Blago To Make Plea For TV Show

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Oct 19, 2009 2:00PM

He just won't go away. And even though he's already started filming on the show, former governor Rod Blagojevich still doesn't know if he'll be allowed on the reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice. Because when you think "celebrity," you think "Blagojevich." Prosecutors allege that the show will interfere with the federal case against him by tainting the potential pool of jurors. According to reports, concerns are over when the show actually airs: it begins airing in March, just a few months before Blago's trial kicks off in June.

Meanwhile, the Sun-Times continued its investigation into clout within the Blagojevich administration. Today, the series looks at hires made based on recommendations by club owner Perry Mandera, president of a company that owns VIP's A Gentlemen's Club, a strip club. Another name connected to the Blago clout database was Anne Spilotro, recommended by Sen. James DeLeo (D-Chicago), one of 146 recommendations made by DeLeo. Anne's husband, Michael Spilotro, and her brother-in-law, Anthony, were mob associates who were killed and had their bodies dumped in an Indiana cornfield, murders recreated in the Scorsese movie Casino. The murders also played a big role in the recent Family Secrets trial.