Feb 27, 2008 6:22 pm US/Central
Blagojevich At NIU: I Am Not 'Public Official A'
Governor Continues To Deny Knowledge Of Corruption Schemes As Trial Of Former Fundraiser Tony Rezko Draws Near
DE KALB, Ill. (CBS) ―
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Gov. Blagojevich Feb. 27 at NIU, his first public appearance since a federal judge named him as "Public Official A" in a corruption case.
CBS
Wednesday's news conference at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb was the governor's first public appearance since a judge named him ''Public Official A'' in a corruption case.
But Gov. Rod Blagojevich says it ''doesn't matter.'' As CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports, Blagojevich suggests the allegations are false.
Asked for his reaction after being identified as Public Official A, who allegedly benefited from corrupt schemes, Blagojevich said, "My reaction, is… it doesn't matter what letter of the alphabet it is. What was described there doesn't describe me or how I do things."
Prosecutors referred to Blagojevich as Public Official A, for example, in their indictment of Tony Rezko. On a state plane, Official A allegedly told corrupt fundraisers Joe Cari and Stuart Levine he could help them make a lot of money. Blagojevich still declined to discuss that Wednesday.
"I'm gonna give you an answer throughout this whole thing. And it's gonna be the same answer all the way through," he said. "I'm not involved in that court case. I don't know much about it. And I have a job to do as governor. And it's a fulltime job. I don't think it's fair for me to comment on a pending court case."
Both federal prosecutors and defense lawyers are expected to use the governor's name when the trial of Rezko, Blagojevich's former fundraiser and friend, begins in Chicago next week.
It is also likely that the name of senator and presidential hopeful Barack Obama will come up at that trial.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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