Progress Illinois

Several Illinois unions are heralding a Dept. of Justice lawsuit that challenges Arizona's discriminatory new immigration law.

Rajinder Bedi, a prominent businessman in Chicago's Indian community and a former state employee under Rod Blagojevich, testified in court yesterday that he met with Rep. Jesse Jackson in October 2008 to discuss both the congressman's interest in the vacant U.S. Senate seat and how much money Bedi would raise for the governor if he was appointed. Jackson has not been charged in the corruption case and has denied knowledge of or involvement in the alleged scheme.

Defense attorneys in the Blagojevich corruption trial accussed Gerry Krozel -- a former vice president at Prairie Material Sales and chairman of the Illinois division of the American Concrete Pavement Association -- of answering inconsistently during his testimony yesterday. Specifically, the witness was questioned about statements he made to federal investigators in 2008 and 2009.

In other news relating to the trial, Judge Zagel denied the defense's latest request for a mistrial.