Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich cried on the witness stand this week during his second trial on corruption charges — and that was during the easy part of his testimony, when he was under friendly questioning from his own lawyer.
Blagojevich was on the stand Thursday and until mid-day Friday, when jurors were sent home for the holiday weekend, as The Associated Press reported. He’ll resume testifying on Tuesday, and before long he will face cross-examination.
“I used to be your governor, and I’m here today to tell you the truth,” Blagojevich told the Chicago jurors on Thursday. He is no longer governor because Illinois lawmakers removed him from office after his conviction last year on just one of 24 criminal charges against him — a verdict that was regarded as a defeat for federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Illinois, who were criticized for offering too much evidence, calling too many witnesses and making a good story dull.
This time around, prosecutors cut the number of charges to 20, pared their witnesses list and presented their case in much less time than in the first trial. The most sensational charge is that Blagojevich tried to sell the Senate seat that was vacated when Barack Obama was elected president in 2008. (The seat eventually went to Roland Burris, who served under a cloud and did not seek election in 2010.)
Blagojevich, 54, who has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the Senate seat, did not testify at his first trial. The real drama this time will come when prosecutors cross-examine him and he tries to explain away some damaging tape-recorded conversations. If he is convicted, he could go to prison for two decades.
He was brought to tears as he recounted his childhood, shining shoes, playing baseball (but not very well) and later delivering pizzas. He also choked up when he recalled his difficulties with English (Serbian was his first language) and feeling unfashionable at Northwestern University in polyester clothes.
Next week, prosecutors will try to undress him, figuratively speaking.
