The defense team for former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich announced Wednesday that it was resting its case without calling any witnesses.
Chief among the witnesses expected to testify for the defense was Blago himself. Of course, the governor is under no legal obligation to take the stand in his defense, but for some reason, some folks were under the vague impression that he might do that.
What might have given them that idea? Well, maybe it was the fact that Blagojevich promised he would testify, over and over again, starting just days after his arrest in 2008 and continuing through June of this year.
HuffPost Chicago has collected eight documented cases of the governor saying he would take the stand, including video and audio of those promises. In one case, he gets a particularly prescient question from a caller on a WLS radio show, asking, "Are we going to hear at the last minute, as we hear in many criminal cases, that, 'The government's case is not strong and therefore there's no need for Rod Blagojevich to testify.' Are we going to hear that? Or are you going to testify, Rod?"
His answer: "I'm testifying Sam. And I can't wait to testify."
See for yourself:
