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Blagojevich attorney: Wiretaps were illegal

SPRINGFIELD -- The lawyer for Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich says federal investigators illegally monitored his client's conversations.

Attorney Ed Genson told the House impeachment committee Thursday that the federal wiretaps were illegal.

The recordings are crucial to the criminal charges filed against Blagojevich last week. Prosecutors say they caught the Democratic governor discussing efforts to auction off a U.S. Senate seat and pressure a hospital executive for campaign donations.

Genson told the impeachment committee that it shouldn't consider any material from the wiretaps, saying the evidence was "illegally obtained."

The comments suggest Blagojevich's legal defense may include challenging whether the recordings can be introduced in court.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/packages/2008/blagojevich/">Complete coverage of Blagojevich investigation</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>

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