake down people for campaign cash or a political appointment. The first - a Senate seat shakedown. Second, a racing bill shakedown. Third, the Tollway shakedown. Fourth, a hospital shakedown, and fifth, a school shakedown. Prosecutors kept pushing the point that a crime was committed once the former governor offered state action for an appointment or campaign cash.
Defense attorneys turned the argument around, telling jurors that the evidence would reveal that Blagojevich never received anything. At one point, attorney Aaron Goldstein told jurors that it was normal for his client to be in talks with those set to testify against him because at the time, they were contributors to Blagojevich's campaign fund.
Both sides took roughly an hour.
On his way out of court, Blagojevich told reporters that during the government's opening statement, he thought he was in a different courtroom.
"I actually felt I'd stumbled into the wrong courtroom because the guy he was talking about certainly isn't me," Blagojevich said. "In fact the things that he was saying were very hurtful."
Unlike the first trial, the defense hasn't made mention of what witnesses they will call and have not indicated if Blagojevich will take the stand.
(Source: Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 05 02 11 by Newsroom |
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