Did the potty mouth hide in the potty room?
According to witness testimony today, Rod Blagojevich would hide in the bathroom or leave the office early to avoid discussing complex issues.
Deputy Governor Robert Greenlee testified Thursday that former aide John Filan was forced to chase Blagojevich down to discuss pressing state matters. Greenlee also said he was once forced to dine with Blagojevich at a bowling alley in order to get the governor to focus on legislation.
Blagojevich, Greenlee said, was often more focused on the possibility that appointing himself Senator might be the best escape from possible impeachment.
Greenlee described an absentee governor who came to the office, at most, 2 to 8 hours a week. He said it was his observation that as an advisor, you were either "in or out" in Blagojevich's eyes. If you disagreed with him too much, he said, you were "out", and Blagojevich would cut off all contact.
Greenlee gave the example of Budget Director John Filan. "Filan wanted to talk about budgetary pressures that the governor just didn't want to talk about," Greenlee said. He said he once saw Blagojevich hide in the bathroom to avoid talking to Filan.
With Greenlee on the stand, jurors heard an undercover recording of Blagojevich, lamenting the impeachment pressure swirling around him, which he believes is being driven by the Chicago Tribune.
At the time, the Tribune Company was seeking state help for a sale of Wrigley Field.
"Tell them to hold up that f---ing Cubs s--t," Patti Blagojevich is heard screaming in the background. "F--- them! F--- them! What kind of bulls--- is that?"
Blagojevich joins in, and tells Greenlee that it's time for his emissaries to tell Tribune owner Sam Zell to take action against his own editorial board if he expects state help.
"Someone should say, 'Get rid of those people', " Blagojevich says. "Fire the f---ers!"
Ironically, John McCormick, who Blagojevich especially wanted to see removed from the Tribune staff, is sitting in the courtroom.
