Illinois Republican Party

Giannoulias Contradicts Himself on Phone Call to Blagojevich Chief of Staff, Refuses to Say Whether Other Calls Were Made
6/25/2010

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady called on Alexi Giannoulias to explain why he is changing his story with regard to contacts between himself and Rod Blagojevich’s staff before the ex-governor’s arrest in 2008.

On December 4, 2008, Alexi Giannoulias told the Chicago Tribune that Rod Blagojevich’s staff “reached out” to him about the Senate seat.

“Giannoulias also said that staff within Blagojevich’s office have ‘reached out’ to him as a possible candidate to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate,” the Tribune reported.

This week, after the U.S. Attorney released a federal wiretap in which former Blagojevich Chief of Staff John Harris tells the ex-governor that Alexi called him, the Giannoulias campaign reversed its previous claim and admitted that Alexi called Harris to urge the appointment of Valerie Jarrett to fill Illinois’ U.S. Senate seat.

However, as Crain’s Chicago Business reported this morning, Giannoulias refuses to directly answer whether any other calls were made by him, his staff or his family to Blagojevich, Harris or others in the Blagojevich administration.

“Why did Alexi Giannoulias hide his phone call to John Harris from the public and why won’t he tell voters if he made other calls?” Chairman Brady said. “Alexi led us to believe the Blagojevich team was seeking him out when in fact he was seeking them out. Alexi is running for the very same Senate seat that was put for sale – he must come clean and document the timeline of events.”

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