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Blagojevich: I'm the victim of plot to raise taxes
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-01-24 14:29

Blagojevich's main fight now is a public relations battle, and he called Friday for Illinois newspapers to publish editorials demanding the Senate change its trial rules. Federal prosecutors have alleged he put pressure on company executives to fire the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune for writing unflattering opinion pieces about him.

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It's not clear what, if anything, Blagojevich hopes to gain from his strategy of boycotting the impeachment trial and defending himself through the media. He has planned appearances Monday on "Good Morning, America" and "The View."

Several legal experts said refusing to participate in the trial or resign from office makes little sense.

"There's no benefit at all, except to make himself look ridiculous. In addition, anything he says can be used against him later" in court," said Leonard Cavise, a law professor at DePaul University.

The FBI arrested Blagojevich on corruption charges, including the allegation he schemed to benefit from his power to name President Barack Obama's replacement in the US Senate, after years of investigation.

The governor's office, responding to a request under the Freedom of Information Act, released 43 federal subpoenas Friday, including some seeking records involving Obama advisers David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett.

His arrest triggered impeachment proceedings, and the House voted almost unanimously to send his case to the Senate for trial. A Senate conviction would remove him from office but have no impact on the continuing criminal case.

Blagojevich can stay in office if 20 of the Senate's 59 members vote for his acquittal. It's possible he hopes defending himself in interviews will inspire the public to pressure senators to support him.

Or Blagojevich may hope to build sympathy among potential jurors in some future criminal trial.

"All of these things are designed, I guess, to create grassroots support. I think it borders on delusional, to be honest," said Chicago trial attorney Matt Belcher.

Shortly after his arrest, an independent poll found his job-approval rating had dwindled to just 8 percent. A recent poll for the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform found that nearly 8 out of 10 Illinois residents believe the state is on the wrong track.