Governor discloses more legal fees

Gov. Rod Blagojevich belatedly disclosed Tuesday a half-million dollars in campaign legal work as federal investigators continue to probe his fundraising and allegations of corruption.

The tardy release boosts the governor's legal tab to more than $1.3 million for the 18 months covering all of 2006 and the first half of 2007, according to campaign records filed Tuesday. Blagojevich had not filed a report detailing his legal tab for the second half of last year by late Tuesday, the day it was due.

Blagojevich's campaign did not state $555,255 of the legal tab on campaign records until about six months after the information was legally required to be made public.

Campaign spokesman Doug Scofield said the delay was due to negotiations over the bill and he doesn't expect to receive penalties for the late filing. The amount is listed in campaign records as an unpaid debt, but Scofield said there is money to cover the bill.

In fact, Scofield said Blagojevich has picked up fundraising efforts after a lengthy hiatus, raking in about $2 million in the last few months of 2007. That fundraising report was not available late Tuesday.

Blagojevich has been one of Illinois' most prolific fundraisers, but his campaign war chest dwindled to just a few hundred thousand dollars after he spent $16 million on his 2006 run.

"I think once he turned his attention to it, he had a very successful fundraising effort, and that certainly bodes well for the future," Scofield said.

Yet, on the legal side, the governor continues to confront a multipronged federal investigation of corruption, including allegations he traded state contracts and appointments for campaign cash.

In a recent federal court filing related to an indicted fundraiser, authorities accuse Blagojevich of telling one potential donor that he would be repaid with state business. The filing also alleges the governor knew of an elaborate scheme to bilk donations from businesses seeking state pension contracts.

Blagojevich has not been charged with any wrongdoing and denies the federal accusations.

Scofield declined to specify what the massive legal bill covered. The high-powered firm, Winston & Strawn, defended former Gov. George Ryan on federal racketeering charges.

Ryan was found guilty and is serving 6½ years at a federal prison in Wisconsin.