As I suggested earlier in my analysis of the report prepared on behalf of Obama's transition team concerning talks over appointing Obama's replacement in the Senate, Team Obama has provided the embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich with an important piece of evidence in defending him against charges he tried to sell Obama's vacant Senate seat. Attorney Ed Genson tells reporters the Obama report supports the governor's claims that he did nothing wrong. The impeachment committee's chairperson, Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, begrudgingly responded by saying the report would probably be admitted as evidence but doubted it would clear him of wrongdoing. "Maybe in this particular instance someone didn't run a stop sign, but it doesn't say they didn't run a different stop sign," she tells the Chicago Tribune. The committee will not allow the governor's attorney to subpoena any witnesses in his defense. Allowing the admission of the Obama report is the next best thing he says. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's office is still weighing whether to allow the committee access to wire-tapped conversations his office made of Blagojevich and his top staffer.
UPDATE: U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald advised the House impeachment committee today that he would petition Judge Holderman on January 5, 2009 to release portions of the wire-tapped conversations to the House committee for use in the impeachment proceedings. It is unclear which conversations Fitzgerald is seeking to disclose.
2 comments:
I'm not taking Blago's side here, but is it usual in impeachment cases for the accused to not be allowed to present evidence and witnesses in their favor?
It seems pretty fishy to me that they aren't even allowing the man a fair hearing, and are seemingly just trying to railroad him into a guilty verdict.
Blago's attempt to portray any air of innocence did NOT work!!!
So, he appoints the only person who did not offer a $$$$ to The Machine.
-I say reject Burris on the principle of a corrupt politician trying to blow a smoke screen on a major influence peddling scandle that's bigger than Operation Greylord and worse than Fast Eddie Vrdolyak's!
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