Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's attorneys filed a motion overnight to bar any FBI wiretap recordings from being played during the April 20 retrial.
His attorneys say the hundreds of recordings at the core of the government's case, including Blagojevich's now-infamous "(bleeping) golden" comment, lack context and include gaps that could mislead jurors.
Earlier this month, Blagojevich's lawyers filed a motion asking the government to produce a missing undercover tape that they say can prove his innocence.
The former governor’s lawyers said the tape documents a conversation between Rahm Emanuel and John Harris, who was Blagojevich’s chief of staff. The motion said the purported missing call, if it exists, would prove that Blagojevich had no intention of selling Barack Obama’s vacant senate seat.
The lawyers also have asked Judge James Zagel to make convicted fundraiser Tony Rezko and convicted influence peddler Stuart Levine available for questioning.
The Blagojevich defense contends both could be called as witnesses and they need to determine what exactly they would say.
