CHICAGO | An IRS agent says Rod and Patti Blagojevich shelled out more than $400,000 to his tailor and at upscale clothing stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.
Agent Shari Schindler testified Thursday that about half the amount went into tailored suits along with custom-made shirts, shoes and ties.
She said the two were awash in debt that deepened when they started dipping into a home line of credit in the months before his December 2008 arrest, and that they sometimes used credit cards to pay credit card bills.
The debts could be a factor in Blagojevich's alleged efforts to parlay his ability to fill President Barack Obama's former Senate seat into a high-paying job. Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to scheming to trade or sell the appointment to the seat.
