Attorney General: State Won't Pay For Blagojevich's Legal Defense

CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has rejected a request that the state pay for Gov. Rod Blagojevich's legal defense.

Under Illinois law, the attorney general must represent state officials "in court." Blagojevich's attorney, Edward Genson, says since Madigan has a conflict of interest after asking the state's highest court to remove him from office, the state of Illinois must pay for Blagojevich's legal defense.

Madigan received the request in a letter from Genson late Wednesday. The attorney general's chief of staff, Anne Spillane, responded with a letter to David Ellis, general counsel for state House Speaker Michael Madigan.

She said Genson's assertion was "meritless" because the impeachment proceedings are not taking place in court.

Federal investigators captured Blagojevich on secret wiretaps saying he was financially strapped.

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Information from: the Chicago Sun-Times, http://www.suntimes.com

Comments

[macohmz]

Sorry Lisa. I don't regard you as being anymore ethical than Blaggo.

[postman606]

Lisa seems to be striking all the right notes when it comes to grabbing headlines, but seems clueless about the law.

[DyspepsiaCola]

Really? So the law says that the Illinois taxpayers must pay for the Governor's criminal defense? Is that what it says? Please provide a citation.

Also, as for clueless about the law: I would say that her track record as attorney general says otherwise. See, for example, her recent 8 billion dollar settlement with the nation's largest and most crooked mortgage lender. 8 billion dollars = clueless? Really?

[postman606]

Richard Daley as Cook County States Attorney never tried a case himself. The positions are similar in that they both have large staffs of real lawyers that do the ground. Her record may be a good one, but it is political and not based on her individual skill as an attorney. I already ready researched the law as it applies here and as it is such an easy thing to do, I refuse to reward laziness.

[postman606]

I don't know of many posters that do this, but Lisa is a real lawyer. I stand corrected, by my wife, who is a Cook County Attorney.

[harriettubman]

She's done well in my eyes, especially not being in office for very long. She fights corruption at all costs.

[MESGAIN26]

CAN YOU SAY A COUP

[PastorAgnostic]

Poor Lisa. She's trying so hard to be noticed, and to appear smart, experienced, knowledgeable, and competent, and with each step, she appears more and more like a lucky daughter who got her office because of daddy.

She has a few other problems in her office which she would have really hoped would not make the front page of the Daily Law Bulletin like they did. But even our Supremes saw past her efforts and smacked her down fairly strongly.

Whether Bloggo is guilty or not is not the issue. Well, it is AN issue, a big one, but it is highly unlikely that now he has promised not to select the new senator from Illinois, that his conviction or victory will have no impact on the new president. That horse is dead, and beating it like MSM is doing will not bring it back to life.

Lisa blew her chance at gaining a national stage. Instead, she looks like a national stooge. Which amounts to a pretty accurate description of her legal and administrative skills.

[maxwellimus]

This is getting, UGLY.

[gladys46]

So, what does the AG do with the statute that states her office is to represent the gov. ! Did that statute address a conflict of interest ... ah, her's!??