Among the first questions Judge James Zagel asked them Thursday were whether they had read much about the case and whether they could set aside any preconceived notions about Blagojevich.
The former governor is accused of scheming to profit from his power to fill President Barack Obama's former Senate seat. He denies any wrongdoing.
One potential juror said she had seen the former governor's wife, Patti Blagojevich, on a reality TV show eating a bug.
Jurors were referred to in the courtroom by numbers only. Zagel plans to keep the jury anonymous until after the trial and denied a request by news organizations to reverse that.
