- CHICAGO: A defense attorney for Rod Blagojevich began making his final arguments Thursday, saying the ousted Illinois governor never made one shakedown or demand.
- Aaron Goldstein came on strong, raising his voice as he told jurors the prosecution hadn't proved his client guilty of anything and attacked the credibility of the government's witnesses.
"You heard about shakedowns and demands," he said. "Rod didn't make one shakedown and one demand." Goldstein also applauded Blagojevich for taking the witness stand, saying it took courage. "He told you the truth, he walked all the way over here, something he did not have to do," he said. "A man charged does not have to prove a thing. That man did not have to go up there, did not have to testify."
Blagojevich, 54, faces 20 counts, including attempted extortion and conspiracy to commit bribery. The most serious allegation is that he sought to sell or trade President Barack Obama's vacated US Senate seat. He's also accused of trying to shake down executives by threatening state decisions that would hurt their businesses.