Blagojevich attorneys cross-examine ex-aide (AP)

Thursday, May 12, 2011 2:01 PM By dwi

CHICAGO – Defense attorneys at Rod Blagojevich's corruption retrial proven to defect away at the evidence of a past aide to the ousted controller Thursday, hinting that Blagojevich never witting to personally goodness from his knowledge to study a replacement for President Barack Obama in the Senate.

Robert Greenlee, who served as help controller low Blagojevich, looked discomposed at nowadays as accumulation professional ballplayer Goldstein peppered him with questions including, "Have you ever lied to the governor?"

Blagojevich sat forward on his defense-table chair perception intently, sometimes quiver his nous at Greenlee's answers. At small once, he leaned crossways the table and appeared to suggest a question Goldstein should communicate Greenlee.

Judge saint Zagel warned the accumulation lawyer that his inquiry most whether Greenlee had ever lied to Blagojevich was likewise panoptic and could cover Greenlee misrepresentaation to the controller most whether he likeable his tie, for example.

Greenlee is a key continuation attestator on individual charges, including that Blagojevich proven to delude or trade Obama's older senate centre and that he squeezed a Children's Memorial Hospital CEO for campaign cash.

The accumulation pressed Greenlee most his evidence that Blagojevich ordered him — by using the indirect words, 'Good to know' — to stop up a medicine tending reimbursement until the infirmary chief came up with a super campaign donation.

"You apprehended 'good to know' meant stop the rate increase?" Goldstein asked. "Did you communicate for clarification?"

"I didn't conceive I needed clarification," Greenlee said.

Mocking Greenlee's verify that he took Blagojevich's text as an order, Goldstein prompted an resistance by asking, "Mr. Greenlee, you intercommunicate English, is that correct?"

Greenlee testified that Blagojevich discussed appointing Obama's desirable candidate to the senate seat, Valerie Jarrett, in mercantilism for a high-paying, high-powered government or private-sector job.

Once Jarrett took a job in the White House instead, Greenlee said Blagojevich and his aides overturned to another possible candidates — and thoughtful what they could do for the governor.

The accumulation repeatedly asked Greenlee most Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, and whether Blagojevich had actually desired to move a jural semipolitical care involving her.

But Zagel agreed to prosecutors' objections whenever Goldstein mentioned Madigan, informing Blagojevich's professional the questions were "out of bounds." He suggested the accumulation could broach the matter if and when they place on their own case.

The accumulation has argued that in the weeks before his December 2008 arrest, Blagojevich pursued a jural care to study Madigan to the centre in mercantilism for her father, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, agreeing to push a legislative package favored by the then-governor.

Prosecutors feature much speech by Blagojevich was but a flushed clupeid and was never earnestly considered.

Blagojevich denies any wrongdoing. His first trial ended with jurors obstructed on every but one charge. He was guilty of misrepresentaation to the FBI. This time, he faces 20 charges in all.


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