SPRINGFIELD - A month before opening arguments were made in Antoin "Tony" Rezko's federal corruption trial, Gov. Rod Blagojevich's top lawyer issued a memo to the governor's senior aides.

The Feb. 8 directive called on staff members to search their computers, calendars and files for any information relating to Rezko and eight other notable people.

"If you find any documents or information relating to these individuals, you must notify the Office of the General Counsel in accordance with the directions set out below," wrote William Quinlan, the governor's senior legal advisor.

The memo appears to show that the governor's office was attempting to determine the extent of information in its own files about Rezko, whose trial is now nearing its end.

Quinlan didn't respond to requests for information about the memo.

Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff offered no insight on why it was sent and what kind of information may have been gleaned from the files of senior staff members.

"We don't comment on internal legal communications," Ottenhoff said in an e-mail.

But the head of a government watchdog group says the memo represents another link between the governor's office and federal investigators.

"It's another record showing the heat is on at the governor's office," said Jay Stewart, executive director of the Chicago-based Better Government Association, which has sparred with the administration over the release of documents.

The two-page memo contains the names of prominent political insiders who either have since been mentioned during Rezko's trial or have surfaced in connection with the administration.

Chief among those on the list is lobbyist Milan Petrovic, a leading fundraiser for Blagojevich who represents companies such as Motorola and organizations such as the Illinois Hospital Association.

Petrovic has been credited by federal authorities with collecting at least $1.8 million in campaign funds for Blagojevich, which is more money than Rezko raised for the governor.

Petrovic did not return messages left at his Chicago office.

Others on Quinlan's list include indicted adviser and fundraiser Christopher Kelly, campaign strategist David Wilhelm and Republican insiders William Cellini and Robert Kjellander of Springfield.

Amrish Mahajan, a Chicago banker who has raised money for Blagojevich, and Melvyn Weiss, an attorney who recently pleaded guilty of federal kickback charges, also appear on the list.

Rezko's trial is in its final stages, after nine weeks of testimony. The proceedings have directed a spotlight on the governor's administration through allegations that one of Blagojevich's agency directors, Ali Ata, bought his position as head of the Illinois Finance Authority by contributing large sums of money to the governor's campaign fund.

In addition to asking Blagojevich aides to search for Rezko, Petrovic and others, Quinlan's memo also calls for top staffers to search for information regarding major campaign donors to the governor.

"(Y)ou should also search for, produce and preserve any documents and information relating to individuals or entities that have raised or contributed an aggregate amount of $25,000 or more to Friends of Blagojevich since November 1, 2002," the memo notes.

Kurt Erickson can be reached at kurt.erickson@lee.net or 789-0865.