Blagojevich Breaks His Silence

Rahm Emanuel Still Being Scrutinized

December 19. 2008

Rod Blagojevich

Embattled Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, broke his silence today, denying claims he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat.

President-elect Barack Obama

Though his denials are strong, so is the evidence against him. The FBI wiretaps are brutal. Any reasonable jury that hears them will not be convinced of his innocence. He is now claiming the FBI wiretaps were improperly obtained.

Rahm Emanuel: uh oh! I'm on the tapes

In other news, the press keeps chipping away at Obama’s chief-of-staff, Rahm Emanuel, trying to discern his role in the scandal, due to the fact that he is present on the FBI wiretaps as well.

Attorney: Blagojevich wiretaps illegally obtained

On Thursday, Blagojevich lawyer Ed Genson decried the impeachment panel's reliance on the profanity-laced government wiretaps as a basis to impeach the governor, saying the wiretaps were obtained improperly and were blocked by federal law from being used as evidence in the legislative hearing.

"I think you're using evidence that was illegally obtained," Genson told the committee.

But several committee members, including Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) and Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago), maintained that the wiretaps placed on Blagojevich's home phone and in his campaign office were legal because they were first approved by a federal judge.

http://www.suntimes.com

Emanuel talked directly to gov: source

DEEPER ROLE? | Pushed Jarrett for Senate seat

President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had a deeper involvement in pressing for a U.S. Senate seat appointment than previously reported, the Sun-Times has learned. Emanuel had direct discussions about the seat with Gov. Blagojevich, who is is accused of trying to auction it to the highest bidder.

Emanuel talked with the governor in the days following the Nov. 4 election and pressed early on for the appointment of Valerie Jarrett to the post, sources with knowledge of the conversations told the Sun-Times. There was no indication from sources that Emanuel brokered a deal, however.

A source with the Obama camp strongly denied Emanuel spoke with the governor directly about the seat, saying Emanuel only spoke with Blagojevich once recently to say he was taking the chief of staff post.

But sources with knowledge of the investigation said Blagojevich told his aides about the calls with Emanuel and sometimes gave them directions afterward. Sources said that early on, Emanuel pushed for the appointment of Jarrett to the governor and his staff and asked that it be done by a certain date…

http://www.suntimes.com