Lawyer: Feds want gov. to forfeit campaign fund
A defense attorney said Thursday that federal prosecutors have served notice they will seek to have Gov. Rod Blagojevich's campaign fund forfeited if he is convicted of corruption charges.
Defense attorneys were warned in a letter from the prosecutors this week that any withdrawals from the Friends of Blagojevich fund at this point would have to be returned if a court ordered the fund forfeited, attorney Michael D. Ettinger said.
Ettinger, a veteran criminal defense attorney, represents the governor's brother, Robert Blagojevich, in the investigation of corruption in state government. Robert Blagojevich is chairman of Friends of Blagojevich, according to campaign finance records. Neither he nor the fund have been charged with wrongdoing.
Gov. Blagojevich's last campaign finance report shows Friends of Blagojevich had $3.6 million in the bank as of June 30. The 76-page affidavit that accompanies the criminal complaint filed against Blagojevich cites a cooperating witness as saying his campaign was seeking to raise $2.5 million by the end of the year, when a tougher campaign fundraising law takes effect.
Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on bribery and fraud charges that include allegations of a scheme to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama's election as president.
Putting attorneys and Blagojevich on notice that the campaign money could be forfeited if he were convicted could effectively freeze the fund -- something the government did as it built its case against former Gov. George Ryan.
The Citizens for Ryan campaign fund eventually was charged and convicted of racketeering, although U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer allowed the fund's defense attorney to tap it for his fee.
Blagojevich also is accused of entering into a corrupt scheme with convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko and pressuring the Chicago Tribune to fire editorial writers who had been calling for his impeachment.
The Blagojevich administration has been the focus of a five-year corruption investigation by the federal government that began almost as soon as he took office.