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Judge orders file on Gov interview to be sealed

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Illinois

[Posted by Kevin Fanning]

This was a big story last Friday:

Federal investigators met with Gov. Rod Blagojevich “multiple” times as part of their Operation Board Games investigation, but the governor denied telling fundraisers he could reward them with government contracts, court documents unsealed this week revealed.

[…]

According to this week’s filing, a defense response to those allegations, Blagojevich sat down with prosecutors at least twice and denied ever saying any such thing.

“Governor Blagojevich was interviewed on multiple occasions and denies these conversations. Cari failed to recall his conversation with the governor until his fifth interview by government agents,” wrote Rezko attorney William P. Ziegelmueller in a Jan. 25 filing.

However, late last Friday Judge Amy St. Eve ordered those same documents to be sealed again without any specific explanation:

She acted on her own. No one requested that the document be sealed.

However, Natasha Korecki at the Sun Times speculates…

It might have been made public in error. The filing, authored by Rezko’s lawyers, also contained a brief reference to the private life of witness Stuart Levine. St. Eve previously ruled that details involving Levine’s “secret life” should not be made public. Levine testified he took part in multiple drug binges with other men at area hotels, including Lincolnwood’s Purple Hotel.

St. Eve was extremely cautious during the trial to keep parts of Levine’s life out of the record. It would make sense for her to re-seal the document if some of these references were mistakenly missed. Any other insights into why it could have been re-sealed on the same day?

* Related…

* State Capitol Notebook: Gov. busy with federal agents

* Feds Questioned Blagojevich ‘Multiple’ Times

posted by Kevin Fanning
Monday, Jun 30, 08 @ 11:04 am

Comments

The Rezko team always wanted this info out, so the motivation for them to notify the judge that their pleading may need to be sealed is small. My guess would be the same comment, the Judge missed the references in these pleadings so acted to seal the information to keep it consistent with previous orders.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Jun 30, 08 @ 11:24 am
Judge Amy tries but fails to unring the bell!

Comment by A Citizen Monday, Jun 30, 08 @ 11:59 am
People deserve to know if their governor is a crook. That a judge would seal these public documents makes me wonder if one hand is washing the other?

Blago is going to jail and the sooner everyone gets that point the better off Illinois will be.

Comment by MouthofBabes.. Monday, Jun 30, 08 @ 12:11 pm
I’m guessing she meant to unseal the male prostitute binge (as trial is over) and didn’t realize the part about Blago was in there…. or, (putting on conspiracy theroist tinfoil hat) she is a MJM fan and did it on purpose.
I don’t see the point of resealing it….once its out its out. Probably just a formality.

Comment by Vote Quimby! Monday, Jun 30, 08 @ 12:16 pm
Yup.
Sure sounds like an “accident” to me. Those sloppy judges and lawyers really mess up all the time.
And those people with the files are always letting stuff out.
Amd of course the media is just standing at the counter waiting for new filings and documents being unsealed.
Yup.

Comment by DumberThanUThink Monday, Jun 30, 08 @ 12:24 pm
It was about as accidental as Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction.”

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 30, 08 @ 1:10 pm
I think it’s fair to say that Blago is scared to death of what the near future holds for him. It is safe to say he truly is not the sharpest knife in the drawer or he would have recognized the path he is going down has been well worn by George Ryan.

Comment by Little Egypt Monday, Jun 30, 08 @ 1:58 pm
From Blago today….I have never heard the phrase “cautiously less than optimistic” before in my life. I think he is cut from the W cloth of public speaking!

Comment by Vote Quimby! Monday, Jun 30, 08 @ 3:31 pm
I like the Janet Jackson line
Every body in the Free World knows about what was sealed behind Stu’s Life Style filings so I am guessing the sealing came after a secret call from Big Jim “Help Get Me Zell Another #100 million” Thompson. Wonder if that is his last call?

Comment by DumberThanUThink Monday, Jun 30, 08 @ 4:20 pm
Guilty as sin in looks and deeds. Tries to constantly draw attention away from the misdeeds.
But all the media events in the world can’t erase what government workers see all around them and they WILL talk.

Comment by Disgusted Monday, Jun 30, 08 @ 5:29 pm
Update: June 30, 2008

This will describe Governor Blagojevich’s Sheridan Project at Sheridan Correctional Center. These are the type of individuals who are in control of this project.

Did you know that companies in the US have said they would hire a white man with a felony record and no high school education BEFORE they would hire a black man with NO criminal record and a 4-year degree?

On July 23 at 9pm and July 24 at 9pm, CNN will premier a series, ‘Black in America with Soledad O’Brien’ and I personally challenge you to watch it WITH your children, especially your sons, if you have any, uninterrupted.

The aforemention statistic and many others will be revealed during the series. A friend of mine had the privilege of meeting with Soledad O’Brien and actually SEEING this premier, and what she saw brought tears to her eyes and anguish, frustration, and a sense of helplessness to her soul.

On July 23, 2008 the series will focus on Women and Families and July 24, 2008 is dedicated entirely to the plight of the Black Man in America. PLEASE watch and internalize what you see and hear; no matter HOW disturbing the information revealed…you can (and will) thank me later.

Go here for more information: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/black.in.america/

Comment by Concerned Monday, Jun 30, 08 @ 10:54 pm