Use of Illinois Ex-Governor’s Picture Prompts Lawsuit

The wife of imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has filed a lawsuit against a Chicago radio station for using her husband’s image in an advertising campaign.

Crain’s Chicago Business (http://bit.ly/TOWdSI) reports Patti Blagojevich is seeking $30,000 from Merlin Media LLC for advertising that features Rod Blagojevich’s picture on billboards promoting Chicago’s WIQI-FM.

The lawsuit contends Merlin “believed that the advertisements featuring Mr. Blagojevich would be fun and get people’s attention.” The advertising, which ran in May, was also on Chicago Transit Authority buses and trains.

Cincinnati-based Merlin Media has declined to talk about the lawsuit. 

In March, Blagojevich began serving a 14-year-old sentence for corruption, including charges he sought to sell or trade President Barack Obama’s old U.S. Senate seat for campaign cash or a job.