Lobbyist says Blagojevich said he liked businessman; wanted $100,000 contribution from him

more images

more images

Lobbyist: Blago liked client, wanted cash from him

CHICAGO — A Washington-based lobbyist who brought a client to meet Rod Blagojevich testified Tuesday that the former governor told him he liked the businessman a lot — and wanted a $100,000 campaign contribution from him within months.

Lobbyist John Wyma, who was once one of Blagojevich’s top advisers, related the story at the ousted governor’s corruption trial. He said he brought Michael Vondra to meet with Blagojevich because Vondra wanted state help in bringing an oil company installation to Illinois. Wyma testified that after the meeting he asked Blagojevich what he thought.

“He said he liked Vondra a lot and wanted to get $100,000 by the end of the year,” Wyma said, adding that the comment referred to a campaign contribution from Vondra. Wyma said he told Blagojevich Vondra had made a contribution only a month earlier and that the amount the governor now wanted was unrealistic.

Wyma was an aide to Blagojevich when he was a member of Congress from a district on Chicago’s North Side. He worked on Blagojevich’s campaign for governor as a fundraiser and took part in the transition team that set up his state administration. He testified under immunity from prosecution for whatever he might say.

Earlier Tuesday, the federal judge presiding over the trial, Judge James Zagel, said that he will delay the trial for one week if prosecutors rest at the end of the day. They have said they might.

As proceedings began last month, it was widely believed prosecutors could take as long as two months to get through their witnesses. But they made faster progress than expected. One of Blagojevich’s attorneys, Sam Adam Sr., said Monday that has made it hard to round up witnesses who had not expected to take the stand in August.

Before jurors entered the courtroom Tuesday, Sam Adam Sr. told the judge that they plan to show “a lack of willful intent” to commit crimes on the part of their client. Adam also says they’ll argue that Blagojevich relied on the advice of advisers and that he took actions based on that advice.

Adam also repeated that Blagojevich will take the witness stand to testify “about his lack of intent.”

Blagojevich, 53, has pleaded not guilty to scheming to trade or sell President Barack Obama’s former Senate seat and plotting to launch a racketeering operation in the governor’s office. His brother, Robert Blagojevich, 54, has pleaded not guilty to taking part in the alleged scheme involving the Senate seat and plotting to pressure businessmen for donations.

Later this week the judge will also have to rule on the admissibility of some wiretap recordings the defense wants to use. But neither jurors nor Blagojevich must be present for those rulings.

As they began winding down their case, prosecutors have played videos of Blagojevich taking the oath of office. Jurors watched clips on a large courtroom screen of the smiling governor taking the oath in 2003 and 2007. He’s seen with his hand placed on a Bible held by his wife, Patti.

Prosecutors were clearly trying to suggest that Blagojevich had violated the oath to “faithfully discharge the duties of the office of governor.”

Blagojevich sat at the defense table, craning his neck to watch the video and smiling weakly.