Everyone realizes that Big Jim Thompson’s letter to the Chicago Tribune defending Rod and Patti Blagojevich was just a service to his client. His argument that it wasn’t a legitimate story that the FBI is probing Patti Blagojevich’s real estate commissions from state contractors and contributors is absurd and he probably knows it.

Back when he was governor, his own wife sought to avoid mixing her legal work with her husband’s job as governor. This is from a March 4, 1987 story in the Tribune titled, “Family First: Jayne Thompson’s sticking to her diet, helping with homework and working part-time to make ends meet (link not available).”

She no longer practices law because “I`m somewhat of a liability to some law firms. It precludes them from getting the kinds of state business they think they are entitled to and probably are.“

Sensitive to conflict-of-interest charges, she tries to avoid any hint of impropriety as wife of the highest official in the state.

Not exactly the ethical standard that Patti Blagojevich is abiding by these days.

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