US Justice Dept corrupt?, Obama camp controls Justice Dept, Patrick Fitzgerald
“Most disturbing, the dismissal is part of a creeping lawlessness infusing our government institutions. Citizens would be shocked to learn about the open and pervasive hostility within the Justice Department to bringing civil rights cases against nonwhite defendants on behalf of white victims. Equal enforcement of justice is not a priority of this administration. Open contempt is voiced for these types of cases.
Some of my co-workers argued that the law should not be used against black wrongdoers because of the long history of slavery and segregation. Less charitable individuals called it “payback time.” Incredibly, after the case was dismissed, instructions were given that no more cases against racial minorities like the Black Panther case would be brought by the Voting Section.
Refusing to enforce the law equally means some citizens are protected by the law while others are left to be victimized, depending on their race. Core American principles of equality before the law and freedom from racial discrimination are at risk. Hopefully, equal enforcement of the law is still a point of bipartisan, if not universal, agreement. However, after my experience with the New Black Panther dismissal and the attitudes held by officials in the Civil Rights Division, I am beginning to fear the era of agreement over these core American principles has passed.”…J. Christian Adams, former USDOJ attorney
Blagojevich trial wiretap November 10 2008, Blagojevich criminal complaint
In case you didn’t see this yesterday.
“From the Blagojevich complaint we discover more interesting conversations centered around the senate seat and more people caught on tape.
“101. On November 10, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH, his wife, JOHN HARRIS, Governor General Counsel, and various Washington-D.C. based advisors, including Advisor B, discussed the open Senate seat during a conference call. (The Washington D.C.-based advisors to ROD BLAGOJEVICH are believed to have participated on this call from
Washington D.C.). Various individuals participated at different times during the call. The call lasted for approximately two hours, and what follows are simply summaries of various portions of the two-hour call.”
“HARRIS said they could work out a three-way deal with SEIU and the Presidentelect where SEIU could help the President-elect with ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s appointment of Senate Candidate 1 to the vacant Senate seat, ROD BLAGOJEVICH would obtain a position as the National Director of the Change to Win campaign, and SEIU would get
something favorable from the President-elect in the future.”
“The November 10 , 2008 wiretap has not been released.
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, Obama was protected, Blagojevich arrested after 2008 election
The Citizen Wells blog began presenting articles about Rod Blagojevich ties to Chicago and Illinois corruption early in 2008 and has done so ongoing. It was clear to anyone paying attention, especially to the Tony Rezko trial early in 2008 that Blagojevich was entrenched in corruption. With all the information available from court transcripts and other sources, the feds knew far more. Therefore the question began being asked by mid 2008, “when is Blagojevich going to be indicted”. When Blagojevich was arrested on December 8, 2008, the big question became, why did Patrick Fitzgerald and the US Justice Dept. wait until after the election to arrest Blagojevich.
Consider the following:
April 29, 2008
“Strong charges about pay-to-play politics in Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration have been hurled by prosecution star witness Stuart Levine in the federal corruption trial of the governor’s friend and fundraiser, Antoin “Tony” Rezko.
“Andy Martin says ‘retainer’ by Robert Blackwell, Jr. was classic Illinois ‘pay to play’ and may have been criminal behavior.”
“Robert Blackwell Jr., CEO and founder of Electronic Knowledge Interchange Inc., has been named to the transition team of Governor-elect Rod Blagojevich.”
“Maloof said Rezko told him to keep his name out of any grand jury testimony because prosecutors were “going to tie it back to [Illinois Gov. Rod] Blagojevich.””
“According to Maloof, Rezko said the three phones were “just in case somebody’s listening,” a remark Maloof took to mean that Rezko was worried about wiretaps.”
“Before the trial began, prosecutors identified Maloof as one of at least two people who made straw political contributions to candidates on Rezko’s behalf. One of the recipients of Maloof’s money was U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.”
“Obama supported the re-election of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose administration is embroiled in corruption probes.
EKI, a Blackwell company, gave $20,000 to Blagojevich.
Electronic Knowledge Interchange won $6 million in technology consulting and software development contracts. EKI did no state
work until after Blagojevich took office.”
“The Justice Department’s prosecution of Antoin “Tony” Rezko was always about prelude, never about climax. The jury’s conviction of Rezko Wednesday on 16 criminal counts is one more point on a long investigative arc — an arc now pointed directly at Gov. Rod Blagojevich and other of his associates.
That arc reaches beyond the horizon to points none of us can see. But prosecutor Christopher Niewoehner unequivocally — and forcefully — told the Rezko jurors during closing arguments where federal authorities now are concentrating: “This is a crime that involves the highest levels of power in Illinois.””
By August 28, 2008 we and most certainly federal prosecutors knew enough about Rod Blagojevich to indict him then.
September 29, 2008
“Here is a Chicago tribune story from Monday, September 29, 2008:
“Indict or impeach?
September 29, 2008
After what has happened in the last few days, it’s more likely that Gov. Rod Blagojevich will be indicted or impeached or both.
• The Tribune reported on Sunday that convicted political fixer Tony Rezko has talked to federal prosecutors and may cooperate in their investigation of the governor’s administration. At closing arguments in Rezko’s trial, a federal prosecutor told jurors that his crimes involved “the highest levels of power in Illinois.” Rezko has refused to help investigators—until, apparently, now.”
“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?”
From a Blagojevich wiretap introduced as evidence.
“DATE: 11/12/2008
TIME: 12:36 P.M.
ACTIVITY: Rod Blagojevich home line incoming call.
SESSION: 558
SPEAKERS:
BLAGOJEVICH: Rod Blagojevich
HARRIS: John Harris”
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.
Blagojevich trial, Joseph Aramanda testifies soon, Aramanda linked to Blagojevich Rezko Obama
Today, Tuesday, June 15, 2010, testimony in the Rod Blagojevich trial continues. Joseph Aramanda, with ties to Blagojevich, Rezko and Obama is expected to testify soon.
“In addition to lining their own pockets, the money gained through the scheme was
funneled to the campaigns of Blagojevich and Obama. Prosecutors have identified
two $10,000 payments that were made to Obama’s US Senate campaign through straw
donors Joseph Aramanda and Elie Maloof, which originated from a kickback paid by
investment firm, Glencoe Capital, to secure approval for a $50 million deal.
Aramanda and Maloof also each gave Obama $1,000 for his failed run for Congress
in 2000. Once Obama became a US Senator, Aramanda’s son was granted a coveted
intern position in Obama’s Senate office in Washington during the summer of 2005,
based on a request which the Obama’s camp has admitted came from Rezko.”
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 prosecution opening statements, Prosecution witnesses, Patrick Fitzgerald
The prosecution side of the Blagojevich trial presented opening statements. I was pleased to see references to the earlier corruption that Blagojevich was involved in, not just the selling of the senate seat.
From the Chicago Tribune June 8, 2010.
“Hamilton ticked off a list of some of the witnesses who will testify against Blagojevich, including former chiefs of staff Lon Monk and John Harris. She did not mention fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko, who has been cooperating with government agents since his 2008 conviction.
Hamilton also stressed how jurors will get to hear the alleged corruption unfold for themselves on government wiretaps, including the now infamous phrase where Blagojevich describes his power to appoint a successor as senator to President Obama as “(expletive) golden.” As she spoke, those words, in their entirety, were flashed on the screen.
“He corrupted the office of the governor of the state of Illinois for his own personal benefit,” she concluded. “When you hear him say this senate seat is golden and he’s not giving it up for nothing, you are going to know, that’s how he viewed his power.”
Earlier today, Hamilton began her opening statement with the most emotionally packed of the charges against Blagojevich: the government claim that he tried to shake down the CEO of Children’s Memorial Hospital.
“On the North Side of Chicago,” she began, “there is a hospital called Children’s Memorial Hospital. It is a non-profit hospital that treats kids no matter where they are from or ability to pay…”
Hamilton then explained how Blagojevich committed to helping the hospital with millions of dollars in increased reimbursements to help pay its doctors. “But there was a catch,” she said. “Now that he decided to help the hospital, he wanted the hospital to pay him.”
Blagojevich is charged with demanding tens of thousands of dollars in fundraising help from the CEO of the hospital before he would release the increased reimbursements.
That was just one of a series of illegal shakedowns that started shortly after Blagojevich became governor in 2003 and extended into 2008, the prosecutor alleged.
“He was trying to use his power as governor to get something of personal benefit for himself,” she said.
Time and again, she continued, “when he was supposed to be asking ‘what about the people of the state of Illinois?’ he was asking, ‘what about me?’”
As Hamilton spoke, a chart was projected on a screen in the courtroom with a picture of fundraisers Antoin “Tony” Rezko, Christopher Kelly and Alonzo “Lon” Monk, Blagojevich’s college roommate and later chief of staff who has pleaded guilty in the case and is expected to testify for prosecutors.
On the other end of the hall from the 25th-floor courtroom where the case is being heard, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald sat in a different “overflow” courtroom listening to Hamilton’s presentation on an audio hookup. He stared at the ceiling as Hamilton launched into a long laundry list of Blagojevich’s alleged misdeeds.
Proceeding in largely chronological fashion, Hamilton told jurors how Blagojevich, Rezko, Monk and others allegedly schemed to take kickbacks from investment firms seeking state business and squeeze mountains of campaign cash out of contributors in exchange for state action.
Some of the alleged kickbacks to Blagojevich, she said, were funneled to him in the form of $12,000 monthly payments from Rezko through his real estate company to Blagojevich’s wife, Patti, who did no work to earn the money. Patti Blagojevich has not been charged in the case.
Hamilton said the Rezko payments to Patti Blagojevich abruptly ended in May 2004 when another conspirator in the case, political fixer Stuart Levine, was confronted by the FBI.”
Major General calls for Obama resignation, Paul E. Vallely, MGEN US Army, Retired
From a speech given at the Lincoln Reagan Dinner on June 5, 2010 in Virginia City, Montana by Major General Paul E. Vallely, retired.
“The Declaration of Independence states:
“To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.”
We cannot permit the current leaders in the White House and Halls of Congress to continue in their efforts to lead us down the road of Progressive Socialism and destruction of America. This is the current battle that we Constitutionalists face and we must be aggressive in our efforts. Incompetence, Deceit, Fraud, Corruption, Dishonesty and Violation of the US Constitution of officials now come into play as relates to our National Character, National Security, Economy and the Nation’s well-being and is the rationale for resignations. Demand Resignation of derelict officials by the people of this country in now required.
Where is our Moral Compass?
The oath of office is simple and reads:
“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
Sadly, we have seen them violate their oath. Fraud, lying, and corruption are rampant and some have engaged in treasonous activities, and they effectively thumb their noses at us and have sold you to the highest bidder.”
“We now must call for the immediate resignation of Barry Soetoro (AKA President Barack Hussein Obama) — based on Incompetence, Deceit, Fraud, Corruption, Dishonesty and Violation of the US Constitution.
And a call for a National Petition for new elections to select the next President of the United States of America must be initiated. We can wait no longer for a change of Power and new Government.”
“Paul E. Vallely retired in 1991 from the US Army as Deputy Commanding General, US Army, Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. General Vallely graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned in the Army in 1961 serving a distinguishing career of 32 years in the Army. He served in many overseas theaters to include Europe and the Pacific Rim Countries as well as two combat tours in Vietnam. He has served on US security assistance missions on civilian-military relations to Europe, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and Central America with in-country experience in Indonesia, Columbia, El Salvador, Panama, Honduras and Guatemala.
General Vallely is a graduate of the Infantry School, Ranger and Airborne Schools, Jumpmaster School, the Command and General Staff School, The Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the Army War College. His combat service in Vietnam included positions as infantry company commander, intelligence officer, operations officer, military advisor and aide-de-camp. He has over fifteen (15) years experience in Special Operations, Psychological and Civil-Military Operations.
He was one of the first nominees for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations under President Reagan. From 1982-1986, he commanded the 351st Civil Affairs Command that included all Special Forces, Psychological Warfare and Civil Military units in the Western United States and Hawaii. He was the first President of the National Psychological Operations Association. His units participated in worldwide missions in Europe, Africa, Central America, Japan, Solomon Islands, Guam, Belgium, Korea and Thailand. He has served as a consultant to the Commanding General of the Special Operations Command as well as the DOD Anti-Drug and Counter -Terrorist Task Forces. He also designed and developed the Host-Nation Support Program in the Pacific for DOD and the State Department. Most recently, he has in-country security assistance – experience in El Salvador, Columbia and Indonesia in the development of civil-military relations interfacing with senior level military and civilian leadership.
General Vallely is a military analyst for FOX News Channel and is a guest on many nationally syndicated radio talk shows. He is also a guest lecturer on the War on Terror. He has co-authored “Endgame: The Blueprint for Victory in the War on Terror” & “War Footing: 10 Steps America Must Take to Prevail in the War for the Free World.”
Citizen WElls 