Former Governor Rod Blagojevich salutes supporters as he leaves the Dirksen Federal Courthouse with his wife Patti Thursday June 17, 2010. Jose More/Chicago News C ooperative
The repetitive questioning of witnesses by Rod Blagojevich’s defense attorneys has started to get under the skin of the man in the black robe.
Judge James Zagel sustained numerous objections from the prosecution Thursday during the cross-examination of Ali Ata. At one point, Zagel told defense lawyer Sam Adam Jr., “It’s a nice argument and feel free to make it in closing arguments, but it’s not a question.â€
After Adam Jr. kept pressing Ata about whether Blagojevich ever told him specifically that he’d be given an administration job in exchange for a contribution, Zagel had enough. He told Adam Jr. that if he didn’t “think the jury understands [his point] by now, you should just give up all hope.â€
Ata concluded the week with testimony about his experience as executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority, and the ways he claimed Tony Rezko tried to leverage his relationship with Ata to procure a $16 million loan for restaurants Rezko owned.
Ata described for the jury the surreptitious way in which Rezko instructed him to communicate over the phone. Rezko, Ata said, suspected the FBI was monitoring his calls at the time. Before federal agents subpoenaed Ata in late 2005, he met with Rezko in person. Rezko, Ata testified, advised him not to cooperate with the feds and said that an impending shake-up in the U.S. Attorney’s office would likely end ongoing investigations.
Ata is scheduled to return to the stand Monday.
Blagojevich leaves courthourse, July 17, 2010 from Chicago News Cooperative on Vimeo.