Blagojevich trial closing arguments, Trial fixed, Verdict US Justice Department corrupt
Closing arguments in the Blagojevich trial will begin, and, according to Judge James Zagel, end today, Monday, July 26, 2010. Of course the verdict is already in. The fix was in years ago. I am convinced that Blagojevich, Obama and Rezko made a deal some time ago. The arrest of Blagojevich was conveniently delayed until after the 2008 election. The conclusion of the trial has conveniently been hurried to end months before the 2010 election. The trial continues to be misportrayed as mostly about selling the senate seat when, in fact, Blagojevich, as indicated in the legal documents, was involved in corruption going back to at least 2002. No witnesses such as Tony Rezko or Stuart Levine were called, no witnesses who would reveal the depth of corruption that Blagojevich and, yes, Obama, were involved in.
Anita Moncrief ACORN voter fraud, ACORN background, NY Times, Obama ACORN ties
Many of you have seen the following video. Below the video are just some of the articles presented here over the past year or so about ACORN voter fraud.
October 12, 2009
Vote Fraud Criminal Darnell Nash Should Be ACORN’s Poster Boy
Anita Moncrief FEC charges against Obama administration, ACORN whistleblower, Video
“ACORN whistle-blower Anita Moncrief held a press conference today at the Right Online Convention in Las Vegas. She announced today that she will press FEC charges against the Obama Administration for the campaign’s illegal work with ACORN during the 2008 election.”
Judge Susan Bolton may enjoin Arizona Law in part, SB 1070, Section by section
From The Phoenix New Times July 23, 2010.
“In a day filled with protests, arrests, legal arguments, an appearance by the governor, and at least one certified neo-Nazi, the most significant developments in the SB 1070 saga happened within the Sandra Day O’Connor U.S. Courthouse in Phoenix, not without.
There, Judge Susan R. Bolton oversaw two hearings Thursday where the plaintiffs sought to have her enjoin SB 1070, Arizona’s new “papers, please” legislation. But Bolton, without indicating when she would make a decision, signaled that if she enjoins SB 1070, she will do so in part, perhaps gutting significant portions of the law while leaving the remainder ready to go into effect July 29.
Whatever her decision, legal experts anticipate that her ruling will be appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which would likely put the law on hold.
Although lawyers for the ACLU, MALDEF, and finally the U.S. Department of Justice argued in separate hearings that the law must be taken as a whole, Bolton kept directing them to the specifics of certain provisions.
“You’re not asking me to do that?” Bolton asked ACLU attorney Omar Jadwat at one point in the morning hearing on the ACLU/MALDEF suit about his request that she enjoin 1070 in its entirety.
“Shouldn’t we be talking about it section by section?” she continued. “And talk about what you want me to enjoin?”
She cited the severability clause in the statute, which would allow her to partially enjoin, while leaving the rest of the statute in force.
Jadwat contended that the law’s stated intent, to make “attrition through enforcement” the policy of Arizona, indicated that all parts of SB 1070 were meant to work together toward this goal.
However, Bolton declared that, “I cannot enjoin the [law’s] intent.””
“”Why can’t Arizona be as inhospitable as they wish to [illegal immigrants]?” wondered Bolton at one point.”
“Playing devil’s advocate, Bolton observed that not a day goes by without the news reporting on a drop house being busted by authorities. Didn’t Arizona have a legitimate concern with “public safety” and the “dangerous situation” that harboring illegal aliens causes?”
“Bolton does not have to issue a decision on an injunction before July 29, the date 1070 is scheduled to go into effect, but most observers believed she will.
It’s worth remembering that an injunction would not overturn the law, just place all or part of it on hold until the various lawsuits play themselves out. The question remaining seems to be how much of the law Bolton will allow to go into effect come the 29th.”
Blagojevich trial, Justice Dept, Obama eligibility, World turned upside down
We truly do live in a “World Turned Upside Down.”
The ballad “The world turned upside down” was first published in 1643.
In 1649 after King Charles the First was beheaded, people declared “the world turned upside down.”
It is believed that the British played this tune when they surrendered at Yorktown.
From American Thinker.
“We truly do live in a world upside-down — whether we see it in the world of science, on the airwaves of Britain, or in the streets of America. An inversion has occurred: Ideology takes precedence over facts and lies trump truth. Even religion has undergone a radical change — and Phillips takes a brief foray into the world of “exotic” religions that seem to be proliferating at a rapid clip. But this points out the fundamental cause, as Ms. Phillips sees it, of why the world flipped around.
Judeo-Christian religions, based on the core values of Judaism, have been downgraded in our lives. The precepts that other generations have lived by have been cast aside, or perhaps cast onto the junk heap. These values are what provided a foundation for the scientific method and of rationality. Now they are disparaged by many (church attendance is almost non-existent in England). When that foundation was removed, what moved into the moral vacuum? Feelings and ideology, with a big slug of irrationality.
Paul Johnson, the English historian, wrote a fine epitaph of the final years of the 20th century that also served as a prophecy for how the 21st century would devolve:
One of the keys to understanding the twentieth century is to identify the beneficiaries of the decline in formal religion. The religious impulse — with all the excesses of zealotry and intolerance it can produce — remains powerful, but expresses itself in secular substitutes.
These are the zealots who control much of our world now and who are driving us down very perilous roads. These are the zealots that Melanie Phillips has done a superb job identifying and battling in her superb new book.”
Kerchner v Obama and Congress, Update, July 22, 2010
Just in from Charles Kerchner, lead plaintiff in Kerchner v Obama and Congress.
“For Immediate Release – 22 July 2010
Attorney Mario Apuzzo’s Legal ‘Response’ to the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal Order is Successful.
The U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals Finds Attorney Apuzzo Not Liable for Obama’s/Congress’ Damages and Costs Incurred by Them in Defending the Kerchner Appeal | by Attorney Mario Apuzzo
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals Finds Attorney Apuzzo Not Liable for Obama’s/Congress’ Damages and Costs Incurred by Them in Defending the Kerchner Appeal
On July 2, 2010, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision affirming the New Jersey Federal District Court’s dismissal of the Kerchner et al v. Obama/Congress et al case for lack of Article III standing. The Court ordered that I show cause in 14 days why the Court should not find me liable for just damages and costs suffered by the defendants, not in having to defend against the merits of plaintiffs’ underlying claims that Putative President Obama is not an Article II “natural born Citizen,” that he has yet to conclusively prove that he was born in Hawaii, that Congress failed to exercise its constitutional duty to properly vet and investigate Obama’s “natural born Citizen” status, and that former Vice President and President of the Senate, Dick Cheney, and current Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, were complicit in that Congressional failure, but rather in having to defendant against what the court considers to be a frivolous appeal of the District Court’s dismissal of their claims on the ground of Article III standing. On Monday, July 19, 2010, I filed my response. This afternoon, on July 22, 2010, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision on whether it should impose the damages and costs upon me. The Court has decided not to impose any damages and costs upon me and has discharged its order to show cause. This means that the matter of damages and costs is closed. Here is the Court’s decision:
“ORDER (SLOVITER, BARRY and HARDIMAN, Circuit Judges) On July 2, 2010, this Court filed an Order to Show Cause directing Appellants’ counsel to show cause in writing why he should not be subject to an Order pursuant to F.R.A.P. 38 for pursuing a frivolous appeal. In response, Mario Apuzzo filed a 95-page statement that contains, inter alia, numerous statements directed to the merits of this Court’s opinion, which the Court finds unpersuasive. His request that the Court reconsider its opinion is denied, as the appropriate procedure for that issue is through a Petition for Rehearing. However, based on Mr. Apuzzo’s explanation of his efforts to research the applicable law on standing, we hereby discharge the Order to Show Cause, filed. Sloviter, Authoring Judge. (PDB).”
I want to thank everyone who supported and encouraged me in this battle. This includes everyone who expressed their feelings on this matter through blog posts, articles, and comments, and emails.
Blagojevich trial, Judge James Zagel to rule on Thursday on throwing out some charges
From the Chicago Tribune July 21, 2010.
“The presiding judge in Rod Blagojevich’s corruption trial is considering whether to throw out some or all of the charges against the former Illinois governor or his co-defendant brother.
Speaking hours after prosecutors and defense attorneys both rested their cases Wednesday, Judge James B. Zagel told attorneys he’d rule on Thursday.”
Blagojevich trial, US Justice Department corruption, Protecting Obama, Part 5
“The last thing Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich needed was that letter written by convicted Illinois influence peddler Tony Rezko promising he’d never rat out his pals.”…John Kass, Chicago tribune
“Federal authorities have obtained an arrest warrant for Rezko, who is believed to be traveling abroad.”..Rezko indictment press release
“That was when U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve learned he had received a $3.5 million wire transfer from a business associate abroad.”…Rezko trial transcripts
Blagojevich trial
Protecting Obama
Part 5
Where is Tony Rezko?
What unholy alliance prevented Tony Rezko from being called as a prosecution witness? Was it a pact between Rezko, Blagojevich and Obama? Is the US Justice Department complicit in a coverup? Was there pressure from entities in the Middle East? Perhaps a combination of those forces. In Blagojevich’s own words.
Citizen Wells August 28, 2008
“As his sentencing nears, pressure is mounting on Tony Rezko to cooperate with federal investigations into some of the highest-profile politicians in the state — including Gov. Blagojevich.”
“Now, sources tell the Chicago Sun-Times that Rezko has been seen at the federal courthouse as many as a dozen times since his June conviction. He’s been held since then at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown Chicago.”
“If Rezko’s cooperating, that would be a major development in “Operation Board Games,” the government’s ongoing probe into state boards that’s widened into a broader corruption probe.”
From the Chicago SunTimes October 9, 2008
“A federal judge this morning officially postponed the sentencing of political fund-raiser Tony Rezko as he continues his discussions with the government.
U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve indefinitely delayed Rezko’s Oct. 28 sentencing date and told the parties to meet again for a status in the case in December.
The sentencing, originally scheduled for Oct. 28, just before the election, was likely to bring unfavorable publicity to Rezko’s onetime friend Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Prosecutors and Rezko lawyers said this morning they did not want to set a future date for sentencing.
Rezko lawyer William Ziegelmueller said they sought the delay to “work together to agree to otherwise narrow differences at sentencing.”
The agreement comes as Rezko is talking to federal prosecutors. The Sun-Times first reported Rezko’s meetings with the feds in August and sources close to the investigation later confirmed the talks last month.”
“Convicted businessman Tony Rezko — who is poised to become a crucial witness in the massive corruption case against ex-Gov. Blagojevich — was quietly moved out of a downtown jail and into another facility last month, the Sun-Times has learned.
Authorities seeking Rezko’s cooperation pushed for the move after Rezko complained about being held in the tough confines of solitary imprisonment, known as “the hole,” even as he was providing information to prosecutors, sources said.”
“Rezko’s relocation is a sign that even with thousands of taped conversations of the governor, investigators still highly value Rezko’s potential as a witness.”
“Rezko, who served as an adviser and fund-raiser to Blagojevich, provided authorities with substantial information involving the governor and bolstered pay-to-play testimony by former Illinois Finance Authority director Ali Ata, as well as talking about other alleged deals.”
“Why is Antoin “Tony” Rezko under lock and key at an undisclosed location, like some sort of CIA-renditioned al Qaeda operative? And why hasn’t he been sentenced yet?
As the June 3 corruption trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich for allegedly trying to sell Obama’s former Illinois Senate seat approaches, the whereabouts of the former Blago and Obama fundraiser is literally a state secret.”
“Rezko’s not listed on the federal Bureau of Prisons’ inmate locator, either.”
“Randall Samborn, spokesman for Fitzgerald, told The Examiner that Rezko “remains in federal custody,” although admitting that he didn’t know exactly where the convicted businessman was being held. Samborn also confirmed that “there is no sentencing date,” but would not elaborate. Sources in Chicago tell us that the long delay is “very unusual.””
“Is Rezko being held at another prison facility for his own safety? There are plenty of people in Chicago and Washington who might not want Rezko on the witness stand. They include:
Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias.
Rezko was such an enthusiastic customer of Giannoulias’ failing Broadway Bank that he wrote $450,000 in bad checks against his account to pay off gambling debts.
Alderman Eddie Burke
Rezko hired Burke’s law firm to get a 77 percent reduction in the real estate taxes of a 62-acre property along the Chicago River he planned to develop using $140 million in city subsidies. After assuring the Chicago Board of Ethics that he would abstain from any Council votes on Rezko’s project, Burke voted for it anyway, blaming his conflict of interest on “an error.” The project was later abandoned.
President Barack Obama
Rezko was the president’s “real estate fairy,” as one Chicago columnist likes to put it. Remember how they bought a house together in Chicago? Rezko was one of Obama’s earliest and biggest fundraisers and donors. Obama was one of his go-to guys for housing legislation in the Illinois state Senate.
If I were Tony Rezko, I’d be hiding, too.”
Read more:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/where-in-the-world-is-tony-rezko-91619594.html
It is understandable why the Blagojevich defense team does not want Rezko on the stand. Judge Zagel’s comment about Rezko being a bad witness is at least horsecrap and reeks of conspiracy. Convicted felons of all categories are regularly used as witnesses. Stuart Levine, the key witness in the Rezko trial was not only enmeshed in corruption but was a long time drug user. Here are the approximate number of times that “Rezko” is mentioned in US Justice Department documents.
Indictment: 100 times.
Criminal complaint: 170 times.
Evidentiary Proffer: 288 times.
Even if a strong argument is made against using Rezko as a witness, and good luck with that argument, Stuart Levine was used extensively as a witness in the Rezko trial, and his name was mentioned approx. 146 times in the Blagojevich Criminal Complaint. And don’t forget, Blagojevich’s name was mentioned at least 30 times on one day of the Rezko trial.
Patrick Fitzgerald, I am damn angry and am speaking up about US Justice Department corruption.
The Chicago Tribune just reported this:
“”I felt all along and believed all along that I was going to testify,” he said. But he said the government case wasn’t as they presented it, without calling witnesses Antoin “Tony” Rezko and Stuart Levine, both convicted in the federal probe.”
Blagojevich trial, Rod not called to stand yet, Rezko and Levine not called by prosecution
Rod Blagojevich was not called to the witness stand yesterday. Tony Rezko and Stuart Levine were not called by the prosecution. This still smells badly to me and I believe the fix was in on this trial years ago. Blagojevich attorney comments from yesterday, July 20, 2010.
From the Chicago Tribune.
“But in a stunning twist as his time to take the witness stand came, Blagojevich’s attorneys told U.S. District Judge James Zagel on Tuesday that the ex-governor would not testify and that they were prepared to rest their case without calling a single witness, sources told the Tribune. After conferring that message privately to Zagel and prosecutors in a lengthy sidebar, the defense team was told by the judge to mull the decision overnight.
The decision means Blagojevich won’t be able to play any undercover recordings that he felt backed up his denials of wrongdoing. Last week, the judge took parts of two days to decide what recordings could be played for the jury by the defense, though he blocked many of the ones it sought to air.
A number of sources said several factors went into the sudden reversal of course.
Blagojevich’s lawyers believed prosecutors had held back part of their case against the former governor to use against him in what promised to be a bruising cross-examination by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar, who glared toward the defense table after learning of the decision.
The attorneys also were operating under the belief that if Blagojevich testified, convicted fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko, who has cooperated with the government, was likely to be called as a powerful rebuttal witness by prosecutors. Sources have said Rezko, who allegedly helped Blagojevich scheme to make money by leveraging the powers of his office, had not been prepared by prosecutors to testify but was on notice that he could very likely be called to the stand on short order.”
“”Listen, they told us they were going to bring on Rezko,” Adam Sr. said of the prosecution. “They told us they were going to bring on (convicted political insider Stuart) Levine. They told us they were going to bring on all these witnesses and they didn’t do it. They did not bring them on.””
Why wouldn’t the prosecution bring Rezko, Levine and others to the witness stand. Their names are mentioned constantly in all of the legal documents. More on that soon.
US Justice Department corruption in Blagojevich trial, Real Blagojevich trial news
I was rereading a US Justice Department document yesterday, the Press Release dated April 2, 2009, that announced the Superceding Indictment of Blagojevich. I encountered a section that caught my attention as I read it with a new perspective. To me it appears a bit Orwellian, an attempt to rewrite history. I am asking for Zach, legal eagles and other astute observers to read this section and compare it to what was in the Criminal Complaint and what the US Justice Dept. knew much earlier. Give me your take on it.
From the Press release.
“The indictment adds several new allegations to those that were lodged in the criminal complaint filed in December when Blagojevich and Harris were arrested. It includes the previous factual allegations that Blagojevich conspired to sell or trade Illinois’ U.S. Senate seat formerly held by President Obama; threatened to withhold substantial state assistance to the Tribune Company in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field to induce the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members sharply critical of Blagojevich; and schemed to obtain campaign contributions in exchange for official actions – both historically and in a push late last year before a new state ethics law took effect.
Among the new factual allegations are that:
beginning in 2002 and continuing after Blagojevich was first elected
governor, Blagojevich and Monk, along with Kelly and previously convicted
co-schemer Antoin “Tony” Rezko, agreed that they would use the offices of
governor and chief of staff for financial gain, which would be divided among
them with the understanding that the money would be distributed after
Blagojevich left public office;
in 2003, Blagojevich, Monk, Kelly, Rezko and other co-schemers
implemented this agreement by directing lucrative state business relating to
the refinancing of billions of dollars in State of Illinois Pension Obligation
Bonds to a company whose lobbyist agreed to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars to Rezko out of the fee the lobbyist would collect, and Rezko in turn agreed to split the money with Blagojevich, Monk and Kelly;
After it became public that Kelly and Rezko were under investigation and ceased playing a significant role in raising campaign funds, Blagojevich personally continued to trade his actions as governor for personal benefits, including, for example, delaying a state grant to a publicly-supported school while trying to leverage a U.S. Congressman, who supported the school, or the Congressman’s brother, to hold a campaign fundraiser for Blagojevich; and
in an interview on March 16, 2005, Blagojevich lied to FBI agents when he said that he maintains a separation, or firewall, between politics and state business; and he does not track, or want to know, who contributes to him or how much they are contributing to him.
Citizen WElls 