CHICAGO (AP) — Former press lord Conrad M. Black’s trial judge questioned more than two dozen potential jurors, pushing hard to wrap up the job quickly and clear the way for opening statements Monday.One man had heard that the 62-year-old British lord accused of swindling the Hollinger International media empire out of $84 million also had written “an acclaimed autobiography” of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“Or is that some other Conrad Black?” the prospective juror wrote in a questionnaire filed with the court. US District Judge Amy J. St. Eve asked if the book would make any difference in how the man would treat Black if he were selected for the jury and he said that it would not.

As on the first day of jury selection Wednesday, a number of possible panel members expressed skepticism about how businessmen make big money and structure their deals to get favorable tax treatment.

One employee of a large Chicago-based corporation said that if businessmen rake in “tens of millions of dollars” he would automatically doubt any claim that nothing illegal had occurred.

“It just sounds weird,” he said.

Black is accused of selling off hundreds of community newspapers owned by Hollinger International Inc. and pocketing payments from the buyers.

Prosecutors say the millions of dollars paid in exchange for promises not to compete with the new owners should have gone to the shareholders.

Black also is accused of dipping into the corporate till to pay for a two-week vacation on the Pacific island of Bora Bora and much of a $62,000 birthday party that he threw for his wife at New York’s La Grenouille. Black has denied any wrongdoing.

Three former Hollinger executives also are on trial, charged with helping the Canadian-born media mogul engineer the alleged fraud scheme.

Cameras clicked when Black, his wife and daughter arrived at the courthouse Thursday morning but the moment was without any fanfare.

It was unlike Wednesday when a frenzied horde of reporters and camera crews became so obsessed with the arrival of the lawyers that they missed Black.

St. Eve was pushing to wrap up jury selection by the day’s end with an eye toward taking the day off Friday.

Assistant US Attorney Jeffrey H. Cramer is to deliver his opening statement in the estimated three-month trial on Monday morning.