Blagojevich Lawyer: Feds' Wiretaps 'Illegally Obtained'

Rod Blagojevich’s lawyer said today federal wiretaps of the Illinois governor’s phones had been “illegally obtained,” and should be excluded from his impeachment proceedings, the AP reports. Furthermore, Ed Genson told the panel of state lawmakers considering the action, the criminal case against Blagojevich shouldn’t be considered at all.

Illinois’ attorney general, meanwhile, denied a request that the state pay for Blagojevich’s impeachment defense, because the proceedings aren’t a court action. One source of cash for the governor, his $3.6 million campaign fund, may soon be frozen by the feds, the Chicago Tribune reports. Genson told reporters later that opponents of Blagojevich “wanted to chop somebody’s head off,” and that the proceedings were “a real witch hunt.” (More Rod Blagojevich stories.)