It makes for a funny moment in the courtroom as Robert admits to getting suckered into paying $300 for a book/CD set about how to begin a business.

"He got me for the $300," Robert says to laughter.

Robert was working as CEO of a Tampa bank at the time, but decided to start buying apartment complexes for a career change. He now runs business out of Nashville, he said.

Rod is watching his brother without expression, his left elbow leaning on the defense table.

The testimony moves on to Robert's participation in his brother's campaign. Robert testifies that he came to Chicago in the summer of 2006 at Rod's request, and was in town through November, on and off, to help with his campaign.

"I thought it would be the right thing to do as his brother to come up and help him," Robert said.

During that time, Robert canvassed neighborhoods, put up signs, did robo-calling and fund-raised for Friends of Blagojevich, he said.

Ettinger asks who was running the campaign at that point; Robert says it was Lon Monk.
Ettinger asks how he had met Monk.

It must have been at Rod's wedding -- "whenever that was," Robert says sharply.