Judge Turns Down Blagojevich’s ‘Get Me Out of Here’ Show Request

A federal judge in Chicago has refused a request by the former governor of Illinois to travel to Costa Rica to appear on a reality TV show, suggesting he may not understand the reality of the federal charges against him.

U.S. District Judge James Zagel turned down the request by Rod Blagojevich, who faces federal corruption charges, according to reports in the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. "I don't think this defendant in all honesty ... fully understands the position he finds himself in," Zagel said.

Zagel said it was a bad idea to modify the terms of Blagojevich’s bail to allow him to travel to Costa Rica where the show will be filmed. He said the governor should stay here and review the government evidence against him so he will be better able to understand the jeopardy he is in, according to the Tribune account.

The impeached governor had hoped to star on an NBC survival show, I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here. Sources told the Tribune last week that Blagojevich would have been paid paid a reported $80,000 a week to participate with other celebrities. Today's stories say he could have made up to $123,250 in total.

Before the hearing, Blagojevich told reporters that participating in the show would help him earn a living and support his family. "It's not my first choice, but it's a living," he said.

Updated at 2:25 p.m. to include more recent figure on Blagojevich's potential payday from the show.