Category Archives: Attorney General

Justice Dept corruption, New Black Panther Party, Obama administration, Voter intimidation, Judicial Watch FOIA

Justice Dept corruption, New Black Panther Party, Obama administration, Voter intimidation, Judicial Watch FOIA

From Judicial Watch September 20, 2010.

“Records Contradict Testimony by Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez”

“Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has forced disclosure of the existence of documents from the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicating Democratic election lawyer Sam Hirsch was involved in the DOJ decision to dismiss its voting rights case against the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense. The records, described in a Vaughn index produced pursuant to a Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, contradict sworn testimony by Thomas Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, who testified before the U.S. Civil Rights Commission that no political leadership was involved in the decision (Judicial Watch v. Department of Justice (No. 10-851)).

The “Vaughn index” describes documents responsive to the lawsuit currently being withheld in their entirety by the Justice Department. The index details a series of emails between Assistant Deputy Attorney General Steve Rosenbaum and Deputy Associate Attorney General Sam Hirsch, who was described by Slate magazine as a “DC election lawyer who represents a lot of Democrats” prior to joining the Justice Department.

The index describes eight email exchanges between Rosenbaum and Hirsch, taking place on April 30, 2009, the day before the Justice Department reversed course and declined to pursue much of the Black Panther case. Listed among the email correspondence:

An “Email Chain with Attachments” from Rosenbaum to Hirsch dated April 30, 2009: The email chain includes “…a detailed response and analysis of the proposed draft filings in NBPP (New Black Panther Party) litigation…The response includes a candid assessment of legal research and raises questions about the case law and proposed relief….This document also contains attorney discussion, opinions, and analyses of the draft documents and case law.”

The records disclosed to Judicial Watch seemingly contradict testimony by Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on May 14, 2010. The Commission, an independent, bipartisan unit of the federal government charged with investigating and reporting on civil rights issues, initiated a probe of the Justice Department’s decision to drop its lawsuit. During the hearing, Perez was asked directly regarding the involvement of political leaders in the decision to dismiss the Black Panther case.”

Read more:

http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2010/sep/political-appointee-involved-obama-justice-department-decision-drop-black-panther-case

Blagojevich prosecution continues to protect Obama, Retrial after 2010 elections, Citizen Wells open thread, September 13, 2010

Blagojevich prosecution continues to protect Obama, Retrial after 2010 elections

The delay in prosecuting Rod Blagojevich for his involvement in Chicago and Illinois corruption going back to at least 2003 has largely been ignored or hidden by the mainstream media. Hats off to the Chicago Tribune and Jeff Coen for setting the record straight on the investigation of Blagojevich.

From the Chicago Tribune August 30, 2010.

“The former owner of a Joliet landfill at the center of an infamous spat between then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his alderman father-in-law was hit Monday with federal tax evasion charges.”

“Blagojevich has often sought to blame his legal troubles on the dispute with his father-in-law, Chicago Ald. Richard Mell, 33rd, who helped him become Illinois’ first Democratic governor in a quarter-century. But in reality, it served more as a colorful sidelight to the scandal that would lead to Blagojevich being arrested in 2008 and charged with trying to peddle his powers for personal benefit.

A federal jury this month couldn’t agree on a verdict for nearly two dozen corruption charges against Blagojevich — including trying to sell President Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat — and prosecutors announced they would retry Blagojevich as soon as early 2011. Blagojevich says he is innocent and was targeted by overzealous prosecutors and political enemies.”

The squabbling over the landfill often is mistakenly referenced as touching off the federal investigation that became Operation Board Games and eventually led to a sweeping indictment against Blagojevich and players in his administration.

“Evidence that surfaced during the trials of Blagojevich and fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko showed the investigation was well under way months earlier. Blagojevich appointee Stuart Levine was recorded by federal investigators speaking with Rezko about fixing state board votes early in 2004, and Levine himself was confronted by the FBI in May 2004.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-tax-evasion-landfill-20100830,0,1851184.story

From Citizen Wells August 23, 2010.

“If you read the press coverage of this verdict, it is clear that public reaction to the verdict is nearly universal: “One count? That’s it!? Is this a joke?”

No, it’s no joke. And, truthfully, this is the result I expected after the government wrapped up its case. It looked like the prosecution’s case was distorted in order to protect President Obama, Rahm Emanuel and Valerie Jarrett. It’s that simple.”
“It looked to me that the trial was turning into a political nightmare for the Obama White House. And this may explain why the prosecution shut their case down a month early.”
“Let’s hope prosecutors get it right this time. I suspect that Eric Holder’s politicized Justice Department interfered with the investigation conducted by the reputedly independent U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.”

From Citizen Wells July 15, 2010

“Patrick Fitzgerald was aware of Blagojevich’s corruption in 2003

“Pamela Meyer Davis had been trying to win approval from a state health planning board for an expansion of Edward Hospital, the facility she runs in a Chicago suburb, but she realized that the only way to prevail was to retain a politically connected construction company and a specific investment house.

Instead of succumbing to those demands, she went to the FBI and U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald in late 2003 and agreed to secretly record conversations about the project.””

Read more:

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/patrick-fitzgerald-justice-department-corruption-obama-protected-before-and-after-2008-election/

The arrest of Rod Blagojevich was obviously engineered to occur after the 2008 elections. The first and second trials were obviously engineered to keep the truth about Blagojevich and Obama hidden until at least after the 2010 elections. The US Justice Dept. must be given an enema.

USS Cole trial on hold, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, Obama administration, Political decision

USS Cole trial on hold, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, Obama administration, Political decision

From the Washington Post.

“The Obama administration has shelved the planned prosecution of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the alleged coordinator of the Oct. 2000 suicide attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, according to a court filing.
The decision at least temporarily scuttles what was supposed to be the signature trial of a major al-Qaeda figure under a reformed system of military commissions. And it comes practically on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the attack, which killed 17 sailors and wounded dozens when a boat packed with explosives ripped a hole in the side of the warship in the port of Aden.

In a filing this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the Justice Department said that “no charges are either pending or contemplated with respect to al-Nashiri in the near future.”

The statement, tucked into a motion to dismiss a petition by Nashiri’s attorneys, suggests that the prospect of further military trials for detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has all but ground to a halt, much as the administration’s plan to try the accused plotters of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in federal court has stalled.
Only two cases are moving forward at Guantanamo Bay, and both were sworn and referred for trial by the time Obama took office. In January 2009, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates directed the Convening Authority for Military Commissions to stop referring cases for trial, an order that 20 months later has not been rescinded.

Military officials said a team of prosecutors in the Nashiri case has been ready go to trial for some time. And several months ago, military officials seemed confident that Nashiri would be arraigned this summer.

“It’s politics at this point,” said one military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss policy. He said he thinks the administration does not want to proceed against a high-value detainee without some prospect of civilian trials for other major figures at Guantanamo Bay.”

Read more:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/26/AR2010082606353.html?wprss=rss_nation

Blagojevich trial, Day 11 of jury deliberations, Citizen Wells open thread, August 11, 2010

Blagojevich trial, Day 11 of jury deliberations

Today, August 11, 2010, is day 11 of jury deliberations in the Rod Blagojevich trial. What will the verdict be? That’s anybody’s guess. What is the real verdict? The US Justice Department is corrupt and the fix was in many months ago. Remember folks, regardless of the verdict, it can be appealed.

Blagojevich trial verdict anticlimatic, Blagojevich fix in years ago, Citizen Wells open thread, August 1, 2010

Blagojevich trial verdict anticlimatic, Blagojevich fix in years ago

The Blagojevich trial jury has requested transcripts from the trial. Judge Zagel may provide some of them. However, no matter how this farce plays out, regardless of the outcome, it will be anticlimatic. The fix was in years ago. Some kind of deal was struck between Blagojevich, Rezko and Obama. The US Justice Department is corrupt and just as in the dismissal of the case against the New Black Panther Party, openly displays a racial bias. We also have evidence of this in the total disregard for the Constitution by federal judges when they have been confronted by overwhelming evidence against Obama’s eligibility. Will the US Supreme Court rise to the occasion to check the miscarriage of justice? Will another whistleblower come forward? 

If anyone questioned corruption in the US Justice Dept. in the past, with the dismissal of the New Black Panther Party case and the flagrant manipulation of evidence combined with delays and timing in the Blagojevich trial, all doubts must be erased.

Blagojevich trial jury verdict, Tony Rezko, Stuart Levine, If I were a juror, Thanks Mary Schmich

Blagojevich trial jury verdict, Tony Rezko, Stuart Levine, If I were a juror

I ran across this article written by Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune.

“If I were a Blago juror …”

“If I were a juror, I’d wonder why we never heard from so many of the allegedly bad guys — Tony Rezko, Stuart Levine — mentioned by the prosecution.”

Read more:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-schmich-0728-20100728,0,2697214.column

Thanks to Mary Schmich. This should be front page news.

From part 6 in the series here on the Blagojevich trial, protecting Obama and US Justice Department corruption.

“Beginning with

“THE GOVERNMENT’S PROFFER REGARDING THE EXISTENCE OF A CONSPIRACY”

Pages 15 to 52  reveal Blagojevich’s involvement in corruption beginning in 2002 and going into the summer of 2008. Here are some of the names mentioned in this section:

Tony Rezko

Stuart Levine

Patti Blagojevich

John Harris

Christopher Kelly

Alonzo Monk

Joseph Cari

William Cellini

Robert Weinstein

Ali Ata

Joseph Aramanda

Daniel Mahru

Fortune Massuda

Imad Almanaseer

Michel Malek

Jacob Kiferbaum

Out of this 91 page document, 38 pages are loaded with names and events tied to Rod Blagojevich from 2002 to the summer of 2008. Beginning on page 52 and to page 90 are references to Blagojevich shady dealings primarily from the summer of 2008 on.”

As noted in part 5 of this series, Tony Rezko’s name was mentioned approximately 288 times in the Evidentiary Proffer. The above numbers reveal that of the evidence presented in the Proffer, 38 pages are loaded with names and corruption activities tied to Blagojevich from 2002 to mid 2008. And yet neither Tony Rezko or Stuart Levine were called as witnesses. And just as predicted and warned about here, the focus of the trial was the selling of Obama’s senate seat.”

Read more

If I were a juror, I would be shocked at the prosecution’s case, their shortening of the trial and their failure to call many key witnesses.

Blagojevich trial fixed, US Justice Department corrupt, Obama protected, Media coverage?, Citizen Wells open thread, July 28, 2010

Blagojevich trial fixed, US Justice Department corrupt, Obama protected, Media coverage?

The jury begins deliberations today, Wednesday, July 28, 2010. It is obvious to anyone paying attention that the arrest and trial of Rod Blagojevich was crafted to protect Obama. The Blagojevich attorneys are correct. The prosecution did not present a case. Is this being covered properly in the media, including Fox? If you have any evidence of media coverage, please advise.

Yesterday I presented part 6 on the Blagojevich trial, protecting Obama and US Justice Dept. corruption. What I did was not rocket science. The basis of part 6 was presenting information from the Evidentiary Proffer. A cursory examination of the the evidence there reveals that the trial was rigged.

“As noted in part 5 of this series, Tony Rezko’s name was mentioned approximately 288 times in the Evidentiary Proffer. The above numbers reveal that of the evidence presented in the Proffer, 38 pages are loaded with names and corruption activities tied to Blagojevich from 2002 to mid 2008. And yet neither Tony Rezko or Stuart Levine were called as witnesses. And just as predicted and warned about here, the focus of the trial was the selling of Obama’s senate seat.

The approximately 39 pages devoted to Blagojevich’s activities mainly from mid 2008 to his arrest reveal much about the chicanery crafted in this setup. These pages are at most a continuation of Blagojevich’s activities in the prior 6 years. They are more general in nature and in the case of the selling of the senate seat, more open to interpretation.

Compare these facts to the evidence and witnesses of the Blagojevich trial.

It is clear from the facts, from the evidence that:

Rod Blagojevich should have been arrested and indicted by 2006.

The arrest of Blagojevich was delayed until after the 2008 election to protect Obama.

The shortening of the trial was designed to protect Obama and the Democrats.

The withholding of evidence and not calling witnesses such as Tony Rezko and Stuart Levine was designed to protect Blagojevich and Obama. The theatrics playing out in court are likely to be a diversion to make it appear that the defense wanted Rezko and Levine to take the witness stand. Rezko and Levine know too much about both Blagojevich and Obama. That is why the Justice Department did not call them as witnesses. We have confirmation from this apparent scheme and other revelations that the US Justice Department is corrupt.”

Are there anymore whistleblowers in the US Justice Department? Anymore attorneys who believe in the US Constituton and rule of law?

Blagojevich trial conspiracy, Protect Obama, US Justice Department corruption, Part 6, Trial shortened, Evidence omitted

Blagojevich trial conspiracy, Protect Obama, US Justice Department corruption, Part 6

Blagojevich trial

Protecting Obama

Part 6

Trial shortened – Evidence omitted

From the Evidentiary Proffer in the Rod Blagojevich trial.

“This proffer begins by discussing case law governing the admissibility of co-conspirator statements under Rule 801(d)(2)(E), and, alternatively, other provisions of Rule 801(d)(2). Next, this proffer summarizes some of the evidence supporting the admission of co-conspirator statements. In this manner, the government will establish to the Court the existence of the evidence available to complete the necessary foundation at trial, the roles of certain witnesses, and the bases for admission. The government is not detailing all of its evidence that would go to show the existence of the pertinent conspiracies, or all of the co-conspirator statements that were made in furtherance of the conspiracies charged in the indictment. Rather, this proffer highlights for the Court samples of the government’s evidence in order to establish to the Court the existence of the conspiracies described in Counts Two, Seventeen, Eighteen, Twenty-One, and Twenty-Three, and the scheme described in Counts Three through Thirteen, and the roles of the various conspirators.”

OVERVIEW OF THE CHARGED OFFENSES
“Defendant Rod Blagojevich has been charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering acts, racketeering, mail and wire fraud, attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion, bribery, and conspiracy to commit bribery, while defendant Robert Blagojevich has been charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit extortion, attempted extortion, and conspiracy to commit bribery. The Second Superseding indictment charges that the defendants, together with others, used and agreed to use the powers of the Office of the Governor of the State of Illinois, and of certain state boards and commissions subject to influence by the Office of the Governor, to take and cause governmental actions, including: appointments to boards and commissions; the awarding of state business, grants,
and investment fund allocations; the enactment of legislation and executive orders; and the appointment of a United States Senator; in order to obtain financial benefits for themselves and others, including campaign contributions for Rod Blagojevich, and employment for Rod Blagojevich and his wife.”

Beginning with

“THE GOVERNMENT’S PROFFER REGARDING THE EXISTENCE OF A CONSPIRACY”

Pages 15 to 52  reveal Blagojevich’s involvement in corruption beginning in 2002 and going into the summer of 2008. Here are some of the names mentioned in this section:

Tony Rezko

Stuart Levine

Patti Blagojevich

John Harris

Christopher Kelly

Alonzo Monk

Joseph Cari

William Cellini

Robert Weinstein

Ali Ata

Joseph Aramanda

Daniel Mahru

Fortune Massuda

Imad Almanaseer

Michel Malek

Jacob Kiferbaum

Out of this 91 page document, 38 pages are loaded with names and events tied to Rod Blagojevich from 2002 to the summer of 2008. Beginning on page 52 and to page 90 are references to Blagojevich shady dealings primarily from the summer of 2008 on.

CONCLUSION
“The above is an outline of the evidence that the government will introduce to establish that a conspiracy existed involving defendant Rod Blagojevich, Blagojevich’s wife, defendant Robert Blagojevich, Christopher Kelly, Antoin Rezko, Alonzo Monk, Stuart Levine, Sheldon Pekin, Joseph Cari, Jacob Kiferbaum, William Cellini, John Harris, Deputy Governor A, Individual I, Advisor A, and Advisor B, and that conspiracy allowed defendants Rod Blagojevich and Robert Blagojevich to commit the charged offenses. This Court should find, based upon this proffer, that coconspirators’ statements are admissible pending the introduction of evidence to support this proffer.”

http://www.scribd.com/doc/29924979/Government-Evidentiary-Proffer-Against-Rod-Blagojevich-4-14-10

As noted in part 5 of this series, Tony Rezko’s name was mentioned approximately 288 times in the Evidentiary Proffer. The above numbers reveal that of the evidence presented in the Proffer, 38 pages are loaded with names and corruption activities tied to Blagojevich from 2002 to mid 2008. And yet neither Tony Rezko or Stuart Levine were called as witnesses. And just as predicted and warned about here, the focus of the trial was the selling of Obama’s senate seat.

The approximately 39 pages devoted to Blagojevich’s activities mainly from mid 2008 to his arrest reveal much about the chicanery crafted in this setup. These pages are at most a continuation of Blagojevich’s activities in the prior 6 years. They are more general in nature and in the case of the selling of the senate seat, more open to interpretation.

Compare these facts to the evidence and witnesses of the Blagojevich trial.

It is clear from the facts, from the evidence that:

Rod Blagojevich should have been arrested and indicted by 2006.

The arrest of Blagojevich was delayed until after the 2008 election to protect Obama.

The shortening of the trial was designed to protect Obama and the Democrats.

The withholding of evidence and not calling witnesses such as Tony Rezko and Stuart Levine was designed to protect Blagojevich and Obama. The theatrics playing out in court are likely to be a diversion to make it appear that the defense wanted Rezko and Levine to take the witness stand. Rezko and Levine know too much about both Blagojevich and Obama. That is why the Justice Department did not call them as witnesses. We have confirmation from this apparent scheme and other revelations that the US Justice Department is corrupt.

Blagojevich trial corruption revealed, Witnesses not called, Evidence not presented, Citizen Wells open thread, July 27, 2010

Blagojevich trial corruption revealed, Witnesses not called, Evidence not presented

“Curiouser and curiouser”…Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

From the last article at Citizen Wells article taken from the Chicago Tribune. Blagojevich attorney Sam Adam Jr. leaves the courtroom in protest.

“Adam announced to U.S. District Judge James Zagel that he wouldn’t follow the judge’s order barring him from arguing that the government didn’t call some key witnesses to point the finger at the former governor. Adam wants to be able to tell the jury that they weren’t called because they would have been helpful to Blagojevich.

Zagel threatened to hold him in contempt of court if he proceeded, and Adam said he would take that risk.

“I’m willing to go to jail for this, your honor,” Adam said loudly. “I cannot follow your order on this.”

Having that door closed makes it impossible for him to effectively represent Blagojevich, Adam said. He said he should be able to argue that the government could have called witnesses such as fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko, political insider Stuart Levine and Blagojevich’s general counsel, William Quinlan.”

Is this part of some theatric scheme? A diversion on top of diversions? Bringing Tony Rezko and Stuart Levine to the stand does not help Blagojevich, but it does hurt Obama.

Part 6 of the series on protecting Obama and US Justice Department corruption will be presented today. It further reveals the amount of evidence withheld and how the trial was skewed to focus on events that happened in the latter half of 2008 to the exclusion of most of the corruption that Blagojevich and his cronies were involved in.

Judge Susan Bolton may enjoin Arizona Law in part, SB 1070, Section by section, Citizen Wells open thread, July 24, 2010

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.”

Read more:

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2010/07/sb_1070_field_day_will_judge_s.php