“Devil’s Advocate” Joins Blagojevich Defense Team

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Embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will retain Edward Genson, of Chicago’s Genson & Gillespie today, according to news sources.

Genson is best known for defending former Hollinger CEO Conrad Black on fraud charges, and R&B star R. Kelly on child pornography charges.  He also represented Chicago businessman Lawrence Warner, a codefendant of former Illinois Governor George Ryan, Sr., during their 2006 corruption trial.

Genson was famously referred to as “The Devil’s Advocate” by Chicago Magazine.

  

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Genson suffers from a neuromuscular condition called dystonia, which requires the litigator to ride a scooter to court and use a cane.

“If I’m trying the case, it’s going to be a fight,” Genson told reporters Monday morning. He said he needed to run a conflicts check, but expected to be formally retained by the governor shortly. “I think the case that I’ve seen so far is significantly exaggerated. It’s not what people think it is.”