Governor: Keep subpoenas secret

SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration says it has new, secret evidence to warrant keeping the public from seeing federal subpoenas it has received.

Lawyers for the Democrat filed court papers Friday asking a judge to reverse his ruling of a month ago to release subpoenas from the U.S. attorney. "Newly discovered evidence" makes it important to keep the documents secret, they said.

But they also requested to file the documents in secrecy and no information about them was included in the filing.

The Better Government Association, a public watchdog group, sued in Sangamon County Circuit Court after Blagojevich aides denied a 2006 Freedom of Information request for subpoenas from U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.

Better Government Association lawyer Don Craven ridiculed the government's request, saying Blagojevich, who promised open government, now wants "secret evidence in a secret trial."

Blagojevich attorney William Quinlan did not return a phone call.

Judge Patrick Kelley ruled in January that Fitzgerald's office sees no need for further secrecy because Fitzgerald staff members never responded when the Better Government Association told them about the lawsuit.

A spokesman for Fitzgerald did not return a call seeking comment.

Fitzgerald told state law enforcement officials in June 2006 that he is investigating "serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" in the way the governor's office chose people for state jobs.

Fitzgerald also is prosecuting Blagojevich friend and fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko on fraud charges for an alleged scheme to skim money from investments by state pension systems to raise money for Blagojevich. Rezko is set to stand trial next month.

Kelley ruled that the subpoenas should stay locked up as long as the government still has legal options to try to keep them there. The government also requested Friday that Kelley keep to that decision.