advertisement

Judge refused to open all Blagojevich records

A federal judge has rejected media requests to open all sealed documents and transcripts of secretly recorded conversations obtained during the investigation of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

However, U.S. District Judge James Zagel said Friday he will allow the Chicago Tribune and CNN access to redacted versions of some paperwork in the case.

The Tribune initially asked the judge to unseal a motion to supress evidence, which was filed by attorneys for William Cellini, a politically influential Springfield millionaire. CNN sought the release of the wiretaps.

The government fought the request, saying release of the material would hurt an ongoing investigation. Zagel written ruling agreed with that position.

Blagojevich is charged with scheming to sell or trade President Obama's U.S. Senate seat. Cellini is charged with scheming to obtaining illegal campaign funds for Blagojevich.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.