Blagojevich's Brother Gets Off

Prosecutors have dropped all charges against Robert Blagojevich, brother of Rod Blagojevich. An assistant US attorney said the feds were giving up on Robert, who had been charged with two counts of extortion conspiracy and one count of wire fraud and extortion, because of the “disparity in the roles” between the brothers in the ex-governor’s alleged schemes, according to the Chicago Tribune. He added that dropping the charges was “in the interest of justice.”

Blagojevich wasn’t in court for the unexpected announcement. He got the news later from his lawyer. “You’re done,” the lawyer told him. “They just did it. Done. You’re free.” The lawyer said Blagojevich would return home to Tennessee. “This may save his house.” He added that the trial had strained the relationship between the brothers. “Robert and Rod need to patch things up,” he said. “But Robert loves him.” (More Robert Blagojevich stories.)