ILLINOIS (UPDATE) COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1958178,CST-NWS-blago25.article

to new spot

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December 25, 2009

NATASHA KORECKI Federal Courts Reporter

A trove of evidence in the case of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will be moved to a new location after hardware was stolen from his lawyer's office several weeks ago.

"We will be moving it -- to where, we don't know yet, but we'll be moving it," said Sam Adam Jr., one of Blagojevich's lawyers.

Computers, documents and hundreds of hours of recorded conversations in the case are stored in Adam's South Side office, which was the site of a late-night break-in earlier this month.

Eight to 10 computers and a safe were swiped from the office.

Two of the laptops were recovered, and Adam said he determined that nothing sensitive was on them. The most sensitive materials -- recordings and transcripts not yet made public -- were stored on a server that was left untouched.

Adam said he has since reinforced his office with steel doors and window bars.

"I'll tell you this, my office is now like Fort Knox," he said.

Lawyers had to ask U.S. District Judge James Zagel if they could dip into a court-controlled campaign fund to pay the costs of renting new office space, sources said.