CHICAGO, June 9 (UPI) -- Rod Blagojevich's chief of staff from 2003 to 2005 said in court he agreed to testify against his former boss in exchange for a lenient sentence.
Alonzo "Lon" Monk told Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Niewoehner he pleaded guilty to conspiring to solicit a bribe for a reduced sentence of two years in prison, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday.
Monk also admitted guilt for more crimes than he's been charged with, saying the government agreed "not to prosecute me for those."
Monk and Blagojevich had met and began a friendship in 1981 at Pepperdine University in California. They kept up the friendship when Monk became a sports agent in Los Angeles and Washington and Blagojevich was a congressman on Chicago's north side, the newspaper said.
Monk testified Blagojevich brought him in to help do fundraising despite not having any experience at it.
Blagojevich's attorney, Sam Adam Jr., in an apparent attempt to discredit the former aide, took shots at Monk saying: "He personifies California. His beautiful tanned skin, his beautiful hair."
He contrasted Blagovich's modest home with Monk's more luxurious residence.
"He (Blagojevich) was chasing rats off his back porch and here this guy (Monk) has peacocks," Adam said.
