Category Archives: Chicago Tribune

Blagojevich trial scandal, Part 2, US Department of Jusctice corrupt?, Patrick Fitzgerald bought?, Evidence mounts of a conspiracy, Blagojevich Rezko Levine Obama et al, Chicago pay to play corruption

Posted on May 17, 2010 | 110 comments

Blagojevich trial scandal, Part 2, US Department of Jusctice corrupt?

Blagojevich Trial Coverup Scandal

Part 2

 

Rod Blagojevich’s name was mentioned constantly during the Tony Rezko trial. The FBI was wiretaping star witness in 2004 and knew plenty of Blagojevich’s extensive involvement in the corruption. Here is just a snippet from the Rezko indictment.
“In or about early May 2004, REZKO instructed a State of Illinois employee responsible for facilitating appointments to state boards to move forward on LEVINE’s reappointment to the TRS Board, and represented that the reappointment had been approved by a high-ranking state official. The high-ranking state official subsequently directed that LEVINE be reappointed to the TRS Board. Also in or about May 2004, two new members were appointed to the TRS Board who voted with LEVINE on matters of interest to REZKO and LEVINE.”
From the Rezko trial.

“March 6, 2008; 11:50 a.m.

In her opening, prosecutor Carrie Hamilton likened Antoin “Tony” Rezko to a master puppeteer. She said he made sure that Gov. Rod Blagojevich kept Highland Park businessman Stuart Levine on the boards of the Teacher’s Retirement System and the Illinois Hospital Facilities Planning Board.

Levine, she said, was the front man, but “Rezko was the man behind the curtain pulling the strings.”

Hamilton said that Levine and Rezko worked as a team to “corrupt” the two regulatory panels, siphoning off millions of dollars in finders fees paid to investment firms seeking pension fund business. At the Teacher’s Retirement System, which invests billions of dollars in teachers pension funds, Hamilton said the pair made it clear to investment firms seeking pension fund business that “they were going to have to pay to play.””

Trial transcripts:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rezko-court-story-7,0,5224754.htmlstory

Read more:

http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/indict/2006/us_v_levin_et_al_super.pdf

We now know with a 100% certainty that the “high-ranking state official” is Rod Blagojevich. The feds knew it then.

These questions beg for an answer and we deserve one.
Why wasn’t Rod Blagojevich indicted soon after the Rezko trial ended in June 2008? He was wreaking havoc on the citizens of Illinois.
Why was the arrest of Blagojevich delayed until December 2008, after the 2008 elections?
Why was prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald given this assignment by Barack Obama?
August 5, 2009
“I was preparing a new article, a more detailed version of an earlier article about Obama’s role in rigging the Illinois Health Planning Facilities Board (you know, the board mentioned in the indictments of Rezko, Levine, Weinstein, Blagojevich, et al). The events leading up to the Blagojevich trial are dragging on in typical fashion and I did not want the American public to forget about Obama’s strong ties to Chicago corruption. The Citizen Wells blog has for many months stated that Obama should be indicted next. The question was, would Patrick Fitzgerald do his duty or be controlled by the Obama camp.

Now we have the answer.

I was hoping that Patrick Fitzgerald had integrity and patriotism.

Perhaps he received, in the tradition of Chicago thuggery, an offer he couldn’t refuse.

 
In February 2009 we learned

“US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who brought criminal fraud charges against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, will stay on with the Obama administration, reports Pete Williams at NBC.””

“July 30,  2009, we discover

“Patrick Fitzgerald, the top prosecutor in Illinois’ Northern District, has been named interim chairman of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC).
In his new role, Fitzgerald will be the lead voice for the U.S. attorney community. It’s the latest high-profile assignment for America’s prosecutor, who has been busy overseeing the prosecution of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), bringing down mortgage fraudsters, and fighting with journalists.””

Read more

On December 11, 2008, the following article was posted here and faxed to the US Department of Justice office in Chicago, IL.
“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.”
“Chicago Tribune Rezko Trial Transcripts
March 6, 2008; 12:29 a.m.

“Hamilton finished remarks after an hour. She did not mention the name of Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama, whose U.S. Senate campaign in 2004 allegedly was the beneficiary of $20,000 in campaign cash from intermediaries in the kickback schemes the government says were orchestrated by Rezko.”

March 10, 2008; 4:16 p.m.

“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 13, 2008; 3:09 p.m.

“Dr. Imad Almanaseer is on the witness stand this afternoon, testifying about his links to Antoin “Tony” Rezko and his time on the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board”.
“Almanaseer was appointed to the planning board in 2003 on Rezko’s recommendation. Prosecutors contend he became part of a five-member voting bloc on the board that followed Rezko’s wishes. Almanaseer said board Chairman Thomas Beck tried to steer his voting.”

March 19, 2008; 11:21 a.m.

“Prosecution witness Stuart Levine is walking jurors through the evolution of his relationship with defendant Tony Rezko. The two met at a dinner party shortly before the 2002 election in which Rezko’s close friend Rod Blagojevich was elected governor.”

“Levine said he met increasingly with Rezko in early 2003 after Blagojevich was sworn in as governor. On occasion, Levine said, Rezko described his close relationship with Blagojevich.

“He said that he had raised a great deal of money for Gov. Blagojevich and that he had great hopes and expectations that Gov. Blagojevich would run for president,” Levine recalled. “And although he knew it was a long shot, he was working toward that end.””

“”Mr. Rezko told me that he was able to have individuals appointed to state boards and was able to have individuals hired into state agencies and that he spoke very often — and in fact went over decisions — that Lon Monk would put into place,” Levine said.”

March 21, 2008; 12:10 p.m.

“Another government wiretap has been played with Antoin “Tony” Rezko’s voice on it, and this one could prove damaging to his defense. On the tape, recorded May 18, 2004, Rezko can be heard giving orders to political fixer Stuart Levine about how he wanted to manipulate the vote of one of Levine’s fellow members on the Illinois Health Facilities Planning board, Danalynn Rice.

On the call, Rezko is heard mentioning Chris Kelly, who with Rezko was one of the top fundraisers for Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Both Rezko and Kelly were key members of Blagojevich’s kitchen cabinet.

Rezko makes it clear in the phone call that Kelly, too, had been involved in trying to manipulate decisions of the hospital board, which Rezko has been charged with corrupting. Kelly apparently had called Levine earlier and told him he should be Rice’s mentor on the board, directing her to follow his lead on voting. Rice had been recently installed on the hospital panel at the insistence of a leader of the Laborers’ International Union, which had contributed more than $133,000 to Blagojevich’s campaign.””

“Obama’s role in rigging the Health Planning Facilities Board
Evelyn Pringle, Obama Curtain Time 2
“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.

Democratic Senator Susan Garrett sponsored the bill in the senate, and the chief co-sponsor was Republican Senator Dale Righter. These two senators were also on the Human Services Committee with Obama.

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.”

Read more

We now have another reason

to question the

US Department of Justice

and

Patrick Fitzgerald

 

The following is included in the Second Superceding indictment of Blagojevich.

“The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board (“Planning Board”) was a commission of the State of Illinois, established by statute, whose members were appointed by the Governor of the State of Illinois. State law required an entity seeking to build a hospital, medical office building, or other medical facility in Illinois to obtain a permit, known as a “Certificate of Need,” from the Planning Board prior to beginning construction.”

“Defendant ROD BLAGOJEVICH, Monk, and Harris, while serving as officers and employees of the State of Illinois, and Levine, while serving as a Trustee of TRS and a member of the Planning Board, were bound by the following laws, duties, policies, and procedures:
As Governor, defendant ROD BLAGOJEVICH was a constitutional officer and as such, at the outset of each term as Governor, was required to take an oath of office to support the Constitution of the  United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and to faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Governor to the best of his ability.”

Indictment:
http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2010/pr0204_02a.pdf

The following was included in the Blagojevich Criminal Complaint

 
“According to Levine, in approximately late October 2003, after Levine was
reappointed to the Planning Board, he shared a private plane ride from New York to Chicago
with ROD BLAGOJEVICH and Kelly. Levine, ROD BLAGOJEVICH, and Kelly were the
only passengers on the flight. According to Levine, at the beginning of the flight, Levine
thanked ROD BLAGOJEVICH for reappointing him to the Planning Board. ROD BLAGOJEVICH responded
that Levine should only talk with “Tony” [Rezko] or [Kelly]
about the Planning Board, “but you stick with us and you will do very well for yourself.”
ROD BLAGOJEVICH said this in front of Kelly. According to Levine, Levine understood
from ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s manner of speaking and words that ROD BLAGOJEVICH
did not want Levine to talk to ROD BLAGOJEVICH directly about anything to do with the
boards, but that Levine should talk to Rezko or Kelly. Levine also understood that ROD
BLAGOJEVICH meant that Levine could make a lot of money working with ROD
BLAGOJEVICH’s administration. According to Levine, ROD BLAGOJEVICH did not
seem to expect a response from Levine, and Kelly then shifted the conversation to something
else.”

“b. Corruption of the Planning Board
“As described more fully in the following paragraphs, Mercy Hospital, which
sought permission from the Planning Board to build a hospital in Illinois, received that
permission through Rezko’s exercise of his influence at the Planning Board after Rezko was
promised that Mercy Hospital would make a substantial campaign contribution to ROD
BLAGOJEVICH. Rezko later told a member of the Planning Board that Mercy Hospital
received the permit because ROD BLAGOJEVICH wanted the organization to receive the
permit.”

Levine’s criminal activities included his abuse of his position on the Planning
Board to enrich both himself and Friends of Blagojevich. The Planning Board was a
commission of the State of Illinois, established by statute, whose members were appointed
by the Governor of the State of Illinois. At the relevant time period, the Planning Board
consisted of nine individuals. State law required an entity seeking to build a hospital,
medical office building, or other medical facility in Illinois to obtain a permit, known as a
“Certificate of Need” (“CON”), from the Planning Board prior to beginning construction.”
Why was the above left out of the Indictment?

 
Why is this not being shouted from the rooftops?
“At the relevant time period, the Planning Board consisted of nine individuals.”

The following sentence is one of the clearest connections of Obama to the rigging
of the Planning Board. Obama was chairman of the IL Senate committee that changed
the number of members from 15 to 9.

 

Why was this left out of the indictment?

It is damning for Blagojevich and Obama.
Why did the US Department of Justice wait until after the 2008 elections to arrest Blagojevich?

It was damning for Obama.
Why did Obama give Patrick Fitzgerald a supervisory position in 2009?

Why is the media, including Fox, not covering this???

110 Comments

Posted in Ali Ata, Announcements, Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich Impeachment, Blagojevich trial, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, Citizens for the truth about Obama, corruption, Courts, Crime, DC, Democrats, District Court, Dr. Robert Weinstein, Election, Election 2008, FBI, Federal Court, Fox news, fraud, Government, Grand Jury Indictment, Illinois, impeachment, indictment, John Harris, Joseph Cari, Judges, Law firms, Lies, Money, News, Obama, Obama administration, Obama impeachment, Obama indictment, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Patrick Fitzgerald, Pay to play politics, politicians, Politics, Rezko, Scandal, Senator Obama, Stuart Levine, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, United States, US Department of Justice, US District Court, Warrant, Washington DC, white house

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Blagojevich trial, May 16, 2010, Criminal complaint, Blagojevich Superceding indictment, Second superceding indictment, Mainstream media, Orwellian spin, Does the second superceding indictment downplay Obama connection and earlier corruption?

Posted on May 16, 2010 | 269 comments

Blagojevich trial, May 16, 2010, Criminal complaint, Blagojevich Superceding indictment

As many of you know, The Citizen Wells blog has presented numerous articles on Chicago corruption involving Rod Blagojevich, Tony Rezko, Stuart Levine, Barack Obama and a host of others. The first article on Blagojevich was presented in April of 2008. This blog called for the arrest and indictment of Blagojevich and Obama  long before Blagojevich was arrested.
You are probably also aware of one of my biggest concerns about the Blagojevich trial. That it was being downplayed and misrepresented by Blagojevich in concert with the mainstream media and recently affected by Google manipulating search engine results. Almost every reporting of the trial portrays it as simply as Blagojevich attempting to profit from selling Obama’s old US Senate seat.
I am currently analyzing the second superseding indictment against Blagojevich and I have some concerns about it’s content and structure. This blog has several legal experts who comment frequently, other website owners and others who pay attention and certainly care about this country. I am seeking two responses from you.
1. Read the criminal complaint from December 2008. Then read the superseding indictment and then the second superseding indictment. Here are just some of my concerns.

A) Are too many of the earlier references to Blagojevich’s ties to corruption that could link him to Obama diluted in the second superseding indictment?

B) Are there too many counts associated with the senate seat selling?

C) Is count one too large and thus more difficult to convict him on? Was this deliberate? This count has most of the references to earlier corruption that can be linked to Obama.
2. Contact as many people, entities as possible. Have them read the indictment. Counteract the Orwellian attempts to misrepresent this colossal coverup.
Here is just the “Tip of the iceberg” from the Criminal Complaint.

“b. Corruption of the Planning Board
35. As described more fully in the following paragraphs, Mercy Hospital, which
sought permission from the Planning Board to build a hospital in Illinois, received that
permission through Rezko’s exercise of his influence at the Planning Board after Rezko was
promised that Mercy Hospital would make a substantial campaign contribution to ROD
BLAGOJEVICH. Rezko later told a member of the Planning Board that Mercy Hospital
received the permit because ROD BLAGOJEVICH wanted the organization to receive the
permit.
36. Levine’s criminal activities included his abuse of his position on the Planning
Board to enrich both himself and Friends of Blagojevich. The Planning Board was a
commission of the State of Illinois, established by statute, whose members were appointed
by the Governor of the State of Illinois. At the relevant time period, the Planning Board
consisted of nine individuals. State law required an entity seeking to build a hospital,
medical office building, or other medical facility in Illinois to obtain a permit, known as a
“Certificate of Need” (“CON”), from the Planning Board prior to beginning construction.
37. Levine, as well as Planning Board members Thomas Beck and Imad
Almanaseer, testified under oath at the Rezko Trial.9 Beck testified that he asked Rezko to
reappoint him to the Planning Board and that Beck thereafter followed Rezko’s directions
regarding which CON applications Rezko wanted approved. Beck testified that it was his
job to communicate Rezko’s interest in particular CONs to other members of the Planning
Board, including Almanaseer, who were loyal to Rezko. Beck testified that he understood
that Rezko spoke for the Blagojevich administration when Rezko spoke to Beck about
particular CONs. Almanaseer testified that Beck instructed him that Rezko wanted
Almanaseer to vote a particular way and that Almanaseer should follow Levine’s lead in
voting on CONs. Almanaseer testified that before certain Planning Board meetings, he
received notecards from Beck indicating how to vote on certain CON applications. Beck
testified he provided these notecards to Almanaseer and certain other members of the
Planning Board to communicate Rezko’s directions about certain CON applications.
9 Beck and Almanaseer testified pursuant to immunity orders.
38. During his testimony, Levine described a plan to manipulate the Planning
Board to enrich himself and Friends of Blagojevich. The plan centered on an entity
commonly known as Mercy Hospital (“Mercy”) that was attempting to obtain a CON to build
a new hospital in Illinois. Levine knew the contractor hired to help build the hospital. In
approximately November 2003, on behalf of the contractor, Levine checked with Rezko to
determine whether Rezko wanted Mercy to obtain its CON. Rezko informed Levine that
Mercy was not going to receive its CON. According to Levine, he asked Rezko whether it
would matter to Rezko if Mercy’s construction contractor paid a bribe to Rezko and Levine
and, in addition, made a contribution to ROD BLAGOJEVICH. Levine testified that Rezko
indicated that such an arrangement would change his view on the Mercy CON.10
39. Levine’s testimony regarding Rezko’s actions to change the Planning Board
decision concerning Mercy’s application for a CON based on contributions for ROD
BLAGOJEVICH is confirmed by attorney Steven Loren. Loren testified at Rezko’s criminal
trial and, before that, in the grand jury.11 According to Loren, in approximately December
2003, Levine informed Loren that Rezko was against the Mercy CON. According to Loren,
10 manipulated the Mercy vote based on Mercy’s
agreement to make a contribution to ROD BLAGOJEVICH, which agreement he states was
communicated to ROD BLAGOJEVICH, but denies that Levine offered a personal bribe to
Rezko as well.
11 In connection with this investigation, Steven Loren pled guilty to interfering with
the due administration of the Internal Revenue Service. In exchange for his continued and
truthful cooperation, the government has agreed to move the Court for a 5K1.1 departure and
his counsel is free to seek any sentence, including probation. Loren has no other criminal
history. Pursuant to his cooperation agreement, Loren testified at the Rezko Trial.
Levine relayed to Loren a conversation between Rezko and Levine during which Levine
asked Rezko whether a political contribution to ROD BLAGOJEVICH would make a
difference for Mercy’s CON, and Rezko responded to Levine that such a contribution might
make a difference.

40. Thereafter, and confirmed by the testimony of Levine, Beck, and Almanaseer,
as well as recorded conversations, Rezko switched his directions to Beck and informed Beck
that Mercy was to receive its CON. According to Almanaseer, although he previously had
been told by Beck that Rezko did not want Mercy to receive its CON, he was later told that
there had been a change and that Rezko now wanted Mercy to receive its CON.
41. Mercy received its CON as a result of a controversial and irregular vote at a
public Planning Board meeting.12 The vote brought significant publicity to the Planning
Board and ultimately led to the disbanding of the Planning Board. Almanaseer testified
under oath in the grand jury that not long after the Planning Board vote on Mercy’s CON he
saw Rezko at a fundraiser. According to Almanaseer, he was still embarrassed about what
had occurred at the Planning Board vote on Mercy’s CON and Rezko’s role in the vote.
Almanaseer testified that he asked Rezko why Rezko had switched the vote on the Mercy
CON. According to Almanaseer, Rezko stated: “The Governor wanted it to pass.”

12 There was extensive testimony regarding the irregularity of the vote at the Planning
Board meeting. In summary, during the vote, Levine got up from his seat and went to speak
to Beck and to Almanaseer. After these discussions, Almanaseer then changed his vote to
be in favor of Mercy receiving its CON. Beck then voted in favor as well and by a vote of
5 to 4, Mercy’s application for a CON passed.
Almanaseer understood the reference to “Governor” to be a reference to ROD
BLAGOJEVICH.”
Read more:

http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2008/pr1209_01a.pdf
Superceding indictment.
http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2009/pr0402_01a.pdf
Second superceding indictment.
http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2010/pr0204_02a.pdf
I know that some of you may not understand my passion for staying focused on this. However, I consider it crucial, perhaps almost as important as changing congress in the 2010 elections. This is something we can work on now. I promise you, the spectre of the general public finding out about this scares the hell out of the Obama camp. Just recently, Google has tried to hide my articles. Do not let the Orwellian Obama thugs win!

Wells

269 Comments

Posted in Ali Ata, Announcements, Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich Impeachment, Blagojevich trial, Bribery, Bribes, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago SunTimes, Chicago Tribune, Citizens for the truth about Obama, corruption, Courts, Crime, Criminal Complaint, DC, Defense, Democrats, District Court, Election, Election 2008, FBI, Federal Court, fraud, Government, Grand Jury Indictment, Illinois, impeachment, indictment, John Harris, Judges, Law firms, Lawyers, Lies, media, Money, MSM, News, Obama, Obama administration, Obama impeachment, Obama indictment, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Orwellian, Patrick Fitzgerald, Pay to play politics, politicians, Politics, Prosecution, Rezko, Senator Obama, Stuart Levine, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, United States, US Department of Justice, US District Court, Warrant, Washington DC, white house

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Blagojevich trial, Update, May 15, 2010, witnesses lining up, John Harris, Jesse Jackson Jr, Rezko Levine et al waiting in wings, Pagano Ladd Rezko Blagojevich, Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board linked to Obama

Posted on May 15, 2010 | 624 comments

Blagojevich trial, Update, May 15, 2010, witnesses lining up

We are going to need a very elaborate score card soon. Witnesses are being lined up. A legion of Blagojevich and Rezko corruption buddies are waiting in the wings. The connections to dead corruption figures keep piling up. Where will this lead? Eventually to Obama.

From the Chicago Tribune May 14, 2010.
“Congressman Jackson says he will testify after receiving subpoena from Blagojevich
Congressman Jesse L. Jackson Jr. says he has been subpoenaed to testify at ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s upcoming corruption trial.

In a statement issued Friday in Washington, Jackson said he will testify if necessary.

Blagojevich faces federal charges including allegations he schemed to sell a U.S. Senate seat once filled by President Barack Obama.

According to a criminal complaint, Blagojevich tried to shop the seat to Jackson. The Democrat’s supporters allegedly were willing to raise $1.5 million for Blagojevich if he him.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/sns-ap-il–blagojevichtrial-jackson,0,7325566.story

From the Chicago Tribune May 14, 2010.
“Harris agrees – again – to testify against former boss
In the fall of 2008, John Harris was chief of staff to the governor of Illinois, a lawyer at the peak of his career offering advice to the state’s top executive.

But that governor was Rod Blagojevich, and Harris on Friday admitted that some of that advice dealt with how Blagojevich might enrich himself by appointing a successor to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

Since prosecutors recently filed a new indictment in the case, Harris pleaded guilty for a second time and again agreed to testify for the government against his former boss. His attorney, Terry Ekl, said Harris has surrendered his law license and is trying to support his family by learning to work on electrical towers as a 48-year-old apprentice.”
“In exchange for Harris’ testimony at the trial, set to begin June 3, the government will recommend that he be sentenced to just under three years in prison.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-blagojevich-aide-guilty-plea-20100514,0,6469755.story

From the Chicago Tribune May 14, 2010.
“Metra: Pagano cashed in on unchecked power
Metra’s longtime executive director, Phil Pagano, amassed so much unchallenged power that he felt confident enough to forge the signature of the agency’s chairwoman as part of a scheme to improperly give himself nearly half a million dollars in vacation pay, an investigation disclosed Friday.

The allegations were contained in the executive summary of a report released one week after Pagano — the subject of a rapidly expanding inquiry into financial irregularities — stepped in front of a Metra train near his home in Crystal Lake.

Besides outlining the “blatantly illegal” advances Pagano took on vacation pay, the investigation also showed Pagano faced serious financial concerns, borrowing $839,000 against the value of a deferred compensation account and an insurance policy. Those concerns were not spelled out in the report.

“This investigation revealed substantial evidence of financial irregularities and abuses carried out by a person at the highest level of Metra who, as a result of that position, was in the best position to perpetrate these acts,” special counsel James Sotos concluded in his report to Metra’s directors.”

“The report will be turned over to the Illinois attorney general’s office for a possible criminal investigation and to any other agency that requests it, Sotos said, adding that Pagano violated Metra’s rules of conduct and “likely various state and federal criminal laws.”

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s office said Friday it has asked Sotos for the report, some portions of which were not disclosed publicly at Fitzgerald’s request.”

“In his report, Sotos referred to a document which he called the “Ladd certificate,” referring to Metra’s former longtime Chairman Jeffrey Ladd”.

“Ladd, an attorney, did not respond to calls for comment Friday. Neither did Pagano’s attorney, George Jackson III.

Ladd surfaced in the 2008 trial of Antoin “Tony” Rezko, who was a key fundraiser and adviser for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Ladd testified under a grant of immunity from prosecution about his dealings in 2004 with the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, which Rezko and political insider Stuart Levine controlled.

Ladd, a veteran lobbyist, told the Rezko jury he had been hired by hospital groups to represent them before the board, and testified that his clients paid $80,000 to a Rezko associate to keep Rezko from secretly working against them.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-metra-pagano-0515-20100514,0,879475.story

There’s that pesky reference to the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board again.

Let’s see, who else is connected to the rigging of that board aside from Blagojevich, Rezko and Levine……

624 Comments

Posted in Announcements, Attorney General, Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich Impeachment, Blagojevich trial, Bribery, Bribes, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, Citizens for the truth about Obama, corruption, Courts, Crime, Criminal Complaint, Defense, Democrats, District Court, Election, Election 2008, FBI, Federal Court, fraud, Government, Grand Jury Indictment, Illinois, impeachment, indictment, John Harris, Judges, Law firms, Lawyers, Lies, Money, Murder, News, Obama, Obama administration, Obama impeachment, Obama indictment, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Patrick Fitzgerald, Pay to play politics, politicians, Politics, Senator Obama, Stuart Levine, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, United States, US Department of Justice, Warrant, Washington DC, white house

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Blagojevich trial, Rezko, Nadhmi Auchi, Rezko bankruptcy trustees, Freeborn & Peters, $3.5 million wire transfer Rezko received from Auchi

Posted on May 12, 2010 | 109 comments

Blagojevich trial, Rezko, Nadhmi Auchi, Rezko bankruptcy trustees

Tony Rezko is the gift that keeps on giving. Hopefully this will continue throughout the Blagojevich trial.

From the Chicago Tribune, May 11, 2010.

“Firm asked to return funds from Rezko”

“Freeborn & Peters has been asked to return about $1.7 million in legal fees it collected from Antoin “Tony” Rezko, the convicted political fundraiser.

The trustee for Rezko’s bankruptcy estate sued the Chicago law firm in March to recover the fees. The firm has yet to file a response to the complaint, asking a judge last week for a second extension until May 21.
“Given the amount at stake, (Freeborn & Peters) would like additional time to investigate its defenses and prepare an appropriate response to the complaint,” Robert Fishman, one of the firm’s lawyers, wrote in the request for more time.

The firm declined further comment because it does not discuss client matters with the media, said Randall Vickery, its managing partner for client relations. The firm represented Rezko in several business matters before his conviction, but it couldn’t be determined whether Rezko remains a client.

The suit was filed about 18 months after Gregg Szilagyi was appointed bankruptcy trustee to liquidate Rezko’s assets. His work has been complicated by the fact that Rezko is in federal custody after being convicted in June 2008 of fraud and money laundering as part of a corruption probe into then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Rezko was a Blagojevich adviser and a major fundraiser.

While Rezko was on trial, a creditor who claims he was owed $18 million forced him into bankruptcy. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Carol Doyle later rejected Rezko’s motion to dismiss the bankruptcy case.

One of the first things Szilagyi did was investigate a $3.5 million wire transfer Rezko allegedly received after he was indicted in October 2006. The funds came from General Mediterranean Holding SA, a company controlled by Nadhmi Auchi of London, an Iraqi-born billionaire who has controlled banks, casinos, telecommunications companies and pharmaceutical firms across the globe.

Auchi bought about 15 Wisconsin pizzerias from Rezko, court records show, and took a stake in Rezko’s most ambitious real estate venture: his effort to develop a 62-acre site at Roosevelt Road and Clark Street.

That payment got Rezko’s bail revoked and landed him in jail in January 2008, just before his trial started, after he repeatedly told a federal judge that he had no access to overseas funds.

Szilagyi alleges Rezko directed one of his attorneys to transfer $1 million of the $3.5 million to Freeborn & Peters in early February 2008. The complaint also alleges Rezko sent a letter to Michael Kelly, a Freeborn partner, telling him to apply the $1 million to his outstanding legal fees.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0511-chicago-law-rezko-20100511,0,1542912.column

You remember Nadhmi Auchi.

  • Iraqi-born billionaire who was charged along with Saddam Hussein for conspiring to assassinate Prime minister (president) Abdul Karim Qasim and stood trial in 1959.
  • Protected secret money for Saddam Hussein AND Muammar al-Gaddafi.
  • Financially backed Saddam Hussein’s plan for a pipeline from Iraq to Saudi Arabia.
  • Moved to England after being expelled from France.
  • Rezko described his friendship with Auchi as “close”.
  • Attended a party in 2004 with Barack and Michelle Obama present.

109 Comments

Posted in Announcements, Attorneys, Auchi, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich Impeachment, Bribery, Bribes, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, Citizens for the truth about Obama, corruption, Courts, Crime, Criminal Complaint, Defense, Democrats, District Court, Election, Election 2008, FBI, Federal Court, France, fraud, Government, Grand Jury Indictment, Illinois, impeachment, indictment, Iraq War, Judges, Law firms, Michelle Obama, Moammar Ghadafi, News, Obama, Obama administration, Obama impeachment, Obama indictment, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Pay to play politics, politicians, Politics, Prosecution, Rezko, Senator Obama, Stuart Levine, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, US Department of Justice, US District Court, Warrant, Washington DC, white house

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Blagojevich trial, Obama Levine ties, Stuart Levine must testify, Rezko trial, Politician A, Politician B, Springfield IL, Illinois capital, Purple hotel, Drug parties, Obama records

Posted on May 11, 2010 | 43 comments

Blagojevich trial, Obama Levine ties, Stuart Levine must testify

Barack Obama and Stuart Levine

 

 

 From the Citizen Wells blog, April 2, 2008.

I repeat, April 2, 2008.

“We need to know the truth about Barack Obama. We need to know where Obama was on November 4, 1999. We need to know where Obama was and what he was doing during his term in the Illinois Senate. When I first read the allegations of Larry Sinclair, I was very skeptical. I am still somewhat skeptical. However, I went to the records of the Illinois Senate for November 4, 1999 and Barack Obama was not present. Sinclair alleges that he had 2 encounters with Obama from November 3 to November 8 1999. The first encounter was allegedly in a rented limo and involved drugs and gay sex. This alone was not a red flag for me but when you couple this information with Obama’s known association with criminals, with racists and hate mongers and his failure to provide his records while in the Illinois Senate, there is a legitimate need to get straight answers from Obama.”

“Lynn Sweet, a columnist and the Washington Bureau Chief for the Chicago Sun-Times states:
“Instead, since I have some reporting history here, I am noting a pattern that has emerged: This is Obama’s third ethical conversion of convenience — taking on a higher standard, but only when it appears to be politically expedient. Obama is making government transparency and ethics a centerpiece of his presidential campaign.”
 
In a Tribune interview Thursday, the Illinois Democrat said he had no intention of sharing any of the documents he might still have in his possession.”
Next are the questions asked and responses from Obama. I know that many people have read this, but it is worth repeating:
“Q: It is kind of unknown where some of the records from your time in Springfield are located. Where is that stuff, what do you have?
“We had one district director. I had one staff person, so, you know, we didn’t have some elaborate sort of system. I didn’t at my disposal millions of dollars and potentially multiple staff people to conduct an archive. Now keep in mind, it is apples and oranges. First of all, I’m not the one who has made this an issue. We saw during the debate, Senator Clinton was asked about it and the suggestion was somehow they’ve done all they could. And my simple point was, I don’t think there is some smoking gun in these archives or something, or some damning evidence.”
 

“Q: What about your stuff, though? What do you have?
“I have no idea. I mean [muffled on recording]. I really don’t. Again, I did not have at my disposal. I wasn’t preparing for the Obama state senatorial library.”
Q: You must have kept some stuff. Correspondence, calendars?
“The problem is whatever remaining documents I have are inevitably incomplete. And then the questions going to be, where’s this or where’s that. Once I start heading down that road, then it puts me in a position that could end up being misleading. I don’t want to mislead people. I don’t know the extent of the records that I have as a state senator.”””

 

“The following is from Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times on November 11, 2007:
“On Friday, Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that she had asked Obama at a news conference: “Do your state senate papers still exist? If they do, just where are they? And would you ever intend to make them public to be responsive to some requests?”
Sweet wrote that he replied: “Nobody has requested specific documents.”
But the Chicago Tribune has reported that it “requested documents from his time in Springfield and never received a response.””

Read more

 Is this one of the reasons Obama has kept hidden his IL Senate records?

From the Tony Rezko Trial

Remember, the IL State Capital is Springfield.

 “Tales of the ‘Purple Hotel’
March 31, 2008; 2:43 p.m.
Prosecutors have taken a turn from the track of the day’s testimony and are asking political fixer and prosecution star witness Stuart Levine again about his drug use, the first time they have done so since early in his testimony.
Levine has said he used a number of drugs in the 1980s and into 2004, including cocaine and crystal methamphetamine.
He said he would make cash withdrawals, give that money to five male friends and use drugs with them during hotel parties. Those parties took place in Springfield and Lincolnwood at a place Levine said he and his friends came to call “the Purple Hotel.””

“”I do not remember using drugs on that day”
April 3, 2008; 12:32 p.m.
One of defense attorney Joseph Duffy’s first stabs at tripping up star prosecution witness Stuart Levine involved an attempt to raise doubt about his state of mind the very first time he met Antoin “Tony” Rezko.
Levine had testified earlier that the two were introduced at a dinner party on Nov. 2, 2002, just days before the election that brought Gov. Rod Blagojevich to power. It was at that dinner that Levine testified he learned that Rezko had been blocking a real estate deal on which Levine had been seeking a sizeable kickback.
But Duffy produced a Levine credit card receipt showing a $761.87 transaction dated that day at a Lincolnwood hotel where Levine often went for all-day drug binges.”

“Levine explains decision to flip
April 3, 2008; 5:56 p.m.
Before Stuart Levine’s testimony ended for the day, he was walked through his decision to cooperate with prosecutors in their corruption case against Antoin “Tony” Rezko.
Rezko’s defense attorney Joseph Duffy wanted to explore Levine’s motivation and first asked about a conversation Levine had with his business partner Robert Weinstein after FBI agents had come to Levine’s home to confront him in May 2004.
Levine’s phone was still tapped, and he was recorded telling Weinstein that agents had visited him. But Levine said he did not remember telling his partner that agents had mentioned Rezko was a target of an investigation.
“The government’s looking for a big fish, and it’s Tony Rezko,” Duffy quoted Levine as saying on the tape, which was not played in court.
Duffy then took Levine through the time leading up to his eventual indictment in the Rosalind Franklin University School of Medicine and Science kickback case a year later, in May 2005.
Levine still had not agreed to cooperate, and Levine told Duffy that he did not believe the government was aware of the “secret part of his life,” meaning his drug abuse and hotel parties with male friends.” 

” Trail of receipts from the Purple Hotel
April 4, 2008; 10:55 a.m.
More tales of the Purple Hotel kicked off this morning’s session of the Antoin “Tony” Rezko corruption trial.
On Thursday, Rezko’s lawyer Joseph Duffy grilled prosecution star witness Stuart Levine about a $761 transaction on his credit card statement for Saturday, Nov. 2, 2002, at the garish purple-painted Lincolnwood hotel that at the time was part of the Radisson chain. Levine has testified that he and a regular group of “drug buddies” often went to the hotel for daylong binges of crystal meth, cocaine, animal tranquilizers and other drugs.
The significance of that date is that it was the same that Rezko and Levine first met. The occasion was a dinner party, and during the chitchat Levine has said the two men came to realize they had been on opposite sides of a shady real estate deal.
As Duffy tries to chip away at Levine’s credibility, the lawyer used the credit-card statement to suggest that Levine’s memory of that first meeting was suspect because he showed up at the party after leaving a drug binge.
Levine acknowledged that the charge on his credit card was likely legitimate, but repeatedly insisted that he did not remember being at the hotel on that day and considered it unlikely. Credit-card transactions are not always recorded on the same day a charge is actually made.
This morning, Duffy questioned Levine about more charges he incurred at the Radisson. On Saturday, Oct. 26, exactly one week before the dinner party, Levine’s credit-card statement reflected a $1,077 charge at the Radisson, and exactly a week before that there was another $1021 charge there.
Duffy appears to be trying to suggest that Levine had a regular Saturday thing at the Radisson with his drug buddies. In earlier testimony, Levine said the group would get together and party once or twice a month at the Lincolnwood hotel, and always on weekdays. Levine said he tried to hide his secret drug life from his family and wanted to be home and clear-headed on the weekends.”

Rezko Trial transcripts.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rezko-court-story-7,0,5224754.htmlstory

 

 

Do Larry Sinclair’s allegations of a drug and sex encounter with Barack Obama in November, 1999 seem so far fetched?
 

From the Citizen Wells blog April 30, 2008.

“A comment was just posted on this blog. I recognize the poster from this blog and others I have posted on. Delenn has stated in the past that she was a chef and restaurant owner in Chicago and heard many rumors about Obama. Below is her comment about the Rezko trial, names being withheld and under reporting of the trial:

“Living in the Chicago area and being the “victim” of Chicago news media, I noticed early on in the Rezko trial that U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve quashed mention of politicians’ names except for a chosen few… so we have “Politician A,” “Poltician B,” and on and on down the alphabet. Judge St. Eve also ruled to keep jurors’ identities secret… which more than anything attests to the known potential for violence coming from those associated with Rezko, Levine, and likely from the political machines involved. And Judge St. Eve would not allow Levine to name names as to the identities of those present at the all-male parties involving drug use — parties attended by some of the city’s and state’s political powers-that-be as well as by those wanting favors. There was a “leak” months ago that Politician A is Governor Rod Blagojovich… but oddly no further identifying leaks materialized. Blagojovich has been candid in the past about his interest in running for US president — I think the “leak” was a way to shut him down, and frankly I believe that he was shut down to open the way for Obama’s candidacy, if not in 2008, then in 2012. I don’t know how coverage of this trial has been played elsewhere, but here it’s been curiously underplayed — odd indeed, considering the Chicago news media’s normal tendency to over-cover any major stories based in the area. I’ve suspected since early on in the trial that the under-coverage, and possibly even some of the court’s rulings regarding testimony, have been connected to Obama’s candidacy. Add to this that I haven’t seen a single television news story concerning the allegations of money laundering involving Robert Blackwell and Barack Obama and… well, the word “fishy” isn’t strong enough by half. The scents of coverup and collusion here in Chicagoland simply reek.””

Article

Politician A

Politician B

For the Blagojevich trial to be legitimate, for the charges in the indictment to be substantiated, Stuart Levine will take the stand, just as he did in the Tony Rezko trial. The question is, will Levine be restricted from naming politicians?

Will Obama’s name be mentioned with regularity in the Blagojevich trial, just as Blagojevich’s name was mentioned during the Rezko trial?

 

Footnote: For those really paying attention, you noticed that Larry Sinclair came out with his allegations of a drug and sex encounter with Obama months before Stuart Levine gave his testimony.

43 Comments

Posted in Announcements, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich Impeachment, Blagojevich trial, Bribery, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago SunTimes, Chicago Tribune, Citizen, Citizens for the truth about Obama, corruption, Courts, Crime, Criminal Complaint, DC, Defense, Democrats, Dr. Robert Weinstein, drugs, Election, Election 2008, FBI, Federal Court, fraud, Government, Grand Jury Indictment, Illinois, impeachment, indictment, Judges, Kickbacks, Larry Sinclair, Larry Sinclair blog, Larry Sinclair book, Law firms, Lawyers, Lies, Lobbyist, Money, News, Obama, Obama administration, Obama impeachment, Obama indictment, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Patrick Fitzgerald, Pay to play politics, politicians, Politics, Prosecution, Rezko, Richard Daley, Scandal, Senator Obama, Stuart Levine, subpoena, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, US Department of Justice, US District Court, Warrant, Washington DC, white house

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Blagojevich trial, Chicago corruption legacy, Suicides, Murders, Dead men don’t talk, Deaths speak volumes, Chicago Tribune John Kass

Posted on May 10, 2010 | 432 comments

Blagojevich trial, Chicago corruption legacy, Suicides, Murders

The Rod Blagojevich trial is several weeks away. It is scheduled to begin June 3, 2010. In a way, it seems like it has been going on for several years. Blagojevich’s name was mentioned constantly during the Tony Rezko trial in 2008 and then daily after his arrest in December 2008. Another aspect of the corruption surrounding Blagojevich and his cronies in Chicago has been the suspicious deaths and apparent suicides. John Kass of the Chicago Tribune explains.

 “Metra boss Phil Pagano’s suicide a repeating pageant for Illinois”

“When politicos play musical chairs in Illinois, what happens after the music stops and there’s no safe place to sit?

There have been four dead in recent years, unrelated cases of suicide, different except for the acts of the common pageant: The corruption investigators call. The music ends abruptly.

Two were done in by guns, one on a beach, the other under a bridge. A third was by pills in a construction trailer.

The fourth came Friday morning during rush hour, announced by that body under that white sheet on the Metra tracks in McHenry County.

The flesh once belonged to Phil Pagano. For the past 20 years, Pagano was the respected boss of Metra, the commuter rail agency that, unlike the Chicago Transit Authority, actually keeps the trains running on time.

Over the past week or so, Pagano was under siege, facing investigations both federal and local, suspected of finagling a bonus of more than $50,000 by finessing vacation time, among other things.”

“I’m not saying Pagano was an innocent victim, but he was person with a title and consequence. He was a headliner.

Each of the four politicos had connections and influence, but they weren’t big players. They were prominent suits out front.

But true power is reserved only for a few. Such people never become anxious when the calliope music starts cranking. They’ve got other people to run around the empty chairs. These folks are called buffers.

Like Orlando Jones.

Jones, 52, was the godson of the late South Side political boss John Stroger, working in Cook County government and later as a lobbyist. Stroger ran the Cook County Board for Mayor Richard Daley until suffering a stroke, when Stroger’s son Todd was installed by the Daley machine.

Jones had been questioned by federal investigators in connection with state pension investment deals involving Republican and Democratic insiders, and shady hospital contracts in Las Vegas.

He shot himself on a Michigan beach in 2007. The gun was found next to the body.

Christopher Kelly didn’t have a buffer. Christopher Kelly was a buffer.

He belonged to indicted Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and was indebted to those in Daley’s administration who understand multimillion-dollar airport construction contracts.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0509-20100509,0,7560705.column?page=1

Let’s not forget about other deaths in Chicago. Donald Young, the choirmaster at Obama’s and Jeremiah Wright’s church, TUCC, was murdered. It was no suicide.

432 Comments

Posted in Announcements, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich Impeachment, Blagojevich trial, Bribes, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, Citizens for the truth about Obama, corruption, Courts, Crime, Criminal Complaint, Deaths, Defense, Donald Young, FBI, Federal Court, fraud, Government, Grand Jury Indictment, Illinois, impeachment, indictment, Judges, Law enforcement, Lies, Money, Murder, News, Obama, Obama administration, Obama impeachment, Obama indictment, Obama lies, Obama records, Obama thugs, politicians, Politics, Prosecution, Rezko, Scandal, Senator Obama, Suicide, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, US Department of Justice, US District Court, Warrant, Washington DC, white house

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Blagojevich trial, Obama and Rezko, Blagojevich defense subpoena, 2006 Chicago SunTimes article, Obama lies, Obama Rezko ties, Kenneth J Conner whistleblower lawsuit

Posted on May 9, 2010 | 109 comments

Blagojevich trial, Obama and Rezko, Blagojevich defense subpoena

Here is a small but important exerpt from the Blagojevich defense motion to subpoena  Barack Obama for the Blagojevich trial, set to begin June 3, 2010.

“22. However, the defense has a good faith belief that Mr. Rezko, President Obama’s former friend, fund-raiser, and neighbor told the FBI and the United States Attorneys a different story about President Obama. In a recent in camera proceeding, the government tendered a three paragraph letter indicating that Rezko “has stated in interviews with the government that he engaged in election law violations by personally contributing a large sum of cash to the campaign of a public official who is not Rod Blagojevich. … Further, the public official denies being aware of cash contributions to his campaign by Rezko or others and denies having conversations with Rezko related to cash contributions. … Rezko has also stated in interviews with the government that he believed he transmitted a quid pro quo offer from a lobbyist to the public official, whereby the lobbyist would hold a fundraiser for the official in exchange for favorable official action, but that the public official rejected the offer. The public official denies any such conversation. In addition, Rezko has stated to the government that he and the public official had certain conversations about gaming legislation and administration, which the public official denies having had.”10

10 The defense has a good faith belief that this public official is Barack Obama. See, “Obama on Rezko deal: It was a mistake”, Dave McKinney, Chris Fusco, and Mark Brown, Chicago Sun Times, November 5, 2006. Senator Barack Obama was asked: “Did Rezko or his companies ever solicit your support on any matter involving state or federal government? Did Al Johnson, who was trying to get a casino license along with Tony Rezko, or Rezko himself ever discuss casino matters with you?” Senator Obama answered: “No, I have never been asked to do anything to advance his business interest. In 1999, when I was a State Senator, I opposed legislation to bring a casino to Rosemont and allow casino gambling at docked riverboats which news reports said Al Johnson and Tony
Rezko were interested in being part of. I never discussed a casino license with either of them. I was a vocal opponent of the legislation.” Obama’s involvement with Tony Rezko and this legislation coincides with the three paragraph summary the government has provided to the defense referenced above.”

Read more:

http://media.apps.chicagotribune.com/docs/obama-subpoena.html#document/p3/a11

The following is from a Chicago SunTimes article dated November 5, 2006. It contains the usual Obama lies and misrepresentations.

“Obama on Rezko deal: It was a mistake”

“U.S. Sen. Barack Obama expressed regret late Friday for his 2005 land purchase from now-indicted political fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko in a deal that enlarged the senator’s yard.
“I consider this a mistake on my part and I regret it,” Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times in an exclusive and revealing question-and-answer exchange about the transaction.
In June 2005, Obama and Rezko purchased adjoining parcels in Kenwood. The state’s junior senator paid $1.65 million for a Georgian revival mansion, while Rezko paid $625,000 for the adjacent, undeveloped lot. Both closed on their properties on the same day.”

“The transaction occurred at a time when it was widely known Tony Rezko was under investigation by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and as other Illinois politicians befriended by Rezko distanced themselves from him.
In the Sun-Times interview, Obama acknowledged approaching Rezko about the two properties being up for sale and that Rezko developed an immediate interest. Obama did not explain why he reached out to Rezko given the developer’s growing problems.
Last month, Rezko was indicted for his role in an alleged pay-to-play scheme designed to fatten Gov. Blagojevich’s political fund. Rezko also was accused of bilking a creditor.”

“”It was simply not good enough that I paid above the appraised value for the strip of land that he sold me. It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else, to believe that he had done me a favor,” the senator said.
The land deal came up in a court hearing Friday that delved into Rezko’s finances. Obama said he has not been approached by federal prosecutors about the transaction nor has plans to go to them about it.
Obama and Rezko have been friends since 1990, and Obama said the Wilmette businessman raised as much as $60,000 for him during his political career. After Rezko’s indictment, Obama donated $11,500 to charity–a total that represents what Rezko contributed to the senator’s federal campaign fund.
After the controversy surfaced on Wednesday, the Sun-Times presented Obama’s office with a lengthy set of questions about the land deal, Obama’s relationship with Rezko and the story’s impact on a potential 2008 bid for the White House.”

“Q: Senator, when did you first meet Tony Rezko? How did you become friends? How often would you meet with him, and when did you last speak with him?

A: I have probably had lunch with Rezko once or twice a year and our spouses may have gotten together on two to four occasions in the time that I have known him. I last spoke with Tony Rezko more than six months ago.”

“Q: Did you approach Rezko or his wife about the property, or did they approach you?
A: To the best of my recollection, I told him about the property, and he developed an interest, knowing both the location and, as I recall, the developer who had previously purchased it.”

“Q: How do you explain the fact your family purchased your home the same day as Rita Rezko bought the property adjacent to yours? Was this a coordinated purchase?

A: The sellers required the closing of both properties at the same time. As they were moving out of town, they wished to conclude the sale of both properties simultaneously. The lot was purchased first; with the purchase of the house on the adjacent lot, the closings could proceed and did, on the same day, pursuant to the condition set by the sellers.”

“Q: Why is it that you were able to buy your parcel for $300,000 less than the asking price, and Rita Rezko paid full price? Who negotiated this end of the deal? Did whoever negotiated it have any contact with Rita and Tony Rezko or their Realtor or lawyer?

A: Our agent negotiated only with the seller’s agent. As we understood it, the house had been listed for some time, for months, and our offer was one of two and, as we understood it, it was the best offer. The original listed price was too high for the market at the time, and we understood that the sellers, who were anxious to move, were prepared to sell the house for what they paid for it, which is what they did.
We were not involved in the Rezko negotiation of the price for the adjacent lot. It was our understanding that the owners had received, from another buyer, an offer for $625,000 and that therefore the Rezkos could not have offered or purchased that lot for less.”

“Q: Does it display a lack of judgment on your part to be engaging in real estate deals with Tony Rezko at a point his connections to state government had been reported to be under federal investigation?

A: I’ve always held myself to the highest ethical standards. During the ten years I have been in public office, I believe I have met those standards and I know that is what people expect of me. I have also understood the importance of appearances.
With respect to the purchase of my home, I am confident that everything was handled ethically and above board.
But I regret that while I tried to pay close attention to the specific requirements of ethical conduct, I misgauged the appearance presented by my purchase of the additional land from Mr. Rezko. It was simply not good enough that I paid above the appraised value for the strip of land that he sold me. It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else, to believe that he had done me a favor. For that reason, I consider this a mistake on my part and I regret it.”

“Q: Why did you not publicly disclose the transaction after Rezko got indicted?

A: At the time, it didn’t strike me as relevant. I did however donate campaign contributions from Rezko to charity.”

“Q: Did Rezko or his companies ever solicit your support on any matter involving state or federal government? Did Al Johnson, who was trying to get a casino license along with Tony Rezko, or Rezko himself ever discuss casino matters with you?

A: No, I have never been asked to do anything to advance his business interests. In 1999, when I was a State Senator, I opposed legislation to bring a casino to Rosemont and allow casino gambling at docked riverboats which news reports said Al Johnson and Tony Rezko were interested in being part of. I never discussed a casino license with either of them. I was a vocal opponent of the legislation. (http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/srollcalls91/pdf/910SB1017_05251999_001000C.PDF)”

“Q: Did Rezko ever discuss with you his dealings with Stuart Levine, Christopher Kelly or William Cellini or the role he was playing in shaping Gov. Blagojevich’s administration?

A: No.”

“Q: Did Rezko have an appraisal performed for the 10-foot strip?

A: I had an appraisal conducted by Howard B. Richter & Associates on November 21, 2005.”

“Q: Was there a negotiation? Did he have an asking price, or did he just say, whatever you think is fair?

A: I proposed to pay on the basis of proportionality. Since the strip composed one-sixth of the entire lot, I would pay one-sixth of the purchase price of the lot. I offered this to Mr. Rezko and he accepted it.”

“Q: How many fundraisers has Mr. Rezko hosted for you? Were these all in his home? How much would you estimate he has raised for your campaigns?

A: He hosted one event at his home in 2003 for my U.S. Senate campaign. He participated as a member of a host committee for several other events. My best estimate was that he raised somewhere between $50,000 and $60,000.”

Read more:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/124171,CST-NWS-obama05.article

Kenneth J Conner whistleblower lawsuit

Obama, Rezko real estate deal, rest of the story

Many have forgotten about the lawsuit initiated by Kenneth J Conner on October 16, 2008. I have not. Conner is the whistleblower who was fired from Mutual Bank for raising questions about the Rezko real estate transactions. His lawsuit is still alive. Mutual Bank has gone under but the FDIC is still listed as a defendant.

Kenneth J Conner worked for Mutual bank from August 3, 2000 until he was dismissed October 23, 2007. Conner is a graduate of Benedictine University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management degree with the honor of “Management Major of the Year” in May, 1999. Conner later earned a Master’s Degree in Finance from Benedictine University in May , 2005.

Here are some interesting exerpts.

“9.  In June, 2005, Mutual Bank President and CEO Amrish Mahajan and other Mutual Bank olfficers approved a loan to Rita Malki Rezko (Rita Rezko) which was guaranteed by Antonin Rezko so that Rita Rezko could purchase a 9,090 square foot vacant parcel of real estate at 5050 S. Greenwood Avenue, Chicago. As part of the Mutual Bank loan underwriting process, Mutual Bank obtained a real estate appraisal from Adams Valuation Corporation (Adams Appraisal) which purported to provide an opinion of value of the subject 5050 S. Greenwood real estate (the collateral for the Rezko loan) at $ 68.76 per square foot. A copy of the Adams Appraisal is attached as Exhibit C. In June, 2005, Rita Rezko closed on the purchase of the 5050 S. Greenwood property at a purchase price of $ 625,000.00 along with the loan from Mutual Bank in the amount of $ 500,000.00 with Mutual bank obtaining a first mortgage lien position on the Greenwood vacant parcel.”

“10.  On or about January 4, 2006, Rita Rezko entered into an agreement with Senator Barack and Michelle Obama (Obamas) to sell a ten-foot strip of the 5050 S. Greenwood property to the Obamas. A copy of the Obama/Rita Rezko contract is attached as Exhibit D. As a result of that transaction, the Rezkos requested that Mutual Bank release it’s first collateral position to the ten-foot strip parcel transferred to the Obamas. In that same general time frame, Richard Barth, Mutual Bank Senior VP of construction lending and James Murphy, Mutual Bank Senior VP Internal Auditor/Risk Manager, requested that Conner perform an appraisal review of the Adams Appraisal attached hereto as Exhibit C.”

“11.  In late 2005 or early 2006, Conner performed an appraisal review of the Adams Appraisal (Exhibit C) per the directive of Richard Barth and James Murphy. Conner prepared a written Appraisal Review report (ARR) opining that the Adams Appraisal overvalued the Greenwood lot by a minimum of $ 125,000.00 and that a reasonable and fair valuation for Mutual Banks’s underwriting purposes should be no greater than $ 500,000.00 for the entire 5050 S. Greenwood parcel as originally purchased by Rita Rezko. In that same general time frame an appraisal was performed for the 5050 S. Greenwood property by Howard B. Richter, MAI which valued the 5050 S. Greenwood property at $ 54.00 per square foot but then discounted the ten-foot strip being transferred by Rita Rezko to the Obamas by fifty percent, as the ten-foot strip was unbuildable standing alone…The valuation by the Richter Appraisal for the 5050 S. Greenwood lot was substantially to Conner’s ARR valuation.”

“12.  Conner notified Richard Barth and James Murphy orally of his ARR findings and Conner’s ARR was filed in the “Rezko 5050 Greenwood” loan file at Mutual Bank.”

“13.  In addition to Conner’s ARR stating that the Adams Appraisal overvalued the 5050 S. Greenwood property, Conner had reported on other occasions that Adams Valuation Corporation had overvalued real estate subject to Mutual Bank loan underwriting valuation.”

“14.  On or about October 19, 2006, Mutual Bank received a Grand Jury Subpoena (GJS) requiring Mutual Bank to produce the Rezko 5050 Greenwood loan file, as well as a Rita Rezko Riverside District Development LLC checking account and loan file. Electronic mail (email) communications about the subpoena were circulated to Mutual Bank officers and attorneys, including Amrish Mahajan, James Murphy and Conner. A copy of an October 19, 2006 email string pertaining to the Rezko GJS is attached as Exhibit F. On information and belief, Conner’s ARR was removed from the Rezko 5050 Greenwood loan file prior to the submission of that file pursuant to the GJS, and in it’s place Mutual bank submitted an appraisal checklist which was purportedly dated “06/15/05″ from Senior VP James P. Murphy (Murphy Checklist). A copy of the Murphy Checklist is attached as Exhibit G.”

“16.  In 2007, Conner observed that his ARR of the 5050 S. Greenwood property was not in the Rezko 5050 Greenwood loan file and in it’s place was the Murphy Checklist purportedly dated “06/15/2005.”…On June 18, 2007, Conner sent an email to James Murphy which provides, in part, “I spent time trying to track down work of mine that should be in a particular high profile loan file, though it is not–having been replaced by a checklist.””

“17.  In October, 2007, Conner had various communications with Mutual Bank’s Human Resources Department representative, Lana Schlabach. In an email communication of October 15, 2007, Conner directly referenced “Resentment over my mentioned discovery of the removal/replacement of an appraisal review that I conducted. That appraisal review contained substantial observations and suggestions. The transaction and parties involved were high profile in the media.I am under the impression that the FBI has since looked at the file.””

“18.  On October 23, 2007, eight days after Conner’s October 15, 2007 email to Schlabach attached as Exhibit J, Mutual Bank terminated Conner’s employment for pretextual reasons.”

Kenneth J Conner lawsuit:

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/mutualbanksuit.pdf

Lawsuit status:

https://w3.courtlink.lexisnexis.com/cookcounty/Finddock.asp?DocketKey=CAAI0L0ABBEHA0LD

I will not let the mainstream media ignore or downplay these stories.

I trust you will help in this endeavor.

109 Comments

Posted in Announcements, Attorneys, Banks, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich Impeachment, Bribery, Bribes, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago SunTimes, Chicago Tribune, Citizen, Citizens for the truth about Obama, corruption, Courts, Crime, Criminal Complaint, Democrats, District Court, Election, Election 2008, FBI, Federal Court, fraud, Government, Illinois, impeachment, indictment, Judges, Law firms, Lawyers, Lies, media, Michelle Obama, Money, News, Obama, Obama administration, Obama impeachment, Obama indictment, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Patrick Fitzgerald, Pay to play politics, politicians, Politics, Prosecution, Rezko, Senator Obama, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, US Department of Justice, Warrant, Washington DC, white house

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Blagojevich trial, Update, May 7, 2010, Blagojevich lawyers seek trial delay, Supreme Court ruling, Judge James Zagel

Posted on May 7, 2010 | 288 comments

Blagojevich trial, Update, May 7, 2010, Blagojevich lawyers seek trial delay

From the Chicago Tribune May 7, 2010.

“Blago lawyers go to appeals court in last-ditch bid to delay corruption trial”

“Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s lawyers have gone to a federal appeals court in a last-ditch effort to delay his corruption trial.

Blagojevich’s lawyers asked the appeals court to order trial Judge James Zagel to postpone the start of trial until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on challenges to the federal law barring officials from denying taxpayers their honest services.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-ap-il–blagojevich-corruptioncase,0,7570538.story

288 Comments

Posted in Announcements, Attorneys, Blagojevich, Blagojevich Impeachment, Blagojevich trial, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, corruption, Courts, Crime, Criminal Complaint, Defense, Democrats, District Court, Election, Election 2008, FBI, Federal Court, fraud, Government, Grand Jury Indictment, Illinois, impeachment, indictment, Judges, Kickbacks, Law firms, Lawyers, Money, Motion, News, Patrick Fitzgerald, Pay to play politics, politicians, Politics, Prosecution, Supreme Court, U.S. Supreme Court, United States, US Department of Justice, Warrant

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Blagojevich trial, May 7, 2010, Judge limits defense arguments, Judge James Zagel, Prosecutors’ request limit defense team jury arguments

Posted on May 7, 2010 | 182 comments

Blagojevich trial, May 7, 2010, Judge limits defense arguments

From The Chicago Tribune.

“Judge limits defense arguments at Blagojevich trial”

“The judge overseeing the corruption case against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday granted prosecutors’ request to limit what the ex-governor’s defense team can argue in front of the jury at the trial that begins next month.

An entry on the court docket in the case indicates U.S. District Judge James Zagel had granted the request made by the prosecution in April.

Prosecutors had asked the judge to block the argument by the defense that it should be able to play all the undercover recordings made of Blagojevich in the fall of 2008 — something the ex-governor has repeated publicly multiple times.”

Read more:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-05-06/news/ct-met-blago-brief-0506–20100506_1_blagojevich-trial-undercover-recordings-corruption-case-against-former-gov

182 Comments

Posted in Announcements, Attorneys, Blagojevich, Blagojevich Impeachment, Bribery, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, corruption, Courts, Crime, Criminal Complaint, Defense, FBI, Federal Court, fraud, Government, Grand Jury Indictment, Illinois, impeachment, indictment, Judges, Jury, Law firms, Lawyers, Money, News, Patrick Fitzgerald, politicians, Politics, Prosecution, United States, US District Court, Warrant

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Blagojevich trial, Obama testimony, Rezko trial, Rod Blagojevich did not testify, US District Judge James Zagel, Motion to subpoena Obama denied, Door still open for Obama as witness

Posted on May 3, 2010 | 513 comments

Blagojevich trial, Obama testimony, Rezko trial, Rod Blagojevich did not testify

When Judge Zagel denied the Blagojevich defense team’s motion to subpoena Barack Obama for the Blagojevich trial, I did not think much of it. First of all it is early. Secondly, the defense motion was too general. And remember this, Rod Blagojevich did not testify at the Tony Rezko trial even though his name was mentioned often and he was under investigation.
The motion to subpoena Obama did serve a purpose. It sets the stage for witness testimony from Tony Rezko and others and certainly should make Obama squirm.
As stated, Rod Blagojevich’s name was mentioned repeatedly during the Rezko trial.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rezko-court-story-7,0,5224754.htmlstory
Will Obama’s name surface often at the Blagojevich trial?

Judge James Zagel did not state that Obama would not testify.
“U.S. District Judge James Zagel said the defense motion seeking to subpoena the president fell “very short” of demonstrating the need to have him testify or submit to attorney questions regarding charges that Blagojevich sought to sell the U.S. Senate seat left vacant when Obama was elected in 2008.

Zagel did not completely shut the door on Obama testimony, however, telling the lawyers in the case he would see how the trial unfolds and could reconsider if something specific arises that the president can address.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/ct-met-blagojevich-obama-subpoena-0501-20100430,0,558365.story

John Kass of the Chicago Tribune adds his humorous take on the judge’s ruling.
“The president might be advised to write to the judge: “Judge Zagel, you want me on that stand, you need me on that stand! Please, Judge Zagel, let me testify to show everyone I’m not a Chicago politician.”

All it takes is a few tokes of Hopium to imagine Obama, in a blue suit, maroon tie and white shirt, taking the witness stand. After ripping on Rezko for the Blagojevich side, he’d undergo cross-examination from some pesky government prosecutor.

What follows is a certified yet highly imaginary transcript of some future testimony.

Smarty Pants Lawyer: Isn’t it true, Mr. President, that in 2002, as an Illinois state senator, you told journalist Jeff Berkowitz, on tape, the following: “Right now, my main focus is to make sure we elect Rod Blagojevich as governor.”

Obama: Well, look. That’s not the Rod I knew.

Smarty Pants Lawyer: Isn’t it true, Mr. President, that in 2006, you wrote a letter to the voters of Cook County, vigorously endorsing the hapless Urkel of political Chicago, Todd Stroger, for County Board president?

Obama: Well, uh, look. At this point in time, to the best of my knowledge, I can’t recall.

Smarty Pants Lawyer: Did you not write, and I quote, “Todd is a good, progressive Democrat who will bring values and sensibility to the job”? Did you not write these words, sir?

Obama: That’s not the Todd I knew.

Smarty Pants Lawyer: And isn’t it true that in April of 2010, you publicly hugged Alexi Giannoulias and called him, and I quote, Illinois’ “soon-to-be senator”? Doesn’t that make you a real Chicago politician?

Obama: I decline to answer on the grounds that it might incriminate me.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0502-20100502,0,2514419.column?page=2

513 Comments

Posted in Alexi Giannoulias, Announcements, Attorneys, Barack Obama, Blagojevich, Blagojevich Impeachment, Bribery, Bribes, Chicago, Chicago machine, Chicago Tribune, corruption, Courts, Crime, Criminal Complaint, DC, Defense, Democrats, District Court, Election, Election 2008, FBI, Federal Court, fraud, Government, Grand Jury Indictment, Illinois, impeachment, indictment, Judges, Law firms, Lawyers, media, Money, Motion, News, Newspapers, Obama, Obama administration, Obama impeachment, Obama indictment, Obama lies, Obama Nation, Obama records, Obama thugs, Patrick Fitzgerald, Pay to play politics, politicians, Politics, Prosecution, Senator Obama, Stuart Levine, The Case Against Barack Obama, Tony Rezko, United States, US Department of Justice, Warrant, Washington DC, white house

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