Criminal Justice
Blagojevich’s Reality Show Dream Needs Federal Judge’s OK
Posted Apr 15, 2009, 06:31 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Anyone who thinks Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich plans to hole up with his lawyers to plan his defense on federal corruption charges should think again.
Instead the impeached governor has plans to star on an NBC reality show, I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here, the Chicago Tribune reports. First, though, he needs a federal judge’s approval to travel to Costa Rica, where the show will be filmed.
Blagojevich would make $80,000 a week participating in the survival show with nine other celebrities, sources told the Tribune. The first episode is scheduled for June 1. The show will run four nights a week for nearly a month, Reuters reports.
The cash could come in handy for Blagojevich, who pleaded not guilty yesterday to racketeering and fraud charges, the Wall Street Journal reports (sub. req.). Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of some $2.7 million in Blagojevich’s campaign fund.
Blagojevich lawyer Sheldon Sorosky said that even if Blagojevich is allowed to pay legal fees from the fund, it isn’t enough to build a strong legal team.
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