Earlier this month, Judge James Zagel warned former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich that his comments to the media can be used against him during his retrial--and now, prosecutors are doing just that.
In 2009, Blagojevich appeared on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" to discuss his pending impeachment, his appointment of Roland Burris to President Obama's old Senate seat and the FBI's case against him. Blagojevich appeared on dozens of television and radio shows around the same time, proclaiming his innocence.
Now, federal prosecutors want the interview to be shown in court. The Chicago Tribune reports that prosecutors feel a portion of Blagojevich's interview with Maddow is "highly probative in rebutting the defendant's anticipated defenses concerning his state of mind at the time of the charged offenses."
During his first trial, his defense attorneys argued that the former governor did not know he was doing anything criminal when discussing what to do with Obama's Senate seat, because his attorneys at the time did not tell him the conversations were illegal.
"Do you agree, that it would be wrong, it would be criminal, for you to try to exchange Barack Obama's senate seat .. for something that would be of value to you?" Maddow asks during the interview.
"Oh, absolutely," Blagojevich said, according to a transcript. He then said he never tried exchanging the seat for something that would benefit him.
As of 3 p.m., the prosectors' filing about the Maddow appearance had not been discussed by Judge Zagel, as jury selection continued.
WATCH the segment prosecutors are referring to here:
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