Senate seat only part of case vs. Ill. governor

That charge could be just gravy to prosecutors. But the meat and potatoes are buried deep within a 76-page affidavit tacked onto the charges, and they have a familiar look.

Evidence of misuse of political clout, fixed contracts and illegal campaign fundraising--the basic staples of corruption in Illinois--proved persuasive with the jury at influence peddler Tony Rezko's fraud trial. He was convicted and awaits sentencing.

That same evidence is now coming back to bite Blagojevich. This time around it could be even stronger because Rezko--the political fundraiser who helped to bankroll the campaigns of both Blagojevich and Obama--may take the stand to point the finger at the governor.

Rezko, for example, was on hand while Blagojevich talked to a campaign donor about putting him on the state payroll with the donor's $25,000 check on the table, according to testimony at Rezko's trial.

Blagojevich has been in the national spotlight since his Dec. 9 arrest, with a criminal complaint alleging he was caught on secretly recorded phone calls talking about money or favors he could get in return for his power to appoint someone to Obama's seat. The seat remains vacant, and the Democrat-controlled legislature went home this past week without taking up a bill to have a special election to fill it.

The governor strongly proclaimed his innocence on Friday, telling reporters he is "not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing." He did not take questions.

"I will fight, I will fight, I will fight until I take my last breath," Blagojevich said. "I have done nothing wrong, and I'm not going to quit a job the people hired me to do because of false accusations and political lynch mob."

His attorney, Ed Genson, spent the week shooting down the federal case, claiming the federal wiretaps used to capture his conversations were illegal and dismissing his discussions about the Senate seat as just talk.

"There's no evidence that anyone ever asked anybody for anything with regard to that seat," Genson said as a legislative impeachment panel began considering whether to try to remove Blagojevich from office.