One can only wonder what Hendon is calling a grand jury today after they subpoenaed records for dozens of state grants doled out to West side job training, after-school and other social service programs, some of which were sponsored by Hendon. more ›

Over the weekend, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate (and state treasurer) Alexi Giannoulias said he was among the many subpoenaed for the trial of ex-governor Rod Blagojevich. But Alexi doesn't expect to have to testify in Blago's case. He told CBS2, "They subpoenaed any and everybody to try and get everyone involved from the president down to the dog catcher, so I think this shouldn't be surprising." Alexi's name came up last week as a connection between union leader Tom Balanoff and Valerie Jarrett. Giannoulias' name came up on the wiretap tapes played at Blago's trial last week but Giannoulias maintains he has done nothing wrong. Still, just the mere mention of his name was enough to rile up the Kirk campaign, who issued a statement saying: "Now we've learned Giannoulias' name has come up on federal wire taps talking about the Illinois Senate seat and he has been subpoenaed in former and disgraced Governor Rod Blagojevich's public corruption trial. This revelation raises additional questions about Alexi Giannoulias that he needs to answer." Giannoulias said he had intended to endorse Jarrett as a replacement for then-President-Elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate. more ›

President Obama, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Harry Reid, and now Rahm Emanuel. It's a who's-who of Democrat Power Elite. It's also the list of people subpoenaed by ex-governor Rod Blagojevich. Blago's lawyer Shelly Sorosky confirmed to the Sun-Times that White House Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel has been subpoenaed as has Senior White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett. more ›

First it was President Obama. Then it was U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. Now Team Blago has subpoenaed U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid's attorney acknowledges the senator received the subpoena but said, "This action does not mean that Senator Reid will testify at trial." more ›

The judge presiding over former governor Rod Blagojevich's trial has ruled against allowing Blago to subpoena President Obama. more ›

Coming off the Obama Subpoena SNAFU - and the emergency meeting with the judge it prompted - you'd think Team Blago would collect itself before moving forward. Nope. The defense today has subpoenaed another heavy hitter of Illinois (and national) politics: U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. The Associated Press reports: "Durbin told reporters he only talked to Blagojevich once about the Senate seat. Durbin says the phone call lasted about 10 to 15 minutes and he suggested 10 to 20 people to consider for the vacancy." Durbin also talked about the chances of embattled Democratic senatorial candidate Alexi Giannoulias, saying he thinks Alexi can still take the seat in spite of all those issues around his family's bank. more ›

Just when you thought the Blagojevich Trial was going to bore us to tears, you get a week like this one. Besides The Rant Heard Round Chicago, another compelling SNAFU occurred when someone didn't properly black out redacted information from the subpoena Team Blago filed in court asking President Obama to testify on Blagojevich's behalf. Instead, someone cracked the code on the motion's PDF version and was able to read portions that had been blacked out. President Obama isn't accused of any wrong-doing in the filing, but those portions suggest that President Obama had more of a hand in selecting the replacement for his vacated Senate seat than he claimed and that he had more dealings with the tainted Tony Rezko than he originally let on. Blago's lawyers say that Obama's testimony would corroborate defense claims that contradict the feds' case: “There are two conflicting stories, and the defense has the right to admit evidence that contradicts the government’s claims. Only President Obama can do this.” more ›

Lawyers for former governor Rod Blagojevich said last winter they hoped to call President Obama to the witness stand to testify at the ex-gov's trial. They made that hope official today as they moved in court today to issue President Obama with a trial subpoena to have him testify. The feds interviewed Obama before he was sworn in to get any information he might have on the alleged attempt to sale his vacated U.S. Senate seat. Natash Korecki reports for the Sun-Times: more ›

A hearing is currently taking place in the case of Anthony McKinney, a man who's been in prison since 1978 for murder that Northwestern's Medill Innocence Project says he didn't commit. While Cook County prosecutors have agreed that McKinney should get a new trial, but have battled the Project to gain access to the students' notes, grades, and other information claiming the work was done by students for good grades and have, thus, questioned the authenticity of the work. The school has fought the subpoena, arguing it has already turned over relevant material pertaining to the case. Medill professor David Protess said, "Prosecutors should be more concerned with the wrongful conviction of Anthony McKinney than with my students' grades." The judge may decide in today's hearing whether or not the Project has to comply with the subpoena. We'll update as we get more information. In the meantime, the Tribune has a nice write-up including more background of the Project and its involvement in the McKinney case. more ›

Todd Stroger is none too pleased about that subpoena leak regarding the investigation of the Cook County finances. Went asked about the subpoena, Stroger said, "I don't talk about subpoenas because I don't know what they want, and I don't like to get in the middle of any investigation." Stroger didn't have a problem with Com. Daley giving other commissioners the memo, but he wasn't happy about commissioners calling the press about the memo: ""Committee members probably should have some confidentiality and not immediately call the press." [Sun-Times] more ›

First there was the low approval rating and then his toughest competition yet. Now, Todd Stroger will feel even more heat as a probe into county finances has grown. Citing a "current grand jury investigation," the Cook County state's attorney's office subpoenaed 2008 financial records from Stroger's office. According to the Sun-Times: more ›

The Chicago Public School system now finds itself under scrutiny from the federal government for alleged shady admissions practices at some of its more elite schools. The CPS has already launched its own internal investigation, but a source told the Tribune that the feds have served the CPS with a grand jury subpoena looking for admission process information. According to the Tribune: more ›

The feds have hit Patti Blagojevich with a subpoena that has many wondering if she'll be joining her husband in receiving a grand jury indictment this spring. Lady Blago reportedly complied with the subpoena, handing over any and all notes relating to over 40 individuals relating things ranging from her husband's fund-raising to her own real estate deals. Speaking to the Sun-Times, her attorney Raymond Pijon said he hopes the feds "consider the 'family structure' as they weigh that decision." more ›

Image by John P. Glynn