Anyone who wants to live in the much-photographed home of Illinois' infamous former Governor Rod Blagojevich, is in luck. The large, corner lot, Chicago home is for sale.

If the walls of that dwelling could talk, the FBI would probably be listening closely, and recording as well.

While the Blagojevichs look for a buyer, the home, and a condo in Washington DC also owned by Blagojevich, are posted as collateral on a $450,000 bond set by a Federal Judge Friday in Chicago. The bond is meant to keep him coming to court when expected. While some might say Blagojevich can't seem to shut up, he'd better not fail to show up, otherwise he risks losing both properties. "I have no intention of violating the bond," Blagojevich told the judge.

Defense attorney Sheldon Sorosky said neither property has much value over what's due on the mortgages, "About $300,000 each" he said. The DC condo is being rented out.

Blagojevich was found guilty on 17 counts of bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy in connection with trying to sell President Obama's former senate seat.

Blagojevich, who entered the courthouse flanked by his wife Patti, couldn't resist stopping before the cameras before he left. "It's another day in court. Patty and I were here to comply as we always try to do with all the different rules and we signed all the necessary papers to comply with the bond requirements," he said. (read more)

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has nothing to do but wait. For the second time, a jury is deciding his fate.

How it turns out for him depends on whether the 11-women-and-one-man jury is more convinced of his guilt or innocence. Did Blagojevich plot and plan and scheme to get personal gain? The decisions of the jurors, of course, are completely subjective, because there is no smoking gun. There is no white-hot quid-pro-quo.

"Blagojevich got nothing, nothing, nothing" for himself, "Rod didn't get a dime," defense attorney Aaron Goldstein argued during closing arguments Thursday.

"It's not about the success, it about the attempt," prosecutor Carrie Hamilton reminded jurors during her closing.

Rarely is a jury so empowered to use personal feelings and opinions to determine if one of the most famous governors in recent history committed crimes.

"It's all up to interpretation," Goldstein said.

"Not exactly" said prosecutor Reid Schar. "Listen to the tapes (recordings of phone conversations)... That will show you."

Attorneys on both sides seemed pretty convincing, as they performed for the jury, while taking regular sips from giant water bottles. Both sides played bits of phone recordings to help back up their claims.

"They've both made really good points. When the prosecution was talking, I thought he seemed guilty. When the defense was talking, I thought he seemed not guilty," said one courtroom observer. (read more)

The defense team for former Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich says it has been "prepping" Blagojevich to testify next week in his corruption case. Blagojevich defense attorney, Sheldon Sorosky says the defense team is "strongly considering" having Blagojevich take the stand in his own defense next week. But when asked if Blagojevich would in fact testify, Sorosky said, "we don't know. It's still too early."

Another Blagojevich attorney says they plan to call as many as 15 witnesses to testify as part of Blagojevich's defense. The attorney referred to most of the witnesses as "prominent" and said the witnesses would not be able to show up at court on short notice because of their schedules. He declined to say who exactly would take the stand. It's possible the defense could call several government witnesses who testified during the prosecution's case.

Blagojevich is on trial for the second time in less than a year. The prosecution rested on Thursday, after presenting its case in roughly half the time of the first trial. Prosecutors wasted no time focusing on the most talked about charge involved in the case, Blagojevich's alleged attempt to sell Barack Obama's US Senate seat after Obama was elected President. During the first trial the jury was deadlocked on 23 out of 24 counts and only convicted Blagojevich of lying to the FBI.

It was a day of lectures, warnings and slap downs Wednesday as the judge tightened his fist around attorneys in the retrial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The courtroom drama happened after a defense cross examination, during which prosecutors objected, over and over again. Prosecutors then complained to Judge James Zagel that defense questions were improper, and that the jury was writing them down as if they were facts in the corruption case.

The jury was asked to leave the room while Judge Zagel spent several minutes admonishing Blagojevich attorney Sheldon Sorosky about his questioning techniques, calling them "abusive," and saying the questioning must change or he will cut it off.

When Sorosky tried to object, Zagel sternly told him, "I don't want to hear you speak about it, I want to see you do it". "But" Sorosky protested, "if I could just say something," "No!" Zagel firmly responded. "Lawyers make an argument and I make a ruling". Afterwards Zagel reminded the jury that "questions from lawyers are not facts".

That was pretty much how most of the day went, with brief questioning or cross examination of witnesses, followed by several minutes of sidebar "discussion" with the judge and attorneys. (read more)

Shakedowns, bribery and coercion were the focus Monday at the corruption retrial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, as prosecutors moved from claims that Blagojevich tried to sell the open senate seat to his alleged arm-twisting efforts to get campaign cash from organizations that receive funding or do business with the state.

Blagojevich's former chief of staff and close friend John Wyma was back on the stand, after extensive testimony last week. Wyma, who claimed he begrudgingly agreed to cooperate with the Feds in 2008, became a key source for the government in the undercover investigation of alleged shakedowns. "You elected to be a spy with the government against your friend, didn't you?" defense attorney Sheldon Sorosky asked him.

In one of the most lurid of all allegations, Wyma testified that Blagojevich made promises to Children's Memorial Hospital for state funding, while at the same time demanding campaign contributions. Wyma said there were also efforts to coerce contributions from other organizations. "If they don't perform, f*** ‘em!" Wyma claimed Blagojevich said to him. The comments triggered questioning from Sorosky about the term. "What does 'f*** em' mean?" Sorosky mused. Smirks could be heard through the courtroom. (read more)

The retrial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich may lack the energy and excitement that surrounded the first trial last summer, but the prosecution's new strategy is crystal clear. This time around the government is giving a laser-like focus to the most serious of Blagojevich's corruption charges, trying to sell President Obama's Senate seat for his own personal gain.

The infamous wiretap heard around the world was played for the first time Tuesday for the jury. In the recorded phone call from November 5, 2008, Blagojevich says, "I've got this thing and it's f---ing golden and I'm not giving it up for f---ing nothing." By this point, Blagojevich already knew that newly elected President Barack Obama preferred one of his top advisors, Valerie Jarrett, to be named to the vacant US Senate seat. The phone call is only one of many profanity laced conversations Blagojevich had while discussing the senate seat. In court today, Blagojevich could be seen chuckling with embarrassment at times as the phone calls were played. Some of the recordings are poor quality, but jurors follow along with transcripts so they don't miss a single word. (read more)

Federal prosecutors' new strategy in the retrial of impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich could be summed up in three words: keep it simple.

During opening statements Monday, prosecutors relied on a basic power point presentation to help break down the five crimes or so-called criminal shakedowns Blagojevich is accused of committing as governor.

At the very top of the list was the "Senate seat shakedown," referencing Blagojevich's alleged attempt to sell President Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder in exchange for campaign contributions. Prosecutors call it a classic example of pay-to-play politics.

The prosecutor delivering opening remarks told the jury, "The governor of Illinois was shaking people down... He betrayed the people of Illinois... Each of these shakedowns is a crime and that's why we're here today."

Blagojevich defense attorney, Aaron Goldstein, told jurors his client is innocent because "in the end (prosecutors) found nothing, because there is nothing... time after time you will be left with nothing." (read more)

Former Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich believes President Barack Obama can help his legal defense in Blagojevich's fast approaching retrial, scheduled to begin April 20.

The latest court filing in the federal corruption case has Rod Blagojevich's legal team asking the judge to release notes from an interview the FBI conducted with Barack Obama after Blagojevich's arrest in December 2008.

Of the 20 charges Blagojevich faces in his next trial, several are tied to the allegation he tried to sell President Obama's US Senate seat to the highest bidder.

Blagojevich's defense attorneys argue Obama's interview with the FBI on December 18, 2008, is crucial to their trial preparation, specifically for cross-examination of a key government witness, Tom Balanoff, President of SEIU Illinois State Council and SEIU Local 1. (read more)

Two seemingly crucial phone conversations between then Governor Rod Blagojevich and then White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel are "mysteriously missing" from the collection of evidence held by prosecutors, according to Blago's defense team.

The calls were made around December 8, 2008, the day before Blago was arrested by the Feds.

Defense attorneys claim those phone calls would help bolster their case. Blagojevich still faces 23 counts of conspiracy, fraud and other charges at his retrial, after the first jury only agreed to convict him on one count of lying to federal authorities. His retrial, originally scheduled for February, has been pushed back to April of this year. (read more)

It looks like Rahm Emanuel is about to get something Rod Blagojevich could not: A fundraiser with Hollywood hot shots, hosted by Rahm's brother Ari.

If you followed the Blagojevich trial beyond the allegation of attempting to sell the president's vacated Senate seat, you would have learned of other predicate acts including an alleged Chicago-style shakedown.

As the allegation goes, back when Emanuel was an Illinois congressman, he asked for a state grant to improve an experimental school in his district.

Blagojevich allegedly held back the funds in an attempt to squeeze the Hollywood hotshot fundraiser out of Ari Emanuel. Brother Ari is the Co-CEO of WME entertainment, which makes him a high-profile Hollywood agent. In fact, legend has it; he is the inspiration for the foul-mouthed and abusive character Ari Gold in the HBO series ‘entourage.' But it puts him in tight with big money Hollywood types.

Blago never got his fundraiser, didn't get convicted for a shakedown and the school got its grant. (read more)