CHICAGO - Gov. Rod Blagojevich dismissed questions about a federal corruption probe as "tangential" on Wednesday and said it wasn't relevant to the people of Illinois.

Blagojevich made his comments during a news conference where he tried to keep the attention on mass transit funding and off the federal corruption probe that has moved closer to him.

"They just like controversy and tangents that have no relevance to the quality of life for people," Blagojevich said of reporters who tried to question him about the investigation.

A court document filed by federal prosecutors just before Christmas claims Blagojevich boasted to a key government witness about awarding contracts and other work to boost campaign fundraising.

The document was filed in the criminal case of Antoin "Tony" Rezko, one Blagojevich's top fundraisers, who is scheduled to go on trial in February. Rezko is charged in a fraud scheme that included shaking down companies that wanted state business.

Blagojevich isn't named in the document, which refers to "Public Official A." Attorneys who have asked not to be quoted by name due to grand jury secrecy have said Blagojevich was Public Official A.

The governor hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing, and a spokeswoman has dismissed the suggestion that he is Public Official A based on description in the filing.

When asked Wednesday why his office contends he is not Public Official A, Blagojevich parroted a response his administration has issued before, saying that the conversation cited in the document didn't happen.

"No such conversations like that ever took place," Blagojevich said.

After that, the governor left.

When asked later whether Blagojevich would answer further questions about the allegations in the court filing, his spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said: "We always try to entertain questions within reason."

Associated Press Legal Affairs Writer Mike Robinson contributed to this report.