Emanuel testifies for 3 minutes

CHICAGO, May 25 (UPI) -- Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel made a cameo appearance Wednesday as a defense witness at former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial.

In three minutes on the stand, Emanuel confirmed he is the newly installed mayor and denied he made a deal when he was Congress to exchange a Blagojevich fundraiser run by his brother for a new school in his district, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Blagojevich is charged with selling political favors. The most notorious allegation is that he tried to sell the Senate seat formerly held by President Obama.

Emanuel denied being asked to create a non-profit group for Blagojevich in exchange for the appointment of Valerie Jarrett to the seat. Jarrett, a Chicago lawyer and now a White House adviser, was believed to be Obama's choice as his successor.

Before Emanuel testified, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, D-Ill., appeared for five minutes. Jackson said he campaigned hard to be named to Obama's Senate seat and said Blagojevich did not offer him the seat in exchange for $1.5 million in political contributions.

"I never directed anyone to raise money for another politician in my life," Jackson said.

Jackson, the namesake son of the civil rights leader and a veteran congressman, said his relationship with Blagojevich was "frosty at best" after Jackson refused to endorse Balgojevich in the 2002 gubernatorial primary.