Genson quits Blago's criminal case
BLAGO | Judge orders 4 FBI surveillance tapes turned over to Senate
As Gov. Blagojevich's media blitz kicked into high gear Friday, the governor suffered two key setbacks -- one of the city's leading criminal defense lawyers quit the governor's legal team, and a federal judge ordered that four secretly recorded tapes of Blagojevich be released to the state Senate.
Powerhouse lawyer Edward Genson, who most recently helped singer R. Kelly beat a child-pornography rap, said he will be "formally off" Blagojevich's criminal case "when the next court hearing comes along.
(AP)
"I wish him luck, and I hope he wins," Genson said.
Genson, sources said, had been frustrated over a lack of communication with other attorneys for Blagojevich. That dissension boiled over Thursday when lawyer Sam Adam Sr. and his son Sam Adam Jr. said they planned to file a lawsuit to block the governor's upcoming Senate impeachment trial. Genson had said there was no chance a lawsuit would be filed.
Late Friday, efforts were being made to persuade Genson to rejoin the Blagojevich team, sources said.
Also Friday, a federal judge ordered the release of four FBI surveillance tapes expected to be played at the Senate trial. Those tapes involve an alleged shakedown of horse-racing executive John Johnston for contributions to Blagojevich's campaign fund in exchange for the governor signing legislation favorable to racing.
In a WVON-AM radio interview, Blagojevich said he isn't worried about the tapes because he knows "what my personal behavior is."
"The truth is the truth, and those [tapes] will speak for themselves," Blagojevich told host Cliff Kelley.