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WORLD> America
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Ill. Gov. declares innocence, won't quit
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-20 14:49 Even before the speech, Blagojevich's lawyer, Ed Genson, a hard-charging Chicago criminal defense attorney, had made it plain the governor would not go down without a fight. Genson challenged the Illinois House impeachment committee at every turn this week, arguing that the wiretaps were illegal, accusing some of the panel members of having already made up their mind, and complaining that Illinois law does not spell out the grounds for impeachment or what evidence should be considered. "He'll worry about the criminal part, the governor will continue to govern," said another Blagojevich attorney, Sam Adam Jr. Other attorneys said Genson is on the right track in contesting the legality of the FBI wiretaps, though they warned that few such challenges succeed. "But the more noise you make about it, the more chance you have of getting it suppressed," said professor Leonard L. Cavise of DePaul University College of Law. "This is going to be a big deal." The impeachment panel wants federal prosecutors to release details of their probe of Blagojevich, including copies of the taped conversations, and give the Legislature some guidance on who can be called as a witness without compromising the federal case. Federal prosecutors' case could be undermined if Illinois lawmakers compel certain witnesses to testify. Oliver North's conviction in the Iran-contra scandal of the 1980s was thrown out after the courts concluded that prosecutors had improperly used testimony North gave to Congress under a grant of immunity. Blagojevich's uncompromising stand came as little surprise to those who know him. For years the former boxer has cultivated an image as a fighter dating back to his youth, when he trained for the Chicago Golden Gloves. During his first campaign for governor in 2002, Blagojevich and his aides would sum up each day's success in boxing terms: 10-10 for a draw, 10-9 a win, 10-8 a decisive win, a knockdown, and so on. Once in office, he earned a reputation for publicly sparring with everyone from his Chicago alderman father-in-law to the powerful Democratic House speaker. "Now I know there are some powerful forces arrayed against me," Blagojevich said Friday. "It's kind of lonely right now. But I have on my side the most powerful ally there is, and it's the truth. And besides, I have the personal knowledge that I have not done anything wrong."
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