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NEWS ABOUT: corruption trial

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For Blago, 71 Days of Freedom Left

And no pension, to boot

(Newser) - Gone was the defiant Rod Blagojevich who protested his innocence , promised a comeback , and called himself "frankly … stunned" at his guilty verdict: The Blago on display yesterday at his sentencing was apologetic and emotional, but he was sentenced to 14 years for corruption nonetheless. Now he has just... More »

Riots Break Out as Mubarak Trial Resumes

Officials expected to testify they were ordered to fire on protesters

(Newser) - Protesters thronged the Cairo courthouse where Hosni Mubarak's trial resumed today, scuffling with riot police, who struggled to contain them, reports the BBC . Anti-Mubarak protesters burned the former president's image in effigy and protested the judge's ban on cameras in the courtroom, while Mubarak supporters were equally... More »

Mubarak Refusing Solid Food

He is due to go on trial next week in Egypt

(Newser) - Hosni Mubarak is severely depressed and has not eaten solid food in four days, say doctors at the hospital in Egypt where he is being held, reports CNN . The development comes a week before he is due to stand trial on charges that he ordered police to fire on protesters... More »

Blagojevich: 'F***ing Golden' Remark Was 'War-Gaming'

Ex-gov is less than crystal clear in his testimony

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich finally got a chance to explain his infamous description of Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat as "f---ing golden" but he did a pretty poor job of it. "I'm afraid to answer this, but I'm not quite sure how to answer it," the... More »

Rangel Walks Out of Ethics Hearing

After complaining that he didn't have a lawyer

(Newser) - Charles Rangel made a scene at his ethics trial today, storming out less than an hour into the proceedings, which he deemed unfair because he can no longer afford a lawyer. Rangel said his lawyer had withdrawn because the congressman couldn’t pay the $2 million bill he’d already... More »

Senate Opens Impeachment Hearings on La. Judge

Chamber's first since Bill Clinton's in 1999

(Newser) - The Senate will open today an impeachment trial against a Louisiana judge facing a slew of corruption charges, Fox News reports. The House already voted unanimously to impeach US District Judge G. Thomas Porteous, accused of lying under oath and taking payoffs. A Senate impeachment panel will hold three all-day... More »

Young Blago Juror: I May Become a Lobbyist

'I've seen all the money they make'

(Newser) - Any lessons to be learned from round one of the Blagojevich trial? Probably none better than this, as articulated by a college-age juror: "I might be a lobbyist after this," Erik Sarnello tells the Chicago Sun-Times (a line gleefully picked up by the Awl ). "I've seen... More »

Defiant Blago: Trial a Big Waste of Money

They threw 'the kitchen sink' at me and failed

(Newser) - Because federal prosecutors got Rod Blagojevich on only 1 of 24 counts , we get to do this all over again. Let the posturing begin, as rounded up by the Chicago Tribune :
  • Rod Blagojevich: "The government threw everything but the kitchen sink at me, and on every charge but one
... More »

Blago Guilty on 1 Count: Lying to FBI

Jury can't decide on 23 others; feds will retry him

(AP) - A federal jury has found ex-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich guilty of one count of lying to federal agents. The jury could not reach a decision on the other 23 counts after two weeks of deliberations, and the judge said he intends to declare a mistrial on them. Federal prosecutors say... More »

Blago Jurors Have Settled on Only 2 Counts

Judge wants them to keep deliberating

(Newser) - The Rod Blagojevich jury continues to be stuck: On its 12th day of deliberations, jurors informed the judge that they've settled on only two counts (it's not clear which ones), remain deadlocked on 11 others, and haven't even begun deliberating the remaining 11 related to wire fraud charges. The judge... More »

Blago Spent Whopping $400K on Clothes

Prosecutor accuses Patti of paying for it with suspect Rezko money

(Newser) - Looking as good as Rod Blagojevich does ain’t cheap. The ex-governor and his wife spent $400,000 on clothes while in office or running for it, according to testimony from a government financial analyst at Blagojevich’s corruption trial yesterday. Prosecutors followed that up by playing a wiretap tape... More »

'Senator Oprah' Sounded Good to Blago

Then-gov considered media titan to succeed Obama as senator

(Newser) - As Rod Blagojevich considered possible successors to Barack Obama as US senator from Illinois, he came up with one name "no one can assail": Oprah Winfrey. As the former governor's corruption trial dragged on today in Chicago, prosecutors played a tape from December 2008—after Obama confidant Valerie Jarrett... More »

Judge Bars Blagojevich From Tweeting in Court

But he can still talk to the press

(Newser) - Geez, now Rod Blagojevich is going to have sit still during his corruption trial. The judge today blocked his perfectly rational plan to issue live tweets from the courtroom, reports the Chicago Tribune . Judge Zagel didn't bar Blagojevich from making his many public statements before and after the proceedings, though... More »

Blago Defense Can't Subpoena Obama

Ex-governor's lawyers want president to testify in corruption trial

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich will not be permitted to subpoena President Obama as he defends himself against charges that he tried to sell or barter Obama's vacant Senate seat after the 2008 presidential election. The judge in the former governor's forthcoming corruption trial did leave to door open to calling the president... More »

Court Rejects Law Giving Berlusconi Immunity

Italian PM will have to stand trial for corruption

(Newser) - An Italian court struck down the law designed to protect Silvio Berlusconi from corruption charges, ruling that it would take a constitutional amendment, not a mere act of parliament, to save the Italian prime minister. Courts can now resume the two corruption trials against Berlusconi that have been on hold... More »

Berlusconi Uses Animal Farm Defense

Lawyers argue 'more equal' PM shouldn't be prosecuted

(Newser) - All Italians are equal but some are more equal than others, according to lawyers seeking to prevent Silvio Berlusconi from standing trial on corruption charges. A constitutional court examining the legitimacy of a law shielding prime ministers from prosecution—which was introduced by Berlusconi himself—was told the leader is... More »

My Client's Corrupt, But Who Isn't?

All pols have bribes in the freezer, Jefferson's lawyer contends

(Newser) - Former Rep. William Jefferson’s lawyer tried a novel defense tactic in his closing arguments yesterday: putting all of the political class on trial. Sure, his client had stashed bribe money in his freezer—but hasn’t everyone, metaphorically speaking? “We all occupy the gray area,” said attorney... More »

Supreme Court Shoots Down Jefferson's Appeal

But will review Conrad Black's conviction

(Newser) - The Supreme Court today refused to hear William Jefferson’s appeal, meaning the former New Orleans congressman’s corruption case is headed for trial, the Times-Picayune reports. The court will, however, consider overturning the fraud conviction against former media mogul Conrad Black and two of his compatriots. More »

Blago Fails to Boot Federal Prosecutor

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich has failed to get Chicago's top federal prosecutor kicked off of his case, the Chicago Tribune reports. A judge ruled today that comments made by Patrick Fitzgerald—which Blagojevich called inflammatory—did not warrant removing him from the corruption case. Nor did Fitzgerald's release of wiretap transcripts that... More »

DOJ Pulls Prosecutors Off Stevens Case

Judge finds lawyers in contempt for withholding documents

(Newser) - The Justice Department has yanked the team that prosecuted Ted Stevens off any future action in the case, Politico reports, after the judge found four of the lawyers—including chief prosecutor Brenda Morris—in contempt. Morris and company raised the judge’s ire by withholding documents related to FBI agent... More »

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