Family Comes To Patti Blagojevich's Defense

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Dec 11, 2008 5:50PM

The family of Illinois' First Lady, Patti Blagojevich, has come to her defense in the wake of the charges brought against her husband by federal agents. State Rep./sister Debra Mell, Chicago Alderman (33rd Ward)/ father Dick Mell, and brother Rich Mell sat down with NBC 5 for an interview in which they sought to set the record straight on the woman some media outlets have referred to as "Lady Macbeth." Said sister Deb, "That is not my sister. My sister is a good woman, a good mother, a great friend, my closest friend, that's not my sister, no." Ald. Mell, who's relationship with his daughter has been strained since Mell accused the governor of promising positions in exchange for campaign contributions, said, "This is a pressure cooker that she's living in. And right, wrong, indifferent, whether they put themselves there, I don't know. All I know is what I see...She said, as rough as it is, what happened two years ago when her mother died was harder." The family denied any talk of a federal investigation into Patti's real estate dealings.