Did Blago pal tape him — or not?
Was Gov. Blagojevich secretly recorded as part of a federal investigation of his administration, or wasn’t he?
The Chicago Tribune, citing anonymous sources, reported Friday morning that lobbyist John Wyma, one of the governor’s closest friends, has cooperated with authorities probing if state contracts, jobs and board actions were traded for contributions to Blagojevich’s campaign fund.
(Capitol Fax Blog)
(John H. White/Sun-Times)
The Tribune also reported that Wyma “cooperated with investigators,” and that Wyma’s assistance “helped lead to recordings of the governor and others.”
But in a statement released Friday afternoon, Wyma’s attorney, Zach Fardon, said Wyma is not aware of Blagojevich being recorded as part of a federal investigation. Fardon’s statement, however, did not deny that Wyma might have cooperated with the feds.
“Today, there are news articles suggesting that John Wyma has worn a wire or otherwise recorded conversations as part of a federal investigation,” Fardon said. “Contrary to those stories, Mr. Wyma has not worn any wire or recorded any conversations; nor is he aware of any such recorded conversations.
“Any allegation or insinuation to the contrary is simply untrue. Out of respect for the federal investigative process, we are making no further statements related to that process.”
Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero released this statement responding to the Tribune story:
“The governor has been working on the things that matter most to the people of Illinois — creating jobs, keeping people in their homes, fixing the budget, and making sure that everyone has access to affordable health care. He woke up this morning and saw the article just like everyone else did.
“The Governor has not done anything wrong, improper or illegal.”