Double talk or double billing?

We're not done with the Blagojevich campaign's answer about $722,000 in legal bills to Winston & Strawn.

Here's what Eric Krol from the Daily Herald wrote on May 13 about the Blagojevich administration's hiring of a law firm on the taxpayers' dime.

The state also hired a law firm at $295 an hour to review state hiring practices. Schiff Hardin has given Friends of Blagojevich $13,500 and already is representing the governor when authorities request documents as part of multiple ongoing probes.

Here, once again, is Blagojevich campaign spokeswoman Sheila Nix this week on what the campaign is paying Winston & Strawn for:

Campaign spokeswoman Sheila Nix said the firm's work includes routine election law, handling nuisance lawsuits and reviewing state hiring procedures to make sure they comply with the law.

I guess the Blagojevich campaign can get away with stonewalling about its legal bills as long as the news media allows it. But we're talking about taxpayer money here and someone needs to ask why we have hired a governmental law firm that is doing the exact same thing that the campaign law firm is doing.

That is, if the answers the Blagojevich government and campaign are giving are accurate.

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