Chicago police are investigating a burglary at the law offices of the attorneys of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and are trying to recover computers containing evidence in the ongoing corruption case.
The break-in occured during the course of the last evening at the law offices of Sam Adam and his son, Sam Adam Jr., in the 6100 block of South Ellis Avenue.
Police confirmed the break-in during a press conference today, saying that eight computers and a safe were taken. Police would not confirm that evidence in the Blagojevich trial was on the computers or in the safe.
"The contents of the computers we have no knowledge of, nor do we care about," said Steve Patterson, Deputy Supt. Bureau of Investigative Services. Police are currently on the scene investigating.
"Regarding the contents, that would be attorney-client priveledge information," Patterson said. "All we want to work on the case is if, in fact, they were targeted because of who they are, and the property that was taken, that opens up the investigation down that avenue."
Sam Adam Jr. confirmed the burglary but said any evidence that may have been stolen was backed up on other computers in his offices.
"I can tell you this," Adam Jr. said. "We have all of the tapes themselves, and certainly and especially everything the governor has given us, and backed up onto a server in which we still have all of the material. We're trying to determine if one computer may or may not have had something on it. I don't think it did."
There was an alarm, but the burglars escaped.
The U.S. attorney's office has declined to comment.
