silver_surfer
22nd April 2010, 11:39 AM
I dont see a happy ending for Blago
http://cbs2chicago.com/governor/blagojevich.obama.subpoena.2.1650066.html
The defense team for deposed Gov. Rod Blagojevich has moved to subpoena President Barack Obama to testify at Blagojevich's corruption trial.
Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to charges that accuse him of scheming to sell or trade the Senate seat left vacant by Obama's election as president.
The motion filed Thursday says Obama was interviewed for two hours by prosecutors and FBI agents regarding the Blagojevich case, and the defense filed a motion asking for all transcripts, notes and reports from that interview. But the defense never received the documents, the motion said.
The motion also claims that prosecutors say Blagojevich met a labor union official whom he believed to be in contact with President Obama, and told the official he would appoint a certain candidate to the vacant Senate seat. In exchange, Blagojevich expected to be named secretary of Health and Human Services, the motion says prosecutors claim.
But Obama has said he was "confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat," the motion says.
"President Obama has direct knowledge to allegations made in the indictment. In addition, President Obama's public statements contradict other witness statements, specifically those made by labor union official and Senate Candidate B," the motion said.
The labor union official is expected to be a prosecution witness, and since his story is contradicted by Obama's public statement, Blagojevich's defense team wants to subpoena Obama.
It would be extremely unusual for a sitting president to testify at a corruption trial.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, Randall Samborn, had no comment on the 11-page motion. A White House spokesperson also declined comment on the filing.
The filing contained several sections blacked out, apparently because they refer to material that the court has placed under seal.
Blagojevich's trial is set to begin in about six weeks.
http://cbs2chicago.com/governor/blagojevich.obama.subpoena.2.1650066.html
The defense team for deposed Gov. Rod Blagojevich has moved to subpoena President Barack Obama to testify at Blagojevich's corruption trial.
Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to charges that accuse him of scheming to sell or trade the Senate seat left vacant by Obama's election as president.
The motion filed Thursday says Obama was interviewed for two hours by prosecutors and FBI agents regarding the Blagojevich case, and the defense filed a motion asking for all transcripts, notes and reports from that interview. But the defense never received the documents, the motion said.
The motion also claims that prosecutors say Blagojevich met a labor union official whom he believed to be in contact with President Obama, and told the official he would appoint a certain candidate to the vacant Senate seat. In exchange, Blagojevich expected to be named secretary of Health and Human Services, the motion says prosecutors claim.
But Obama has said he was "confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat," the motion says.
"President Obama has direct knowledge to allegations made in the indictment. In addition, President Obama's public statements contradict other witness statements, specifically those made by labor union official and Senate Candidate B," the motion said.
The labor union official is expected to be a prosecution witness, and since his story is contradicted by Obama's public statement, Blagojevich's defense team wants to subpoena Obama.
It would be extremely unusual for a sitting president to testify at a corruption trial.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, Randall Samborn, had no comment on the 11-page motion. A White House spokesperson also declined comment on the filing.
The filing contained several sections blacked out, apparently because they refer to material that the court has placed under seal.
Blagojevich's trial is set to begin in about six weeks.