Blagojevich attorney target of extortion attempt

A defense attorney for Rod Blagojevich has been the target of an extortion attempt.

Eric D. Hays has been charged with bribery and ordered held in lieu of $100,000 bail for attempting to extort $5,000 from Sam Adam Jr., authorties said. The 41-year-old Hays is accused of offering not to testify against a man Adam was representing in exchange for the money.

Adam was representing 35-year-old Derrick Claiborne on charges he bought a used car from Hays with a phony cashier’s check.

Prosecutors say Hays called an attorney and others in his office earlier this month seeking the money. Prosecutors did not name the attorney, but Adam told the Chicago Tribune it was him.

Adam was part of a legal team that defended Blagojevich in his first corruption trial in 2010.