Day 1 of Blago Trial Wraps Up

The first day of Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial in the Illinois Senate has ended after testimony from only one witness, the Chicago Tribune reports. Former federal prosecutor John Scully described how agents built a criminal case against the governor, approving wiretaps and bugs after a rigorous vetting process. “The seeking of this authority is not typical in most federal cases,” he said.

House prosecutor David Ellis used forceful language in his opening statement, claiming that Blagojevich had “utterly abused the powers” of his office. “The governor has betrayed the public trust," Ellis said. "He has violated his constitutional oath. He is no longer fit to govern." An FBI agent is slated to testify tomorrow about the authenticity of wiretapped recordings of Blagojevich allegedly making a deal with the horse racing industry.
(More Rod Blagojevich stories.)