George Ryan released from prison, Former IL governor, Patrick Fitzgerald aggressively prosecuted Ryan, Blagojevich arrest and appeal delayed past elections
“Why did the Illinois Senate Health & Human Services Committee, with Obama as chairman, create and push Bill 1332, “Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act,” early in 2003, which reduced the number of members on the Board from 15 to 9, just prior to rigging by Tony Rezko and Rod Blagojevich?”…Citizen Wells
“Why wasn’t Rod Blagojevich, Governor of IL, prosecuted before Tony Rezko, a businessman?”…Citizen Wells
“Why did Colin Powell allow Patrick Fitzgerald to be pulled away from the Blagojevich prosecution?”…Citizen Wells
From UT San Diego January 30, 2013.
“Former Ill. Gov. Ryan to be released from prison”
“George Ryan on Wednesday will become the latest former Illinois governor to go through a prison door. This time, he’s headed out.
Ryan is being released from a federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind., after serving five-plus years for corruption. He’s expected to spend the first few weeks at a halfway house in Chicago and then return to his home in Kankakee, about 60 miles to the south.
Once reacclimated to life on the outside, Ryan will discover an Illinois that has grown less tolerant of the kind of wheeling and dealing that led to the imprisonment of him and his successor, Rod Blagojevich.
“Public trust really started to falter under Ryan, then it imploded and sunk under Blagojevich,” said Cindi Canary, the former head of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.
Historically, Illinois governors haven’t been especially adept at getting a message that there are consequences to violating the public trust. Of the state’s last seven governors, four have ended up going to prison.”
“Jurors convicted Ryan on multiple charges, including racketeering and conspiracy. They agreed that, among other crimes, he had steered state business to insiders as secretary of state and then as governor in exchange for vacations and gifts. He began serving a 6 1/2-year prison sentence in November 2007 and is being released early into a halfway house under a work-release program.”
Read more:
Here is the rest of the story.
Patrick Fitzgerald and the US Justice Department aggressively prosecuted George Ryan.
Patrick Fitzgerald and the US Justice Department, despite the fact that they began wiretaps in late 2003 and had in depth knowledge of corruption in the Rod Blagojevich Administration by 2005 at the latest, delayed the arrest of Blagojevich until after the 2008 election. The production of transcripts required for the Blagojevich appeal were delayed for over half a year by the US Justice Department in 2012, once again delaying the appeal until after the 2012 election.
From Citizen Wells May 27, 2012.
“Fitzgerald aggressively prosecuted Republican ex Governot of Illinois, George Ryan and unjustly went after Scooter Libby and Karl Rove. Fitzgerald waited until after the 2008 elections to arrest Governor Rod Blagojevich despite the fact that he had details of corruption in the Blagojevich Administration at least by late 2003.
Is Patrick Fitzgerald a pawn, an idiot or corrupt?
From an FBI wiretap:
“You know, Axelrod and Obama’s people, you know, clearly turned, you know, got the Chicago media to make Rezko all about me.”
Late 2003.
Earliest documented awareness by FBI and Patrick Fitzgerald of corruption in Blagojevich admin. Pamela Meyer Davis agreed to secretly record conversations involving state health planning board with an FBI wire.
December 31, 2003 NY Times.
“Mr. Fitzgerald announced that he was prosecuting former Gov. George Ryan, a Republican, in a scandal that had been swirling around long before Mr. Fitzgerald got here and that many people thought would never touch the most powerful politicians in Illinois. But there Mr. Fitzgerald was, a week before Christmas, ticking off the details of a 91-page indictment against Mr. Ryan, seemingly from memory.
That, even Mr. Fitzgerald’s former opponents in the courtroom say, is classic Fitzgerald: dogged, dispassionate and endlessly prepared.”
April 8 – May 21, 2004 (Rezko Trial March 12, 2008; 11:11 a.m.)
“FBI Special Agent Daniel Cain, the primary case agent on the investigation into Levine and Rezko, is on the stand now in testimony that is laying the foundation for entering the wiretaps into evidence.
Cain said the investigation, dubbed Operation Board Games by the federal agents, began in December 2003 and was prompted by information gleaned from an informant whom he did not identify. That witness, he said, took part in meetings with two other individuals who were in contact with Levine by phone at his home.
Cain said Levine had three phone lines in his North Shore home. Federal agents recorded conversations on those lines April 8-May 21, 2004. Those dates span the time when Levine, Rezko and others allegedly were working to rig the hospital board vote on a Mercy Health System hospital proposal for Crystal Lake and other kickback schemes prosecutors claim they were engaged in.”
May 9, 2005.
Stuart Levine indicted on corruption charges. Federal subpoena issued to Tony Rezko.
June 15, 2005.
Obama purchased home next door to Rezko for $1.65 million, $300,000 less than the asking price.
June 15, 2005.
Rita Rezko, Tony’s wife purchased plot next door for $625,000 asking price.
October 25, 2005.
The Chicago Tribune reports about a federal grand jury investigation into the alleged political hiring practices of the Blagojevich administration.
January 2006.
Rita Rezko sells the Obamas one-sixth of her lot for $104,500.
August 5, 2006.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Stuart Levine is cooperating with the federal investigation of state government.”
“December 7, 2008.
Criminal complaint of Blagojevich. Nine individuals is important. Obama helped passed a bill to reduce the number from 15 to 9.
“b. Corruption of the Planning Board”
“At the relevant time period, the Planning Board consisted of nine individuals.”
“Planning Board” (IL Health Facilities Planning Board) is mentioned 31 times.
“Rezko” is mentioned 170 times.
“Hospital” in context of Mercy Hospital mentioned 8 times.
December 9, 2008.
Blagojevich arrested
“Fitzgerald said, “We make no allegations” that Obama was aware of any alleged scheming by Blagojevich.”
February 24, 2011.
Counts 1,2,4 in the Blagojevich Indictment are dropped. This represents approx. half of the indictment and includes numerous corruption ties to Blagojevich and Obama.”
“December 7, 2011.
Rod Blagojevich sentenced to 14 years.
”
https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/tag/fitzgerald-arrested-blagojevich-after-2008-election/
Colin Powell, who has continued to endorse Barack Obama, knew that Scooter Libby and Karl Rove were innocent in the Valerie Plame leak. Yet Powell did not share his knowledge with the Bush Administration and thus allowed Patrick Fitzgerald to continue to investigate and prosecute Libby and Rove.
Why did Colin Powell allow Patrick Fitzgerald to be pulled away from the Blagojevich prosecution?
Citizen WElls 