CHICAGO — Rod Blagojevich stood up in court Wednesday and told the judge the opposite of what he has been saying for months. He now says that he will not testify in his own defense to charges that include trying to sell an appointment to President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat.
The ousted Illinois governor, who had insisted on television, radio and even to bystanders outside the courthouse that he would speak directly to jurors, stood in court with his hands folded in front of him.
“Is it your decision not to testify?” Judge James B. Zagel asked.
“It is my decision,” Blagojevich responded, nodding slightly.
His attorneys promptly rested their case. Prosecutors also rested their case against him.
Blagojevich returned to his seat, smiling. During a recess a few minutes later, he picked up where he began the trial, shaking hands with well-wishers in the spectator benches and signing autographs.
Outside court, Blagojevich, a Democrat, said he believed all along that he would testify and reluctantly went back on his repeated pledges to do so only after his senior lawyer talked him out of it.
“Sam Adam Sr.’s most compelling argument, and Ibelieve the one that swayed me, was that the government in their case proved my innocence, they proved I did nothing illegal, and there was nothing further for us to add,” Blagojevich said.
He said the government also showed “that I never took a corrupt dollar, not a corrupt dime, not a corrupt nickel, not a corrupt penny.”
Blagojevich also said he has learned a lot of lessons, perhaps the biggest being that he talks too much.
His attorneys say neither they nor Blagojevich need to explain why he won’t testify. Sam Adam Jr. said the judge will make that clear to the jury before closing argumentsbegin Monday.
The former governor, 53, has pleaded innocent to scheming to trade an appointment to the Senate seat for a Cabinet post in Obama’s administration, an ambassadorship, a high-paying job or a campaign donation. He also has pleaded innocent to scheming to launch a racketeering operation in the governor’s office.
His brother, Robert Blagojevich, 54, a Nashville, Tenn., real estate entrepreneur, has pleaded innocent to taking part in the purported plan to sell the Senate seat and playing a role in a plot to squeeze businessmen illegally for campaign contributions.
Front Section, Pages 4 on 07/22/2010