BLAGO TRIAL SET TO GET VERY INTERESTING THIS WEEK

The corruption trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich started off slow but it gained significant momentum this past week with the testimony of former Blagojevich Chief of Staff, John Harris. Harris can be heard consulting with Blago on numerous tapes of phone conversations between the two after the 2008 election, strategizing about how to deal with Obama's request that Valerie Jarrett be appointed to Obama's soon-to-be vacated Senate seat. During Harris' testimony, he said that he had no doubt Obama knew that Blago wanted something in return for the appointment.

Phone calls between Harris and Blagojevich appear to back that up - a time when both were being honest with each other. Tom Balanoff, an official with SEIU at the time, spoke with Blagojevich according to the phone conversations as well. In one of the conversations, recorded on November 5th, 2008, Blago discusses his meeting with Balanoff about what he wants in exchange for appointing Valerie Jarrett to the seat - the HHS Secretary gig. Balanoff is also expected to testify in the trial.

While Harris is expected to take the stand on June 28th for a fifth day, another interesting development is percolating. It involves current Democratic candidate for that Senate seat in November - Alexi Giannoulias. Giannoulias is finding himself in a tough spot as a result of another phone conversation played for the jury this past week. It too was between Blago and Harris. In it, Harris can be heard telling Blago that "Alexi" called him, wanting to talk about the Senate seat, presumably to help push for Jarrett. Blago tells Harris not to engage Giannoulias.

This is particularly curious because Giannoulias has maintained that it was Blagojevich's team that reached out to him during the period in question. For a year and a half, he has withheld any information about this phone call.

Now we learn that Mr. Giannoulias has been subpoenaed to testify. Via the AP:

CHICAGO — U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias said Sunday that he has been subpoenaed to testify at the corruption trial of ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The first-term Illinois treasurer, a Democrat who's locked in a contentious race for President Barack Obama's old Senate seat with Republican Congressman Mark Kirk, told The Associated Press that he was subpoenaed by Blagojevich's defense team.

Giannoulias' name was mentioned briefly last week during Blagojevich's trial. Former Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris was heard on federal wiretaps mentioning that Giannoulias had called about Obama's old seat on behalf of someone else.

Interestingly, the Chicago Tribune reported back in December, 2008 that Giannoulias claimed that it was Blagojevich's team that reached out to him.

Giannoulias also said that staff within Blagojevich's office have "reached out" to him as a possible candidate to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate, though a Blagojevich spokesman said the governor has not contacted Giannoulias directly.

Perhaps this contradiction between what Giannoulias said in 2008 juxtaposed with what was revealed on the tape of the phone conversation has a little something to do with his being subpoenaed? As you'll hear in the tape, not only was it Giannoulias that reached out to Harris but Blago tells Harris not to speak to Giannoulias.

Yep, this is going to be interesting, regardless of the Mainstream media's refusal to cover it.

h/t to Blago Files