Tribune to pay Zell's legal bills

Tribune Co. says it'll pay the legal bills of chairman and chief executive Sam Zell related to a federal corruption investigation into former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Tribune announced its plans in a bankruptcy court filing on Tuesday.

David J. Bradford, a partner at Jenner & Block, told the court the firm also has handled subpoenas for Zell's private-investment company, Equity Group Investments. He says Zell and Chicago-based Tribune aren't the subject of the investigation.

Federal authorities have interviewed Zell as a potential witness in the Blagojevich investigation. The impeached governor is accused of corruption that includes allegedly pressuring the Chicago Tribune to fire unfriendly editorial writers who called for his impeachment.