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CHICAGO – Defense attorneys at the immorality retrial of ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich sought to deform the quality of a key polity attestator Wednesday, portraying him as a favored flush banter who betrayed his older friend's trust.

Blagojevich's accumulation edifice buddy-turned-top aide, Lon Monk, was on the stand for a ordinal period after informing jurors that he and Blagojevich allegedly proven to stir downbound executives for crusade cash.

Sometimes upbringing his vocalise during cross-examination, defense attorney Sheldon Sorosky mentioned Monk's upbringing in Calif. as a doctor's son and contrasted it with Blagojevich's immatureness as the son of a Slav immigrant works worker.

"Is it clean to say, you were the flush banter form Calif. and (Blagojevich) was the slummy banter from the north lateral of Chicago?" Sorosky asked. The judge ruled the discourse impermissible before Monk could answer.

In asking the question, Sorosky seemed to essay to draw sympathy for Blagojevich from the 18 jurors and alternates, who allow at small digit mortal who erst worked in a poise factory.

Prosecutors are in the homestretch of their case, saying they hit less than half a dozen witnesses mitt to call. That effectuation they're probable to call less than 20 witnesses in all; they called whatever 30 at the prototypal trial, which ended with a hung jury.

Blagojevich, 54, faces 20 charges at the retrial, including that he proven to delude or change President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat for crusade change or a high-profile job, and that he attempted to stir downbound businesses for crusade donations. Jurors at his prototypal effort terminal year deadlocked on every but digit charge, convicting him of misrepresentaation to the FBI. He has denied some wrongdoing.

When Sorosky alluded to Monk's cooperation with federal authorities, Blagojevich's past chief of staff appeared calm. At the prototypal trial, which ended with a hung jury, he sometimes became flustered.

"He hired you because he trusty you and you were his friend?" Sorosky said, over prosecutors' objections. When Sorosky asked again, "He trusty you, did he not?" — Monk replied, "Yeah, he trusty me."

Monk pleaded blameable in 2009 to trying to tweet a raceway owner for a $100,000 crusade contribution, which is also among the allegations against Blagojevich. Monk is expected to intend a low declare for his testimony

Sorosky also pressed Monk most his admission that he illegally acknowledged around $70,000 in change — commonly hundred-dollar bills stuffed in an envelope — over digit year from Blagojevich fundraiser Tony Rezko.

Wanting to establish that Blagojevich did not receive money himself, Sorosky asked, "Why didn't you verify (Blagojevich) — Rezko's presented me $10,000 regularly — are you getting your end?" The judge said Monk didn't hit to answer.

Monk testified Tuesday that Blagojevich and an inner lot plotted to profit from state decisions from the outset of the governor's prototypal term. The plan, Monk said, was to split ill-gotten gains after Blagojevich mitt office.

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