Blagojevich Brother Speaks Out: I Am Not A Criminal

CHICAGO — The brother of ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich says he isn't a criminal and the federal wire fraud charges against him are unfair.

The Chicago Sun-Times published an interview Friday with 54-year-old Tennessee businessman Robert Blagojevich. The newspaper says he was in Chicago to visit his son.

His wife, Julie Blagojevich, also says she believes the government indicted her husband in an effort to get the impeached governor to plead guilty.

Robert Blagojevich declined to talk about details of the criminal case. He headed his brother's campaign fund and was recorded on wiretapped tapes pushing Roland Burris for a donation. The governor later appointed Burris to President Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat.

___

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