Blagojevich Defense Team Moves to Subpoena Obama
Defense lawyers for ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich want to see President Obama testify at the former governor's June trial and have moved to subpoena the president, CBS 2 Chicago reports.
Blagojevich pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges that accuse him of scheming to get a lucrative job or cash in exchange for the Senate seat Mr. Obama left open when he assumed the presidency.
Mr. Obama has stated publicly that he was "confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat," a motion to issue the subpoena states. Yet the motion contends that "President Obama's public statements contradict other witness statements." It specifically cites statements from a labor union official whom Blagojevich met with and believed to be in contact with the president.
The labor union official is expected to be a prosecution witness, so Blagojevich's defense team wants Mr. Obama to act as a corroborating witness for the former governor, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
The court papers made no allegations of any wrongdoing on Mr. Obama's part, the Associated Press adds.
The FBI and federal prosecutors interviewed Mr. Obama for two hours last year regarding the Blagojevich case, the motion states, but the defense team never received the documents from the interview that they requested.
A spokesperson for the White House declined to comment on the subpoena request, CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller reports.
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