Category Archives: Chicago Tribune

Blagojevich trial opening statements Monday May 1, 2011, Dozen jurors and six alternates will be picked from 45

Posted on April 29, 2011 | 11 comments

Blagojevich trial opening statements Monday May 1, 2011, Dozen jurors and six alternates will be picked from 45

“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

“I believe I’m more pristine on Rezko than him.”…Rod Blagojevich

From the Chicago Tribune April 28, 2011.

“Opening statements appear set for Monday at the retrial of Rod Blagojevich, more than eight months after the first jury deadlocked on most of the corruption charges against the former governor.

The questioning of prospective jurors in U.S. District Judge James Zagel’s courtroom concluded Thursday, but the judge gave both sides until Monday morning to mull how to use their peremptory challenges. Those allow the lawyers to dismiss jurors without giving a reason. Prosecutors can strike nine people they don’t want on the jury, while the defense has 13 challenges. A dozen jurors and six alternates will be picked from 45 people who survived an initial round of cuts.

Lawyers on both sides told the judge they then expect to take an hour each to give their opening remarks. The prosecution would then begin presenting evidence.

Over last-minute objections by the defense, several jurors are still in the running despite admitting in written questionnaires that they think Blagojevich is likely guilty of the charges, which include allegations he tried to sell a U.S. Senate seat. One man told the judge he downloaded as the ring tone of his cellphone some infamous undercover recordings of Blagojevich using expletives.
“Instead of ring, ring, ring, or whatever it does, it’s a derogatory quote” from Blagojevich, complained the former governor’s attorney, Sheldon Sorosky.

Zagel responded by saying he believes he judged the true feelings of the prospective jurors during the courtroom questioning, and that those who remain in the group of 45 can be fair.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-blagojevich-jury-0429-20110428,0,6707584.story

11 Comments

Posted in Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich trial, Chicago, Chicago Tribune, Citizen News, Citizens for the truth about Obama, CitizenWells, corruption, Federal Court, Government, Illinois, Judges, Lawyers, News, Obama, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Pay to play politics, Prosecution, Rezko, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, United States, US Department of Justice, white house

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Blagojevich trials truth, Blagojevich Rezko Obama, Mockery of justice, Obama had to get elected, Obama controls Justice Dept

Posted on April 22, 2011 | 286 comments

Blagojevich trials truth, Blagojevich Rezko Obama, Mockery of justice, Obama had to get elected, Obama controls Justice Dept

“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

“I believe I’m more pristine on Rezko than him.”…Rod Blagojevich

“In the media, Obama always made it sound like he rarely saw Rezko, saying they met for breakfast or lunch once or twice a year. However, the FBI mole John Thomas helped investigators “build a record of repeat visits to the old offices of Rezko and former business partner Daniel Mahru’s Rezmar Corp., at 853 N. Elston, by Blagojevich and Obama during 2004 and 2005,“… February 10, 2008 Sun-Times

“Ziegelmueller asked Hayden about a 2003 e-mail exchange with Lichtenstein, then the governor’s top lawyer, in which Wilhelm made recommendations for the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board.
The name of Barack Obama, the Democratic front-runner for the presidential nomination, also appears in the e-mail as a member of a strategic team reviewing hospital board matters with the governor’s staff when he was a state senator. The hospital board was scheduled to be revamped in the summer of 2003.

Obama was then chairman of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services. Other legislative leaders, including Madigan, were part of that review panel as well, according to the e-mail.”…March 10, 2008 Tony Rezko trial

Some people were paying attention before Obama became a serious contender in 2008. The Chicago Tribune even covered corruption in the Blagojevich Administration long before the Rezko trial. The Tribune and a few others even connected the dots from Rezko to Obama. And then….

I wrote the following  on  October 3, 2008.

“Barack Obama appears desperate to win the presidential election. The more
I know about Obama, the more I have come to the conclusion that he
believes he must win the presidency. Consider the following:
Obama has no Law License
Obama relinquished his Illinois law license in early 2007. Why would
Obama give up something that provided his primary source of income
and something he spent so much time and energy obtaining? Andy Martin
filed a complaint in IL on March 13, 2007 stating that Obama had lied
on his IL bar application. Obama had 17 outstanding traffic violations
that he had failed to take care of. Mr. Martin discovered that Obama
would not be prosecuted because he no longer had his law license. I contacted Andy Martin and this was his response:
“Nothing. Obama had already resigned as a lawyer and so they  had  no  jurisdiction over him.”
“Not if they have lost jurisdiction over the individual. They can’t punish someone who has resigned, which is why so many corrupt lawyers in Illinois resign before they are disbarred.“
Obama ties to Crime and Corruption
Obama had many close ties to crime and corruption in Chicago and Illinois.
Tony Rezko and Obama, close associates for many years, are at the center
of investigations and prosecutions by federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.
Tony Rezko has been tried and convicted of multiple counts of corruption
and is awaiting sentencing. he is also talking. Stuart Levine, the star
witness at the Rezko, has been convicted. Dr. Robert Weinstein has been
indicted and is awaiting trial. Rod Blagojecvich, the governor of Illinois,
was endorsed by Obama and will probably be indicted or impeached.
Obama has many ties to these corruption players and his name was mentioned regularly during the Rezko trial. Will Obama be indicted next?
From the Petition to Impeach, expel Senator Obama:
Whereas: Senator Barack Obama used the office of IL Senator to
facilitate the vote rigging in Chicago as chairman of the Illinois Senate
Health and Human Services Committee. Mr. Obama pushed legislation in Senate Bill 1332 to reduce the number of members of the Health Facilities Planning Board from 15 to 9. Mr. Obama did conspire with Stuart Levine, Tony Rezko and Rod Blogojevich to rig the committee and was rewarded with campaign contributions. The new members appointed included 3 doctors who contributed to Mr. Obama. On April 21, 2004, Stuart Levine explicitly advised Dr. Robert Weinstein, who is now indicted, of Tony Rezko’s role in manipulating the Planning Board’s vote.
Philip J Berg Lawsuit – Obama is a Indonesian citizen
Philip J Berg filed a lawsuit in federal court on August 21, 2008 that
states Obama is not qualified to be president. The lawsuit is based on
many documented facts, with the prominent fact being that Obama became
an Indonesian citizen and never pledged allegiance to the US. Instead
of offering proof of US citizenship in the form of a vault copy of his
birth certificate and a pledge of allegiance, Obama filed a motion to
dismiss Mr. Berg’s lawsuit. John McCain provided a vault COLB to congress.
Why am I certain that Obama is desperate to become president?
During the Tony Rezko investigation and trial, it was discovered that
Rezko told Stuart Levine not to worry, he would see to it that Patrick
Fitzgerald would be removed as prosecutor.
If Obama is elected, he certainly would see to it that Fitzgerald is
“reassigned”.
If the Philip J Berg lawsuit is delayed until after the election, Obama
believes that the current congress would never impeach him. I am certain
most people would agree.”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/obama-plan-obama-desperation-to-win-obama-has-no-law-license-patrick-fitzgerald-obama-may-be-indicted-tony-rezko-stuart-levine-robert-weinstein-rod-blagojevich-obama-not-qualified-philip-j-b/

The Blagojevich trial clearly could have and should have happened before the 2008 elections. Refer to the Citizen Wells Evidentiary Proffer.

After Obama took control of the White House, he appointed his buddy Eric Holder as Attorney General. This gave Obama control of the US Justice Department.

July 30,  2009: Patrick Fitzgerald, the top prosecutor in Illinois’ Northern District, was named interim chairman of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC).

The first Blagojevich trial, which obviously was delayed to protect Obama, was a farce. 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.”

“Have any of the big media players pointed this out? Blagojevich was convicted on one count of lying to the FBI in 2005. At the absolute latest they had this nailed down by the Tony Rezko trial in early 2008.”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/patrick-fitzgerald-justice-department-corruption-obama-protected-before-and-after-2008-election/
From Citizen Wells August 19, 2010.

“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.”
“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.”

“But Leonard Cavise, a DePaul University professor, suggested the government will need to do more at the retrial, possibly leading to a longer presentation of evidence. He said he believes the government may try to avoid another deadlocked jury by using fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko and political fixer Stuart Levine as witnesses.

Both men have agreed to cooperate, but prosecutors chose not to call them this summer in part because of the baggage both bring.
“If the prosecution insists on going forward, I have two words for them: Rezko and Levine,” Cavise said. “They know where all the bodies are buried.”””

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2010/08/19/blagojevich-retrial-rezko-and-levine-must-be-witnesses-leonard-cavise-depaul-university-law-professor-evidentiary-proffer/

More evidence of corruption in the US Justice Department surfaces.

J Christian Adams and Christopher Coates speak out.

““Politicizing the Law”

“Eric Holder’s Justice Department has exiled Christopher Coates to South Carolina.

Coates, you may recall, is a career attorney at Justice, the chief of the Civil Rights Division’s (CRD) Voting Section. More to the point, Coates recommended that the CRD file a lawsuit for voter intimidation against the New Black Panther party and several of its members, who were in paramilitary uniforms (one of them waving a nightstick) threatening elderly white voters at a polling station in Philadelphia during last year’s elections.

Political appointees at the Justice Department overrode Coates’s recommendation. They ordered him to dismiss the lawsuit against all but one of the defendants, even though they were in default because they did not defend themselves. The eventual injunction against the defendant with the weapon was laughably weak.”

““That brings us to the real bone of contention, the final reason Coates has been transferred: the voter-intimidation case against the New Black Panther party. NBPP members were hurling racial epithets and threatening voters at a polling place in Philadelphia. It was among the most blatant cases of voter intimidation the CRD had seen in decades. Adams was one of three lawyers assigned to the case by Coates, no doubt because, unlike the other career lawyers in the Voting Section, Adams would not refuse to sue non-white perpetrators of voter intimidation. The other two lawyers on the New Black Panther party case were Robert Popper and Spencer Fisher, both highly dedicated voting-rights attorneys as well.”
“One former Voting Section career lawyer who had left the Justice Department to go to work for the NAACP, Kristen Clarke, admitted to the Washington Times that she talked to the new political leadership after Obama was inaugurated, berating them for not dismissing the case. Sources at Justice tell me Clarke made an identical pitch to her former colleagues in the Voting Section once Obama and Eric Holder came to power.”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/j-christian-adams-testimony-us-commission-on-civil-rights-julie-fernandez-fox-news-interview-us-justice-dept-corruption-voter-registration-not-enforced-megyn-kelly-interview-part-2/

Case against Blagojevich and ultimately Obama weakened by Justice Department dropping counts 1,2,4 against Balgojevich.

From Citizen Wells February 26, 2011.

““Prosecutors in the Blagojevich trial have dropped 3 counts from the indictment against him. That is approximately 15 %. That does not appear on the surface to be significant. However, counts 1 and 2 represent about half of the indictment and mention numerous Chicago corruption figures with ties to Obama. Get the picture?”

“Most of you know by now that the US Justice Department is corrupt, as evidenced by recent whistleblowers, and that Obama and Eric Holder have no regard for the US Constitution. The manner in which the Blagojevich trial has played out, beginning with the delay of his arrest, the diversion of the selling of the senate seat, inept prosecution in the first trial and manipulation of charges, all are further proof of Obama’s usurpation and control of the Justice Dept.

Remember in 2008 I told you that Obama had to win the election to avoid prosecution.””

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2011/02/26/blagojevich-trial-justice-dept-controlled-by-obama-weakens-case-blagojevich-prosecuton-designed-to-protect-obama/

Citizen Wells Evidentiary Proffer.

https://citizenwells.com/2011/03/15/justice-department-protecting-obama-evidence-evidentiary-proffer-blagojevich-prosecution-delayed-and-manipulated-collusion/

286 Comments

Posted in Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich trial, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, Citizen News, Citizens for the truth about Obama, CitizenWells, corruption, Eric Holder, FBI, Federal Court, Government, Illinois, Judges, Justice, Lawyers, News, Obama, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Patrick Fitzgerald, Pay to play politics, Prosecution, Rezko, Stuart Levine, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, United States, US Department of Justice, white house

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Blagojevich retrial Rezko and Obama, Judge James Zagel cautions Blagojevich, Justice Dept. corruption

Posted on April 19, 2011 | 253 comments

 Blagojevich retrial Rezko and Obama, Judge James Zagel cautions Blagojevich, Justice Dept. corruption

“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

“I believe I’m more pristine on Rezko than him.”…Rod Blagojevich

The Rod Blagojevich retrial begins tomorrow, if you can call it a trial.

From the Chicago Tribune April 18, 2011.

“Federal prosecutors called Rod Blagojevich’s a ‘liar’ on Monday, and a judge warned the ousted Illinois governor to watch what he says to the media because some of his comments could be used against him at his upcoming corruption retrial.

Looking down sternly from his bench, Judge James Zagel cautioned Blagojevich’s lawyers during a status hearing in Chicago held two days before the ex-governor’s retrial is scheduled to start Wednesday.

“You can consider my remarks a red flag,” Zagel said.

His admonishment came after lead prosecutor Reid Schar complained about Blagojevich accusations in recent media appearances that federal attorneys had tried to hide evidence that might clear the ex-governor.”

“Schar singled out alleged comments Blagojevich made on television, in which the ex-governor claimed the government had the power to publicly release more FBI wiretap recordings. That power lies with the judge, Schar noted.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-us-blagojevichtrial,0,1897341.story

In the first “trial” approximately 2% of the wiretaps were released and neither Tony Rezko or Stuart Levine, who were heavily enmeshed in the corruption Blagojevich was involved in, and tie Obama to it, were called as witnesses.

Reprinted from Citizen Wells.

The dropping of counts 1,2 and 4 against Blagojevich by the prosecution was the latest move in a long series of maneuvers to protect Obama from being exposed for his long time ties to Tony Rezko and corruption in Chicago. Rezko was not called as a witness in the first Blagojevich trial and the odds are now higher that he will not be called as a witness in the second trial.

Reprinted from Citizen Wells July 21, 2010.

“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.”

Read more

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.”

Read more:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/rezko/1208918,rezko100808.article

From the Chicago SunTimes February 3, 2009

“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.”

Read more:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/rezko/2009/02/prosecutors_help_move_rezko_ou.html
 

From the Washington Examiner April 20, 2010.

“Where in the world is Tony Rezko?”

“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.”

Read more:

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/blagojevich-on-trial/2010/07/blago-prosecutors-proved-my-innocence-1.html

I am not the only  person coming to the no brainer conclusion that Rezko or Stuart Levine must be called to the witness stand. From Citizen Wells August 19, 2010.

““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.”
“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.””

“An expert on law has commented on Rezko and Levine being called as witnesses. Leonard Cavise is a DePaul University law professor.”

“But Leonard Cavise, a DePaul University professor, suggested the government will need to do more at the retrial, possibly leading to a longer presentation of evidence. He said he believes the government may try to avoid another deadlocked jury by using fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko and political fixer Stuart Levine as witnesses.
Both men have agreed to cooperate, but prosecutors chose not to call them this summer in part because of the baggage both bring.
“If the prosecution insists on going forward, I have two words for them: Rezko and Levine,” Cavise said. “They know where all the bodies are buried.””

Read more:

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2010/08/19/blagojevich-retrial-rezko-and-levine-must-be-witnesses-leonard-cavise-depaul-university-law-professor-evidentiary-proffer/

253 Comments

Posted in Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich trial, Chicago, Chicago Tribune, Citizen News, Citizens for the truth about Obama, CitizenWells, Courts, FBI, Federal Court, Judges, Justice, Lawyers, News, Obama, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Patrick Fitzgerald, Pay to play politics, Rezko, Stuart Levine, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, United States, US Department of Justice, white house

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Patrick Fitzgerald FBI Director?, More Obama control of Justice Dept, John Kass Naive?

Posted on March 18, 2011 | 570 comments

Patrick Fitzgerald FBI Director?, More Obama control of Justice Dept, John Kass Naive?

“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 did Patrick Fitzgerald and the US Justice Department prosecute Tony Rezko first and wait until after the 2008 election to arrest Rod Blagojevich?”…Citizen Wells

From John Kass and the Chicago Tribune March 17, 2011.

“And both he and Patti know the names of all the prosecutors and FBI agents, including U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
“My point is, it’s a selective prosecution,” Patti told the audience.”

“And now Fitzgerald might be making a move, to Washington. He’s on the short list to replace Robert Muller as director of the FBI.
Whether he gets the job or not is something else again. I think Fitzgerald would like the post. Friends of his have been talking about it for years. He’s obviously qualified, and he has hunted crooked Democrats and crooked Republicans with equal gusto.
But would the Chicago Way White House — with mayoral brother Billy Daley as chief of staff to the president — want an uncontrollable Fitzgerald running the FBI for the next 10 years?
Who knows? Billy Daley is approving the short list being leaked out to the media, with Fitz’s name on it.”

“”It would be Chicago’s loss if Patrick Fitzgerald became director of the FBI,” the former senator said. “All sorts of characters in Chicago would be delighted if Patrick were promoted out of town. As FBI director, his responsibilities would be focused on a broad spectrum and he wouldn’t have time to focus just on Chicago.””

Read more:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0317-20110317,0,5332476.column

John Kass has been one of the more outspoken critics of Blagojevich and Obama. However, he has not been paying close enough attention or has been held back by the Tribune. As you will see in my upcoming first argument against Patrick Fitzgerald and the Justice Dept., Fitzgerald was indeed aggressive in prosecuting Republicans, but slow as molasses in going after Blagojevich while all the time protecting Obama. Will Fitzgerald become director of the FBI and thus add another layer of control in the Justice Dept. for Obama?

570 Comments

Posted in Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich trial, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, Citizen News, Citizens for the truth about Obama, CitizenWells, corruption, Courts, FBI, Government, Justice, News, Obama, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Pay to play politics, The Case Against Barack Obama, United States, US Department of Justice, Washington DC, white house

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Blagojevich trial juror names secret, Judge James Zagel opinion, Media conduct improper and abusive

Posted on March 1, 2011 | 198 comments

Blagojevich trial juror names secret, Judge James Zagel opinion, Media conduct improper and abusive

“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

“I believe I’m more pristine on Rezko than him.”…Rod Blagojevich

From the Chicago Tribune March 1, 2011.

“A federal judge says he’ll keep the names of jurors at the upcoming retrial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich secret until 9 a.m. the day after proceedings end – brushing aside arguments from media groups that there’s a public interest in releasing them sooner.

In a six-page opinion, Judge James Zagel cites some reporters repeatedly knocking on the doors of jurors’ homes just hours after Blagojevich’s first trial ended, as well as a TV station helicopter hovering over a house where another panelist was staying.

“The conduct of some media after the names were released was improper and, in some cases, abusive,” Zagel wrote in an opinion posted late Monday.

Among the remedies he could employ to ward off journalists after the retrial, Zagel wrote, was passing out “No Trespassing” signs to jurors to put up on their doors or in their yards.

At the retrial, set to start April 20, Blagojevich faces charges including that he tried to sell or trade an appointment to President Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat. At the first trial, jurors deadlocked on all but one count, convicting Blagojevich of lying to the FBI. The former governor denies all wrongdoing.

The Chicago Tribune and other media groups had asked Zagel to release the jurors’ names immediately after the retrial ends. Their attorney, James Klenk, said Tuesday that he was disappointed in Zagel’s ruling, adding he hadn’t yet discussed the possibility of an appeal with his clients.

At a recent hearing on the issue, Zagel used unusually tough language to chastise reporters. Zagel said that as a consequence of what he described as “harassment” by reporters at the first trial, otherwise qualified potential jurors may be leery about serving at the second trial “because they fear an onslaught of a rapacious media.””

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chibrknews-blago-jurors-to-be-kept-secret-until-day-after-trial-20110301,0,3018841.story

198 Comments

Posted in Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich trial, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, corruption, Courts, FBI, Federal Court, Government, Illinois, indictment, Judges, Lawyers, News, Obama, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Pay to play politics, The Case Against Barack Obama, US Department of Justice

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Blagojevich trial update, February 23, 2011, Synchronous corruption crony events

Posted on February 23, 2011 | 256 comments

Blagojevich trial update, February 23, 2011, Synchronous corruption crony events

“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

“I believe I’m more pristine on Rezko than him.”…Rod Blagojevich

On the same day that another one of Obama’s corruption cronies, Rahm Emanuel, got elected to mayor, the Blagojevich defense team filed a motion requesting that some charges be dropped.

From the Chicago Tribune February 22, 2011.

“Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is trying again to have several corruption charges thrown out based on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that curtailed an anti-fraud law used by prosecutors nationwide to convict politicians.

In a motion filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago on Tuesday, the defense asks Judge James Zagel to dismiss bribery, extortion and other counts because of the ruling on honest services laws last year. Such laws bar public officials from denying taxpayers honest services.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-blagojevichtrial-,0,1895010.story

It will take more than manipulating votes in Chicago in 2012 to reelect Obama.

256 Comments

Posted in Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich trial, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, Citizen News, Citizens for the truth about Obama, CitizenWells, corruption, Courts, Crime, Criminal Complaint, Defense, Election 2012, Government, Grand Jury Indictment, Judges, Lawyers, News, Obama, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Pay to play politics, Rahm Emanuel, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, United States, US Department of Justice, Washington DC, white house

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Blagojevich defense motion requests releasing all evidence, All wiretaps, Prominent public figures recorded

Posted on February 17, 2011 | 159 comments

Blagojevich defense motion requests releasing all evidence, All wiretaps, Prominent public figures recorded

“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

We apparently have only had access to about 2 percent of the wiretap evidence in the Blagojevich trial. In one of the wiretaps Blagojevich reveals the truth about Obama and Rezko.

All of the wiretap evidence should be released and put before the public. That is just what the Blagojevich defense is requesting.

From the Chicago Tribune February 17, 2011.

“Attorneys for impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich continued their barrage of pretrial motions with a new one Thursday that asks a federal judge to lift a court-ordered seal on all evidence, including hundreds of hours of secret FBI wiretap recordings.

The seven-page motion filed at the U.S. District Court in Chicago early Thursday — two months before Blagojevich’s corruption retrial is slated to start — argues the two-year-old order barring the public release of evidence impairs Blagojevich lawyers’ more than prosecutors.

“It is a fundamentally unfair playing field,” the motion says.

Blagojevich, 54, faces an April 20 retrial on 23 charges, including that he tried to sell or trade an appointment to President Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat. He’s also accused of trying to shake down donors for campaign cash. At his first trial, jurors deadlocked on all but one count of lying to the FBI.

Of hundreds wiretap recordings, only a small percentage were played at the first trial. The rest are barred from release by the seal order, including recordings of conversations between Blagojevich or his aides with prominent public figures not accused of any wrongdoing in the case.

Thursday’s filing also accuses the government of selectively releasing out-of-context excerpts before the first trial that “poisoned the jury pool,” arguing that the seal — called a protective order — makes it impossible for the defense to respond.

“The protective order has only served to permit the government to present half-truths and distortions and has handicapped Blagojevich’s ability to fight back against false government allegations and set the record straight,” the motion says.

In the most notorious wiretap outtake released by prosecutors before the first trial, Blagojevich is heard saying about Obama’s vacated seat: “I’ve got this thing and it’s (bleepin’) golden. . . . I’m just not giving it up for (bleepin’) nothing.”

U.S. Attorney’s office spokeswoman Kim Nerheim declined any comment on Thursday’s motion.

One justification for the seal on evidence, the motion says, was the possibility that making the evidence public could interfere with other pending prosecutions. But the motion says it understands the investigation in the case has essentially ended.

The latest motion is the third within two weeks. Presiding Judge James Zagel had set Feb. 15 as a deadline to file all pretrial motions, but the defense this week asked for another few days. The next status hearing is Feb. 22, during which Zagel could accept or reject those motions.

Thursday’s filing says prosecutors played just 2 percent of “thousands” of recordings at Blagojevich’s first trial. It argues that prosecutors should now have no interest in keeping all the tapes under wraps.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-blagojevich-trial-motion,0,255807.story

159 Comments

Posted in Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich trial, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, Citizen News, Citizens for the truth about Obama, CitizenWells, corruption, Courts, Federal Court, Government, Illinois, Judges, Lawyers, News, Obama, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Pay to play politics, Rezko, Stuart Levine, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, United States, US Department of Justice, Washington DC, white house

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Mercy Health System Crystal Lake hospital plans, Blagojevich Rezko Levine Obama haunted by past

Posted on February 17, 2011 | 125 comments

Mercy Health System Crystal Lake hospital plans, Blagojevich Rezko Levine Obama haunted by past

“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

 “I wear the chain I forged in life,”…the Ghost of Christmas Past, “A Christmas Carol”

Rod Blagojevich, Tony Rezko, Stuart Levine and Barack Obama are once again being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past.

From the Chicago Tribune February 16, 2011.

“Centegra Health System’s plan to build a hospital in Huntley was subjected for the first time Wednesday to public reaction, and it generally was split between other hospitals saying the proposal would drive up health costs and local people believing it was needed and wanted.

The public hearing at Huntley Village Hall was moderated by two officials of the Illinois Health Facilities and Service Board, which must approve any new medical proposal. The board later will hold a hearing on a competing plan by Mercy Health System to build a hospital in nearby Crystal Lake.”

“Mercy Health System is proposing to build in Crystal Lake at Route 31 and Three Oaks Road. Its hospital would include 100 acute-care medical and surgery beds, 20 obstetric and eight intensive care units, an emergency department and a focus on geriatrics. Mercy also is touting its proposed multi-specialty clinic of 45 physicians that would be attached to the hospital.

Mercy’s project would cost $200 million and be paid for with $176 million in bonds and $20 million in cash and securities. The hospital has a planned opening of early 2014.

This isn’t the first time Mercy officials have sought a certificate of need for a hospital in Crystal Lake.

A proposal for 70 beds was shot down by the state board in 2003. Mercy tried again in April 2004 and was awarded the certificate as board members became the target of a federal corruption investigation.

A few months later, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and state lawmakers revamped the board. The Tribune reported in June 2005 that then-board Vice Chairman Stuart Levine planned to split a $1.5 million kickback with former Blagojevich fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko from contractor Jacob Kiferbaum, who was to build the hospital.

Judge Maureen McIntyre revoked Mercy’s permit for the proposed hospital in May 2005. Mercy officials, never charged with any wrongdoing, did not appeal.

The state health facilities board tentatively plans to vote on both proposals May 10.”

Read more:

http://triblocal.com/crystal-lake/2011/02/16/opinion-divided-on-centegra-hospital-plan/

125 Comments

Posted in Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich trial, Bribery, Bribes, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, Citizen News, Citizens for the truth about Obama, CitizenWells, corruption, Crime, Government, Illinois, News, Obama, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Pay to play politics, Rezko, Stuart Levine, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, United States

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William Cellini trial, Chicago Tribune article removed?, Blagojevich Cellini Rezko Levine Obama, Chicago Pay to play politics

Posted on February 12, 2011 | 126 comments

William Cellini trial, Chicago Tribune article removed?, Blagojevich Cellini Rezko Levine Obama, Chicago Pay to play politics

“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

I was doing some followup research on William Cellini, who was a codefendant in the original Blagojevich indictment and later indicted separately, and referencing Citizen Wells and Chicago Tribune articles. I noticed two interesting things when I searched the internet and Tribune site for articles on Cellini. There seemed to be a lack of articles from 2010 and when I clicked on a Citizen Wells article link to the Tribune, the article was missing. This is what I discovered.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/sns-ap-il–cellinitrial,0,6721744.story

The missing article contained this statement:

“Cellini is a longtime fundraiser and behind-the-scenes power broker in Illinois politics”

“I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances, but allow me to introduce myself.
I’m Colonel Tribune, the Web ambassador for chicagotribune.com.

Perhaps I can help you find what you wanted when you hit this error page? Try our search or our topics pages. If you are looking for an article that is more than a month old, you may find it in our archives.

If that doesn’t work, please feel free to leave us a question here.

Meantime, I hope I run into you surfing the Web. You can find me on Twitter and Facebook.

Have a good day!”

A internet search on “2010 chicago tribune William Cellini” yielded:

” Search ResultsBlago trial has a mover and shaker ready to blow – Chicago TribuneGuys like the indicted gazillionaire Bill Cellini don’t do time for anybody. August 13, 2010|By John Kass. The jury deliberating the fate of former Illinois …
articles.chicagotribune.com › Collections – CachedProsecutors, lawyers seek to drop William Cellini from Blagojevich …Nov 14, 2009 … You are here: ChicagoTribune.com>Collections. Prosecutors …
articles.chicagotribune.com › Collections – CachedClout St: Read the Cellini indictment documents – Chicago TribuneOct 30, 2008 … Posted by Tribune staff at 12:46 p.m. A federal grand jury …
newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/…/read-the-cellin.html – Cached – SimilarClout St: Rezko trial – Chicago TribuneOct 20, 2009 … Political heavyweight William Cellini, who was indicted …
newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/rezko_trial/ – Cached – SimilarShow more results from chicagotribune.comCitizen WElls | Obama eligibility, Obama news – 226 visits – 5:51amWilliam Tecumseh Sherman. Bill O’Reilly and Barack Obama will be holding their narcissim …. From John Kass of the Chicago Tribune November 18, 2010. …
citizenwells.wordpress.com/ – Cached – SimilarWilliam Cellini – News, photos, topics, and quotesThe latest news on William Cellini, from thousands of sources worldwide. … Chicago Tribune logo Chicago Tribune 1 month ago. Rod Blagojevich. …
www.daylife.com/topic/William_Cellini – CachedWilliam Cellini: Latest News, Videos, PhotosSee William Cellini Latest News, Photos, Biography, Videos and Wallpapers. … At a routine status… Full Article at Chicago Tribune …
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/William-Cellini – CachedThe Life and Death of Blago Aide Christopher Kelly – Chicago …Kelly was also implicated (along with William Cellini, Stuart Levine, and Tony Rezko) in … This article appears in the May 2010 issue of Chicago Magazine. …
www.chicagomag.com/Chicago…/May-2010/…/index.php?…4… – CachedTony Rezko – Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaRezko threw an early fundraiser for Obama that Chicago Tribune reporter ….. William F. Cellini, Sr., Indicted – fbi.gov – October 30, 2008; ^ now Miner, Barnhill & Galland. …. This page was last modified on 25 October 2010 at 12:29 . …”

A Chicago Tribune search on “2010 William Cellini” Yielded:

“April 15, 2009 |Article
Big money
…investments. Blagojevich and Springfield businessman William Cellini face federal charges stemming from alleged pension fund…both fiscal year 2009 ($550 million) and fiscal year 2010 ($2.3 billion), which would further weaken pension…
TAGS: Death, Rod Blagojevich, Cook County Board of Commissioners, Employees, Executive Branch
December 5, 2008 |Article
Feds taped Blagojevich
By Jeff Coen, John Chase and David Kidwell ,Tribune staff reporters
…governor, a Democrat contemplating seeking a third term in 2010, has not been charged with any wrongdoing and has denied…came in October, when longtime Springfield power broker William Cellini was accused of extorting campaign contributions for Blagojevich…”

The December 10, 2010 Citizen Wells article referencing the Tribune article is reprinted:

“(Highlighting done by Citizen Wells)

From the Chicago Tribune December 2, 2010.

“A date has finally been set for the long-delayed trial of a Springfield businessman charged with illegally plotting to raise campaign funds for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

At a status hearing Thursday, a federal judge in Chicago scheduled William Cellini‘s trial for Aug. 22.

Cellini is a longtime fundraiser and behind-the-scenes power broker in Illinois politics.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/sns-ap-il–cellinitrial,0,6721744.story

All searches lead back to Obama and Rezko

From Citizen Wells November 1, 2010.

“I was following up on news on Obama corruption cronies in Chicago and Illinois and the Blagojevich trial saga and came across an article that was probably much unnoticed.”

“From the Chicago Tribune November 16, 2008 reported on Citizen Wells April 29, 2010.

“Connections could touch every somebody”

“To fully appreciate our politics you’ve got to look at the connections. Sadly, this task is beyond the national press and some locals besotted with our renowned vintage, Combine Kool Aid.”

“Cellini is accused of helping shake down a Hollywood producer and politically connected Chicago investor Thomas Rosenberg for $1.5 million in campaign cash for Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Cellini also is accused as a point man in a plot to remove U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald as federal prosecutor.”

“Cellini really began to pile up the cash when then-Gov. Thompson gave him a state gaming license. Webb and Zagel were young prosecutors under then-U.S. Atty. Thompson. Later, Zagel was director of the state’s Department of Revenue under Thompson. Webb ran the State Police.
Everybody knows somebody. So, no, Illinois politics isn’t a Robert Ludlum novel.
Illinois is Six Degrees of Bill Cellini.”

“The Combine wants Fitzgerald promoted out of town. But President-elect Barack Obama has promised newspaper editorial boards he would keep Fitzgerald in Chicago to fight political corruption.

That’s the same President-elect Obama with Mayor Daley’s guy Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff, and another Daley guy, David Axelrod, as Obama’s chief strategist. The mayor’s brother Billy is one of Obama’s chief economic advisers. Whew!

Some political analysts become quite upset when “Daley machine” and “Obama” are mentioned in my column. They feel compelled to give me a vigorous corrective. But this same Flat Earth society denied the existence of a Combine for years, then shut up for a while when Obama’s real estate fairy Tony Rezko was convicted in the federal government’s Operation Board Games probe.”

“Obama was chairman of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee in January 2003. A few articles in the media have mentioned that Obama sat on a committee that reviewed matters related to the Planning Board in conjunction with the Governor’s staff but none have discussed his integral part in getting the bill passed.

A review of senate records from January 2003 to August 2003, shows Obama played a major role as chairman of that committee, in pushing through Senate Bill 1332, that led to the “Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act,” which reduced the number of members on the Board from 15 to 9, making the votes much easier to rig.”

“The bill was filed with the senate secretary on February 20, 2003, and assigned to Human Services Committee for review on February 27. Less than a month later, as chairman, Obama sent word that the bill should be passed on March 13, 2003.

On May 31, 2003, the House and Senate passed the bill and the only senator listed in the “yes” votes mentioned in the Board Games indictments is Obama.

Blagojevich made the effective date June 27, 2003, and the co-schemers already had the people lined up to stack the Board and rig the votes with full approval from Obama.”

“During the trial, Stuart Levine testified that when he sought reappointment to the Planning Board, he told Republican co-schemer, Bill Cellini, to tell the Blagojevich administration he would vote however they wanted when approving projects.”

“A June 2003 email exchange produced in the trial shows Obama was one of eight officials who received the names of the nominees for the new Board ahead of time, from the office of David Wilhelm, who headed Blagojevich’s 2002 campaign for governor.”

“Corrupt appointees fund Obama and Blagojevich campaigns”

“A few weeks later, Beck said, Rezko called to say he would be reappointed along with a Republican holdover Levine. Beck also testified that Rezko told him Blagojevich was set to appoint Rezko’s three doctor friends to complete the rigged voting bloc. He said he met the doctors in August 2003, at the first meeting of the new Board.

Dr Michel Malek gave Obama $10,000 a little over a month before the first meeting on June 30, 2003. He also donated $25,000 to Blagojevich three weeks later on July 25, 2003, and gave Obama another $500 in September 2003. Malek was an investor in Riverside Park.

Dr Fortunee Massuda donated $25,000 to Blagojevich on July 25, 2003, and gave a total of $2,000 to Obama on different dates. Massuda’s husband, Charles Hannon, is a co-schemer in the pension fund case and testified against Rezko in the trial.

Dr Imad Almanaseer contributed a total of $3,000 to Obama after he landed the appointment. On March 13, 2008, Almanaseer testified against Rezko and told the jury he was an investor in Rezko’s fast-food businesses.”
https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2010/11/01/william-cellini-obama-rezko-levine-et-al-all-searches-lead-back-to-obama-and-rezko-citizen-wells-open-thread-november-1-2010/

”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/william-cellini-trial-date-set-cellini-blagojevich-rezko-levine-obama-all-searches-lead-back-to-obama-citizen-wells-open-thread-december-10-2010/

The missing article contained the following statement:

“Cellini is a longtime fundraiser and behind-the-scenes power broker in Illinois politics”

William Cellini’s trial is scheduled August 22, 2011.

Perhaps this was a reminder that the trials of Blagojevich and Cellini really are about the rampant corruption in Chicago, not just about the diversion of selling the senate seat, and most definitely the involvement of Obama.

126 Comments

Posted in Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich trial, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, Citizen News, Citizens for the truth about Obama, CitizenWells, corruption, Government, Grand Jury Indictment, Illinois, indictment, Internet, Internet scrubbing, Lawyers, News, Obama, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Pay to play politics, Rezko, Stuart Levine, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, United States, US Department of Justice, Washington Post, white house

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Blagojevich claims Emanuel John Harris conversation tape missing, Rod Blagojevich attorneys file pretrial motion

Posted on February 8, 2011 | 125 comments

Blagojevich claims Emanuel John Harris conversation tape missing, Rod Blagojevich attorneys file pretrial motion

“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

From the Chicago Tribune February 7, 2011.

“Attorneys for Rod Blagojevich filed a pretrial motion Tuesday seeking what they claimed was missing evidence in the impeached Illinois governor’s corruption trial, including records of a phone call between a Blagojevich aide and then White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

The motion claims the telephone conversation took place just a day before Blagojevich’s December 2008 arrest on charges that include allegations he sought to sell or trade the appointment to President Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat for personal gain. The motion says details of that conversation could bolster a defense contention that Emanuel, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, was willing to help with a political deal in which Blagojevich would have named Illinois’ attorney general to the seat.

But the call between Emanuel and then Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris is not among hundreds of transcripts of secret FBI wiretaps recorded before Blagojevich’s arrest. The defense motion points only to circumstantial evidence that it even happened, including a reference in a White House transition-team report from after the arrest that said Emanuel had “about four” conversations with Harris. The defense was given records of only three conversations, according to the motion.

“The fourth and final phone call is the call that is mysteriously missing,” it adds. “Piecing together multiple documents after the first trial, Blagojevich uncovered the fact that the December 8th phone call … took place.”

A message seeking comment left on a voicemail overnight at the U.S. attorney’s office wasn’t immediately returned.

Blagojevich faces 23 charges at his April retrial, after jurors at his first trial last year agreed only on one of 24 counts and convicted him of lying to the FBI. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys have been ordered to file all pretrial motions by next week.

The defense’s latest filing comes just two weeks before Chicago’s mayoral election. Emanuel has a considerable fundraising advantage and leads in polls in the race to replace retiring Mayor Richard Daley.

Emanuel has said little about the Blagojevich case publicly, often citing the ongoing legal proceedings for not commenting in detail. The White House report released in 2008 by the then president-elect’s office concluded neither Emanuel nor anyone else on Obama’s staff had had any “inappropriate discussions” with Blagojevich or his aides.

It found that Emanuel had had “one or two telephone calls” with Blagojevich and “about four” with Harris, who testified for the government at Blagojevich’s first trial.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-us-blagojevichtrial-,0,2339978.story

Here is a wiretap from several weeks before the alleged conversation from the Blagojevich trial.

125 Comments

Posted in Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich trial, Bribery, Bribes, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, Citizen News, Citizens for the truth about Obama, CitizenWells, corruption, Courts, Defense, Election 2008, Federal Court, Government, Illinois, indictment, Judges, Lawyers, News, Obama, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Pay to play politics, Rahm Emanuel, The Case Against Barack Obama, United States, US Department of Justice, Washington DC, white house

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