Rezko lousy witness?, Rezko bad for Blagojevich and Obama, Judge Zagel
From the Chicago Tribune June 29, 2010.
“Judge: There’s a word for witnesses like Rezko”
“One big question hanging over the trial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been whether his convicted fundraiser, Antoin “Tony” Rezko, would appear at these proceedings to testify against his old friend. Rezko, now imprisoned at a federal facility in Wisconsin, has been cooperating with government agents since shortly after his 2008 conviction.
It’s still not certain whether Rezko will testify, but at a hearing before testimony resumed today, U.S. District Judge James Zagel strongly suggested that Rezko would make a lousy government witness.
Zagel said there was a word to describe witnesses like Rezko who damage whatever side calls them to testify. That, said Zagel, “generally explains why they’re not called.” Zagel refrained from actually saying what the word was, leaving the suggestion it was less than polite.”
“Schar said that Rezko has since recanted the letter and provided “a certain amount of information that incriminates Blagojevich.”
All of this talk occurred outside the earshot of jurors, but defense lawyers would like the jury to hear about the Rezko letter. Zagel said he would wait until after Balanoff takes the stand to rule whether the letter can be brought up. ”
Obama trial aka Blagojevich trial, Obama quid pro quo, Obama senate seat
This audio exerpt from a Blagojevich wiretap dated November 7, 2008 has it all. It indicts Obama and Blagojevich in a quid pro quo, classic Chicago pay to play scheme to sell Obama’s old senate seat. It reveals that Obama used SEIU major players Andy Stern and Tom Balanoff to negotiate with Blagojevich. It also reveals that Obama wants Valerie Jarrett, no stranger to pay to pay politics, to get the senate seat.
“DATE: 11/07/2008TIME: 4:11 P.M.
ACTIVITY: Rod Blagojevich home line incoming call.
SESSION: 403, 405, 406 and 408
Speakers:BLAGOJEVICH: Rod Blagojevich
YANG: Fred Yang
HARRIS: John Harris
STEWART: Mary Stewart”
“BLAGOJEVICH I know, but I mean he, he wants to be
able to have some deniability on it, I guess.
BLAGOJEVICH But this is what they’re tellin’ me.
And so he reached out to Tom Balanoff at
SEIU and, uh, Balanoff Tuesday night
told me that Barack had called him
Monday night and then, uh, Balanoff
hustled into my office Thursday, yes-,
the day bef-, yesterday, you know, to
talk about this and that he really wants
her, and Andy Stern and Tom were in my
office Monday. I think I told you that.
BLAGOJEVICH To get a sense of where I was. So we’ve
done this. So Thursday Balanoff came
back with a message directly from Obama,
Valerie Jarrett.”
“YANG But, but it seems to me, John Harris,
that’s a good, that’s a great, that I,that job sounds really good. But, um,
can’t Balanoff and Stern just make him
that themselves?
HARRIS Right, but, but the point is they, they
can, but then it’s a, then it’s a, it’s
a big, it’s a giveaway for them because
they…
YANG Yeah.
HARRIS …they have people…
YANG Yeah.
HARRIS …in their unions to do it.
YANG Yeah, yeah.
HARRIS So, they’d wanna par-, par-, you know,
they’d like to trade that for something
from Obama. Sayin’…
YANG Yeah.
HARRIS …okay, we can get Rod to do X…
YANG Right.
HARRIS …you do Y for us…
YANG Right.
HARRIS …and we’ll, we’ll, we’ll sat-, we’ll,
we’ll solve your, we’ll solve your Rod
problem.
YANG It’s like, it’s like a three, it’s like
the three way trade involving…
HARRIS It’s a, it’s a…
YANG …Jason Bay and Manny, Manny Ramirez.
HARRIS …right, it’s a three…
BLAGOJEVICH That’s right.
HARRIS …it’s a three way deal…
Right.
HARRIS …and it gives Bar-, Barack the ability
to stay out of Illinois politics if
that’s his… YANG Right.
HARRIS …code word for, ’cause he’s a got a
buffer. So there’s no obvious quid quo
pro for Valerie.”
Blagojevich trial wiretap evidence, June 23, 2010, Taped November 8 2008
More wiretap evidence was released yesterday, June 23, 2010, in the Rod Blagojevich trial. I picked one of the wiretaps because it is full of damning evidence and insight into Chicago corruption and the involvement of Barack and Michelle Obama.
From this one wiretap we learn:
Blagojevich is clearly involved in selling of senate seat.
Blagojevich has inside info on Obama’s senate seat resignation.
Tom Balanoff, President of local SEIU IL State Councils, is a go between Blagojevich and the Obamas.
Obama’s resignation is synchronized for Blagojevich’s benefit.
Obama follows Michelle’s lead.
Obama is trying to distance himself from Rezko.
Here are some exerpts from the wiretap:
“DATE: 11/07/2008
TIME: 10:46 A.M.
ACTIVITY: Rod Blagojevich home line incoming call.
SESSION: 374
SPEAKERS:
BLAGOJEVICH: Rod Blagojevich
HARRIS: John Harris
P. BLAGOJEVICH: Patti Blagojevich
Page 2
1 BLAGOJEVICH Um, didn’t know quite what to make of my
2 request. Uh, Barack rea-, really wants
3 to get away from Illinois politics.
4 HARRIS (Laughs)
5 BLAGOJEVICH (Laughs). Right?
6 HARRIS Right.
Page 4
16 BLAGOJEVICH We’re not available to these people yet.
17 Let Balanoff be the only one…
Page 5
10 HARRIS Right, right, right. So the question is
11 when do you want to meet with Balanoff.
12 That’s the immediate question.
13 BLAGOJEVICH He’s not available. He’s been, he’s out
14 of town. He’s in Boston Monday,
15 Tuesday. So I’ve got, if I can dodge
16 him today, which we’ll, Doug and I
17 easily can do. I’d have to, I’d, I can
18 deal with him nex-, maybe next Wednesday
19 or Thursday. You see what I’m saying?
Page 6
7 P. BLAGOJEVICH (Speaking in background) I think he
8 wouldn’t want to resign until he knows
9 that, you know…
10 BLAGOJEVICH Till he knows I’ll do Valerie Jarrett.
11 HARRIS Yeah, so he’s not gonna resign yet.
12 BLAGOJEVICH Look, she wants it. We know that.
13 HARRIS Right.
14 BLAGOJEVICH He’s also been told now that I would do
15 it if I got this. So now she knows I
16 can get this Senate seat if my friend
17 will give ’em this.
18 HARRIS Mm-hmm.
19 BLAGOJEVICH Okay? She’s the audience we’re
20 interested in right now. We know he’s,
21 he wants her and what, I don’t know the
22 nature of the relationship but it’s
23 clear he wants her and she’s got
24 influence with him. So now she knows
25 it’s there for her. To get it, I need26 X, right?
27 HARRIS Right. The question is if Alexi is28 coming in on her behalf, do we use Alexi29 to get the word back to her?
30 BLAGOJEVICH No, I don’t trust Alexi, I, no, under no 31 circumstances.
32 HARRIS Mm-hmm.
33 BLAGOJEVICH No, no. Absolutely, not. Balanoff…
Page 11
7 BLAGOJEVICH Once he resigns next week, I’m, I’ve got
8 total control.
9 HARRIS Right, ’cause if they start movin’
10 legislation to take it away from you,
11 bing, we…
12 BLAGOJEVICH I’m in. I’m takin’ me then.
13 HARRIS Right.
14 BLAGOJEVICH So that’s right. That’s, I forgot about
15 that. Boy that’s perfect.
16 HARRIS Right.
17 BLAGOJEVICH Him gettin’ out early is good.
18 HARRIS Right, no, no, him, him resigning early
19 is good for us.
20 BLAGOJEVICH Yeah. I’m tellin’ ya this is good,
21 John. They didn’t say no. They didn’t
22 say oh, now, maybe, again, look it,
23 Balanoff probably got to be the one, the
24 messenger to tell me that, but…
25 HARRIS Right.
26 BLAGOJEVICH Of course they gotta be squeamish about
27 the whole thing. It’s not what they
28 want.
29 HARRIS Well, at least we’ve frozen them from
30 filling it with someone else.
31 BLAGOJEVICH That’s right.
Page 12
1 HARRIS I mean, at least the answer wasn’t we
2 promised it to someone else.
3 BLAGOJEVICH Well, I don’t know, maybe Balanoff’s
4 gonna come back to me on it, but, but
5 look, if they opt to fill that spot,
6 they’re clearly sayin’, I mean, you
7 know, they’re clearly…
Page 14
6 BLAGOJEVICH Our thought was how do we get to, now
7 how do we get to her.
8 HARRIS (Coughs) Yeah, then Mosena would be the
9 way to get it to her.
10 BLAGOJEVICH Yeah, that’s good. In other words,
11 we’re predicating this on, Michelle
12 Obama, he’s more hen pecked than me. So
13 he listens to Michelle Obama more than I
14 listen to you. Okay.
28 BLAGOJEVICH He wants to get out of Chicago politics.
29 Okay. That’s their way of saying Rezko.
30 HARRIS (Laughs)
31 BLAGOJEVICH Know what I’m sayin’?
Page 15
11 HARRIS Well, what also makes it important if
12 they want her, a, a symbol of they want
13 her, is that they, they, they took the
14 Balanoff meeting right away.
17 BLAGOJEVICH That’s right. The very next morning.
18 HARRIS Yeah. Balanoff said I met and they
19 said, okay, come on in. (Laughs).”
I am not certain that I have seen the smoking gun(s) from the Rod Blagojevich trial that will implicate Obama and associates. However I am seeing lots of smoke. Where there is smoke there is fire or smoking guns. I continue to follow another story that involves Obama and will report further when I am allowed. In the meantime, let’s stay focused on our primary objective, saving this country, in spite of numerous diversions we are being hit with.
Alonzo Monk testimony, Blagojevich trial update, June 10, 2010
From the Chicago Tribune June 10, 2010.
“Witness says Blagojevich urged silence about money”
“Monk testified Thursday that Blagojevich fundraiser Tony Rezko, currently awaiting sentencing for fraud and other charges, slipped him as much as $90,000 in cash when he was the governor’s chief of staff — typically $10,000 at a time stuffed in an envelope.
Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to trying to profit from his power to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama and squeezing people for campaign contributions. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 415 years in prison, though a judge would consider many factors. Blagojevich also could face fines totaling $6 million.
Monk has pleaded guilty to scheming to pressure a racetrack owner for a contribution and is testifying in hopes of getting a lighter sentence.”
“Monk said Rezko began paying him cash in 2004. At Monk’s wedding, Rezko’s present to Monk was $10,000 in cash and an offer to pay for a remodeling project at the newlyweds’ home. Thanks to the flow of cash, which Monk kept at home, he said he never had to withdraw money from the bank or use an ATM. ”
“Earlier Thursday, Monk testified about how Blagojevich put supporters and fundraisers on state boards that oversaw major business sectors, often at the urging of members of his inner circle. ”
Blagojevich trial update, Alonzo Monk testimony, Blagojevich Monk Kelly Rezko
Today, Wednesday, June 9, 2010, the first day of testimony in the Rod Blagojevich trial, is off to a interesting start.
From the Chicago Tribune.
“Blago pal talks of secret meetings, code names and favors”
“They met in secret and referred to each other as “1,2, 3 and 4.”
Rod Blagojevich, his longtime friend Lon Monk and trusted fundraisers Chris Kelly and Antoin “Tony” Rezko.”
Their agenda: How to exchange state contracts and jobs for campaign cash for Blagojevich.
The plotting started even before Blagojevich was elected governor in 2002, according to Monk, who took the stand today to testify against his pal from college days.
“This was something that we were going to be able to do now that we were close to Rod and he was going to become governor,” Monk said as Blagojevich stared straight at him and shook his head.
“I was intrigued,” Monk added. “And I wanted to make money.”
At one of the secret meetings — at Rezko’s offices in 2003 — the four discussed money-making ideas that involved state action, said Monk, sometimes sighing loudly as he testified.”
“Collecting kickbacks was too risky while Blagojevich was still governor, Monk said. “It would be easier for people to find out we were receiving money.”
Rezko was to hold the funds while Blagojevich was in office, Monk alleged. “Any money found would be held in separate accounts that would be difficult to locate.”
Rezko would often bring up firms and individuals to help with state business or an appointment to a state board, Monk said.
Prosecutor Christopher Niewoehner asked why Rezko would do that.
“So that he could ask them for more money or additional money for donations,” Monk replied.
Asked whether Rezko was trying to give rewards for political contributions, Monk answered yes.
Monk said he also had conversations with Kelly also about helping people get state business or positions.
What would Monk do when Rezko or Kelly asked him for help getting someone appointed or a contract, Niewoehner asked.
“Whatever they asked,” he said.
Monk also recalled being a meeting with Blagojevich and Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff who was then a congressman. Emanuel was help getting a state grant for the Chicago Academy, Monk said.
Blagojevich had a simple answer. “He’d try and get it done,” Monk recalled as jurors were shown a photo of Emanuel.”
Blagojevich trial Monday June 7 2010, Blagojevich states Opening statements will unlock the truth
From the Chicago tribune June 7, 2010.
“Blagojevich: Opening statements will ‘unlock the truth'”
“This is getting to be a regular thing, trial watchers. Along with your morning coffee, it appears you can also get a morning jolt of Rod Blagojevich publicly proclaiming his innocence in a variety of ways and with a variety of well worn metaphors.
The former governor started the morning on the Don and Roma talk show on WLS-AM, the same conservative talker that started giving him a platform as a weekend host shortly after his impeachment last year.
Sounding much like he did when he was still governor and doing regular battle with House Speaker Michael Madigan, Blagojevich didn’t mince words in lobbing accusations of prosecution “lies” in constructing the charges against him.
He also sent out a tweet to “followers” on Twitter. “Looking forward to opening statements because that will unlock the truth… stay tuned,” he wrote.”
Blagojevich trial day 2, June 4, 2010, Jury selection, Judge James Zagel
From CBS 2 in Chicago June 4, 2010.
“Day Two Of Blagojevich Jury Selection Set To Begin”
“Before U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel begins questioning the next pool of potential jurors, prosecutors and defense attorneys will argue whether any of the 29 jury candidates who were interviewed Thursday should be dismissed because of bias.
Once that process is finished, Zagel will bring in another group of potential jurors for questioning.
Ultimately, the judge and attorneys expect to whittle down an original list of 100 potential jurors to about 45 likely jurors.
Then each side will be allowed to exercise peremptory challenges, which allow them to dismiss jurors without giving a reason. Defense attorneys get 13 such challenges; prosecutors get nine. The attorneys get unlimited challenges “for cause,” meaning there is a reason to believe a potential juror is biased.
The end result will be a panel of 12 jurors and likely six alternates to hear what is expected to be a three- to four-month trial. Jurors are paid $40 a day plus transportation costs for the entire trial.”
“Defense attorneys said both Rod and Rob Blagojevich will testify. They also said Patti Blagojevich will take the stand.
The defense has also subpoenaed White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.”
Obama trial, May 19, 2010, Obama indictment, Pastor James Manning
Why has Obama employed a legion of private and government attorneys to avoid presenting a legitimate birth certificate and college records?…Citizen Wells and millions of concerned Americans
Pastor James Manning of Atlah Ministries in Harlem is conducting a trial Of Barack Obama and Columbia University. Manning maintains that Obama never physically attended Columbia and that his degree was bought. Here are recaps of the proceedings of day 1 through 4 provided by the Conservative Monster website.
Day 1
“The indictment was handed down via a grand jury and the subpoenas were refused by Columbia University and the Obama administration according to the testimony.
Indictment alleges:
1. Columbia Univ. and Obama conspired to defraud and commit wire fraud and mail fraud
2. Columbia Univ. knowingly concealed the fact that Obama is NOT a natural born citizen
3. Columbia Univ. aided in obstructing justice
4. Obama fraudulently obtained office of the POTUS gaining access to sensitive materials, posing a danger to national security.
5. The prosecution dropped the charges of treason and espionage to avoid complications with a death sentence.
Pastor Manning Quotes:
1. Obama is a criminal and we will prove that in this court room
2. Howard Dean, Hillary Clinton and John McCain helped Obama win the election. Manning stated that a witness will testify that John McCain “took a dive” in the 2008 election.
3. The courts have failed and they are complicit, along with the media to cover up Obama’s alleged ineligibility.
4. Manning quoted a speech that he made at a Tea Party in June/July 2009 where he stated “We need to pursue Obama on his ineligibility, non natural born status rather than his policies, because health care will pass no matter how much you try to protest it.
5. God told me that “Our shoes are our weapons”. Meaning that we need to march and protest to show them that we will not be silenced. “
Manning then played a video of Dr Ron Polland for the court where he showed in depth how the media targeted John McCain’s possible ineligibility issues due to the fact that he was born in Panama. In many instances, the video showed how the media was biased against McCain and for Obama.
It was also interesting to see that the attacks against anyone that questioned Obama’s ineligibility were brutal, but no attacks or name calling was used against anyone that questioned McCain’s possible ineligibility. The video also claimed that Factcheck.org was allegedly the instigator that started the name calling and this is unusual since they are supposed to be non-biased.
Manning then submitted into evidence a notarized letter from Dr Polland stating that his videos were true and that he owned them. ”
“The FIRST WITNESS
Linda Bentley, the 1st witness is sworn in. Bentley is an investigative reporter from Arizona and she was a very impressing and convincing witness with her testimony on Obama’s selective service card. Bentely, also a former private investigator went into great detail how Steve Hoffman (an immigration agent) obtained Obama’s selective service records. Hoffman filed a request for Obama’s selective service records after he saw an interview with George Stephanopolous back in September 2008.
Obama stated during the interview that “he filed for selective service after he graduated from high school”. Bentley then noted that Obama graduated in 1979 and at that time there was no requirement to file a selective service card since President Ford ended that requirement back in 1975.
Bentley then stated that Hoffman noted that the filing date on Obama’s selective service card was just 6 weeks prior to when he obtained the requested information. The date filing date on the card was just two days after the Stephanopolous interview. There were many dates mentioned, but this is what your reporter is stating that he heard.
There was also an issue with the stamp on the document since there was only a two digit number year (80), rather than a four digit number (1980). Bentley questioned whether the number was made two digits to give the appearance that it was filed in 80, rather than 08 (1980 rather than 2008). ”
1. Dr Drew was the founder of the Marxist Organization at Occidental College.
2. Obama was a radical Marxist revolutionary that constantly preached about redistribution of wealth and transformation of the political system.
3. Obama had no black friends, they were only white and foreigners (Middle Eastern)
4. Obama wanted to overthrow the wealthy
5. Obama had no girlfriends and that he was not a hard working student that hit the books hard. He liked to party more than study.
6. Islam and Marxism fit together perfectly and that is why leftists and the Muslim students mixed very well.
7. Obama was always dressed very nice, had designer clothes and drove in a BMW. Obama’s friend Mohammed Chandoo from Pakistan seemed to be rolling in cash and Obama was not struggling at all. They spent their money on partying, pot and hotel rooms. ”
“Witnesses Sabbath La Fleur and her sister Precious La Fleur
Both testified that they checked the Columbia University archives and yearbooks dating from 1980-1985 and they could find no evidence or photos of any Barack Obama or Barry Soetoro. They also testified that they could not find any Phil Bonner either. Obama stated in his book that Bonner was a friend of his that attened Columbia University with him, after a transfer from Occidental college.
1. The professor that Obama named in his book also could not be found in the archives accorded to their testimony.
2. Nothing related to Obama’s name could be found in the Political Science dept.
3. Teachers spoke of Obama in his elementary school, his High School, Occidental College and Harvard as well, but no professors have ever mentioned him from Columbia University.
4. Obama stated that he used to hide in the Butler Library, but the witness stated that Library is a major meeting place and it is always very crowded. There is no way to hide there without meeting someone. Yet, nobody ever saw Barry in the Butler Library.
5. There was also a theory that Obama attended the Latrice Mumumba school in Moscow during that time he claimed he was in Columbia, but this has never been proven. This school was created by the Russians to teach radical Marxism to students to help spread communism throughout the world.
6. No photos of Obama taken at his Columbia graduation ”
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.”
Citizen WElls 