* Sun-Times…
Wiretapped conversations between current gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker and Rod Blagojevich have provided plenty of ammunition for the billionaire Democrat’s political rivals, but Blagojevich’s lawyers thought the former governor came off pretty well on tape.
In fact, they had wanted to play Pritzker and Blagojevich chatting about the various options for the then-governor to appoint to the U.S. Senate seat that came open in 2008, when Barack Obama left the post to take office as president, said Sheldon Sorosky, who was part of Blagojevich’s defense team for both the former governor’s trials. […]
“[The conversation] was absolutely legal,” Sorosky said this week while walking the hallways of the Cook County Criminal Courthouse. “That’s why we wanted to play them.
“An argument could have been made that, if Blagojevich was interested in money, and he was interested in someone taking the Senate seat, why not Pritzker? He’s a billionaire,” he said. “He had more money than anybody.”
U.S. District Judge James Zagel wouldn’t allow the tapes of the Pritzker-Blagojevich conversations into evidence, Sorosky recalls, ruling that they had nothing to do with the charges that Blagojevich was shopping the seat for his personal financial gain. […]
Sorosky said he’d forgotten about the conversations until they started making headlines last week.
“I did not give out [the tapes],” he said. “I don’t know if I still have them. I think we had to give them back to the government after the trial.”
I dunno. Blagojevich was clearly trying to pry something out of Pritzker on those tapes. The only reason the conversations were “absolutely legal” was because Pritzker kept deflecting the governor’s probes.
And yet, those same tapes, which are still under federal judicial seal and were not even allowed to be played at trial, somehow found their way to the state’s largest newspaper.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 2:58 pm:
===And yet, those same tapes, which are still under federal judicial seal and were not even allowed to be played at trial, somehow found their way to the state’s largest newspaper.===
Coincidences are rare in politics, and something happening by hapoenstance is even rarer.
“Yeah. There were a lotta buffers, Sen-ah-ta”
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 2:59 pm:
Why wouldn’t the FBI be investigating how their tapes were somehow released?
- Terry Salad - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 3:00 pm:
” Blagojevich was clearly trying to pry something out of Pritzker on those tapes. The only reason the conversations were “absolutely legal” was because Pritzker kept deflecting the governor’s probes. ”
Exactly. Pritzker clearly didn’t want to go where Blago was trying to lead him.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 3:01 pm:
Pretty low bar for an “up day.”
- Montrose - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 3:18 pm:
“Why wouldn’t the FBI be investigating how their tapes were somehow released?”
Who says they aren’t?
- Can - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 3:23 pm:
==somehow found their way to the state’s largest newspaper==
Reality Winner’s sibling, Game Show Winner, probably leaked it to them. /s
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 3:26 pm:
==Why wouldn’t the FBI be investigating how their tapes were somehow released?==
They may be, but they ain’t gonna talk about it.
OTOH, they may be a little distracted with Comey-geddon hitting tomorrow.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 3:38 pm:
Montrose - maybe that is something Comey will talk about tomorrow!
- old pol - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 3:41 pm:
What? The FBI leak? Never - Never - Never
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 3:47 pm:
===What? The FBI leak?===
I’d bet a dollar it was a defense attorney.
- Joe M - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 3:48 pm:
I don’t think much of anything can be helpful to Blago at this point. If I remember right from his trial, there were plenty more tapes with actual damning evidence that were exposed.
- The Captain - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 3:59 pm:
=== I’d bet a dollar it was a defense attorney. ===
Just about every single person I’ve talked to lately wants to play this parlor game. I’ve believed it was a defense attorney and that seems to be the majority, but not unanimous, opinion. Other options include, did you know a recently declared candidate was also a former federal prosecutor? Yes, of course, we all know that, how could we forget, but that does seem unlikely. Plus the feds have a horrible history of leaking so it could be them, although it’s more common for the feds to leak details rather than raw audio evidence.
Among the people I’ve talked to many think that since whoever leaked the tape faced potential legal liability they got some compensation for doing so. There are some speculated scenarios where that’s not the case, usually for a you-owe-me-one type stuff, or if the feds were the ones who leaked it. But among the people who think the tape got paid for it’s completely divided on whether the person/entity who paid is affiliated with a Democratic candidate or a Republican one.
This parlor game may last as long as the election.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 4:03 pm:
Robert Blagojevich would be so deliciously fitting to be that person who could pass the tapes on to the… Tribune.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 4:28 pm:
===“I did not give out [the tapes],” he said. “I don’t know if I still have them. I think we had to give them back to the government after the trial.”===
Reading that statement from the lawyer sheds some light on the huge veil of security. lol
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 4:28 pm:
Does this mean someone (like a defense lawyer) still has the Stu Levine tapes…it is suggested those are dozies
In the good old days the folks with the published denials are usually the leakeers
- Leave a Light on George - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 6:24 pm:
If that tape is/ was their best defense…. well oh my.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Jun 7, 17 @ 8:19 pm:
How about someone who wrote a prosecution-friendly tome about Rod’s trial sprinkled with quotes from tapes no one ever heard before? Where’s his day job?
As an aside, Annonin’s obsession with Stu Levine continues unabated. Amazing.