Chicago Sun-Times: Feds to freeze Blago campaign fund

Governor Rod Blagojevich's attorney, Ed Genson, made a flamboyant appearance in front the House impeachment panel in Springfield.

I'm sure he responded well, flamboyantly, when he heard this news that the Chicago Sun-Times exclusively tonight.

Genson, like anyone else who works for a living, enjoys getting paid. It's believed that the Chicago Democrat parted ways with high-powered law firm Winston & Strawn, which represented his predecessor, George Ryan, over money. Or lack of it.

Federal authorities plan to freeze Gov. Blagojevich’s campaign fund, crippling the governor’s ability to use the money for his legal bills.

In a letter this week, they put the Blagojevich camp on notice they intend to freeze the money, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.

That disclosure comes a week after the governor was hit with federal charges including scheming to sell the U.S. Senate seat given up by President-elect Barack Obama.

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The "Friends of Blagojevich" fund hasn't been frozen yet, but sources said the letter alone will have a crippling effect on the governor's ability to move money out of the fund because of the possibility that prosecutors would later seize the money.

While he was still governor, federal authorities froze Ryan's campaign fund. The Kankakee Republican, who is now imprisoned in Terre Haute, Indiana, was not indicted until after he left office.

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