In their desperation to avoid prosecution, the Blagojevich brothers considered appointing Valerie Jarrett to Obama's Senate seat in exchange for getting Obama to call of the federal investigation.
Robert Blagojevich, the ex-governor's brother, is overheard on a tape suggesting to Rod that they could get the investigation killed by appointing the president's friend, now his senior advisor.
On the stand, Robert Blagojevich said they were naive to think that could work, and apparently never tried.
"He was all over the place," Rob said if his brother's Senate schemes.
The 54-year-old real estate entrepreneur from Nashville said he never suggested to his brother that he try to wrest any personal benefit from the Senate seat, but only things of "political value" that would advance the then-governor's legislative agenda.
His lawer, Michael Ettinger, replayed a recording initially played by prosecutors in which Robert Blagojevich is heard telling the governor "the only brotherly advice I'd give ya ... I wouldn't give anything away." Robert Blagojevich said he was merely talking about getting a good political deal.
He testified that his brother frequently spoke of naming Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to the Senate seat. The idea was to make a deal with her father, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, that would put his legislative program through the House.
Blago Trial: Daily Journal 7/19
