2 Blagojevich lawyers off the case

CHICAGO, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- A judge has allowed a father-and-son team of lawyers to leave former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's legal team.

U.S. District Judge James Zagel said Friday Sam Adams Sr. and his son, Sam Jr., do not have to represent Blagojevich at his next trial, the Chicago Tribune reported. Blagojevich is to be retried in January on 23 counts on which jurors who convicted him of lying to the FBI were unable to reach a verdict.

Blagojevich will have a much smaller legal team. The campaign fund that paid for his representation at his first trial is exhausted, and his legal expenses are being paid by the government. He is limited to two lawyers, down from 14.

Also Friday, developer Tony Rezko pleaded guilty to fraud. His lawyer called him "ready and willing" to testify if called as a witness in Blagojevich's retrial.

Joseph Duffy said Rezko would be a "formidable witness."

Valerie Jarrett, a top adviser to President Barack Obama, was spotted walking into the federal building, WFLD-TV, Chicago, reported. The White House said Jarrett had a lunch date with her daughter but insiders suggested she might be meeting with the FBI, the TV station said.