Blagojevich strikes back

[BlueJessamine]

Source: Chicago Tribune

SPRINGFIELD - Disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich joked and jogged in his Chicago neighborhood Wednesday and vowed to tell his side of the story soon, while his attorney tore into impeachment-minded state lawmakers trying to force the governor out of a job.

The vigorous defense mounted by noted criminal defense attorney Ed Genson before a special House impeachment panel—belittling the hearing as a surreal "Alice in Wonderland" process—for the first time gave a glimpse into the intensity with which Blagojevich is fighting to remain governor after his arrest on corruption charges about a week ago.

Genson complained of a lack of standards to determine impeachment, decried his inability to subpoena witnesses such as U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald and asked that some panel members be removed because they had "already made up their minds in this case."

"Everybody's in a rush to judgment," Genson said later at a news conference. "If you know of another case coming out of the State of Illinois that had more pizazz to it . . . where there were so many people that wanted to chop somebody's head off, you tell me it. But I don't. This is a real witch hunt."


Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-blago-main-18dec18,0,4995711.story