Scott Turow: Even Blago Is Presumed Innocent

Scott Turow looks at Blagojevich's defense and reminds us the worst is yet to come.

What Fitzgerald charged in the complaint is an astonishing and appalling pattern of extortion and bribery involving numerous completed crimes. Blagojevich awarded state contracts and state jobs to giant campaign contributors. The only real defense for Blagojevich is to blame those quid pro quos on his aides and fundraisers and claim he was clueless. And that dog will not hunt. Not only does the government have at least four witnesses who were deep in the scheme who will say that Blagojevich was fully knowledgeable, but the roster of witnesses of is all but certain to grow as Blagojevich intimates caught on the wiretaps make their own deals over time.

Auctioning Obama's Senate seat small potatoes maybe compared to the full case Fitz will make. The Gov will blame and maybe that dog won't hunt but it will be interesting to watch the list of intimates grow.