Category Archives: Lawyers

William Cellini trial jury selected, Opening statements Thursday, October 6, 2011, Teachers’ Retirement System extortion plot

William Cellini trial jury selected, Opening statements Thursday, October 6, 2011, Teachers’ Retirement System extortion plot

The jury has been selected in the William Cellini trial and opening statements are expected Thursday, October 6, 2011.

From the Chicago Tribune October 5, 2011.

“A jury has been selected for the trial of Illinois powerbroker William Cellini.

Cellini, 76, is accused of conspiring to shake down the Oscar-winning producer of “Million Dollar Baby” for a campaign contribution to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Prosecutors say Cellini wielded influence over the Teachers’ Retirement System and plotted with top Blagojevich advisers and a corrupt TRS board member to try to extort a $1.5 million campaign contribution from producer Thomas Rosenberg.

The plot was hatched in 2004 after it was discovered that Rosenberg hadn’t contributed to Blagojevich’s campaign despite his investment firm’s extensive business with TRS.

The case is the last trial stemming from a federal investigation of the ousted governor, who was convicted of corruption earlier this year and is awaiting sentencing.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-jury-selected-for-trial-of-powerbroker-william-cellini-20111005,0,2439807.story

“The case is the last trial stemming from a federal investigation of the ousted governor”

Perhaps not. Patrick Fitzgerald, Eric Holder  and Barack Obama should be next.

Bill Cellini trial, Illinois Republican political boss, Springfield insider, Blagojevich Rezko Obama, Judge James Zagel

Bill Cellini trial, Illinois Republican political boss, Springfield insider, Blagojevich Rezko Obama, Judge James Zagel

From John Kass of the Chicago Tribune October 2, 2011.

“Cellini flies into court under the radar, and that’s the way he likes it”

“Will this week’s federal corruption trial of longtime Illinois Republican political boss and gazillionaire William Cellini get as much media coverage as the trial of former Gov. Dead Meat?

Of course it won’t. And that’s unfortunate, since the Cellini case appears to be the last in the federal government’s Operation Board Games investigation into bipartisan Combine sleaze.
 
When Gov. Dead Meat was on trial, the media flocked to cover him. There were dozens of news cameras in the lobby of the federal building. Weird, desperate groupies hung outside, begging Dead Meat to acknowledge them, to touch them, to sign their skin.

But Bill Cellini?

Who?

Cellini has been charged with extortion and other crimes, for allegedly using his political influence with government officials (both Democrats and Republicans) to squeeze people.

His attorney, the distinguished former federal prosecutor Dan Webb, has dismissed the prosecution’s case, calling it weak. And Webb also makes the valid point that while Cellini is indeed a wealthy man, there is nothing illegal about becoming wealthy and knowing politicians.

Cellini has made fortunes in state-licensed casino gambling ventures, real estate development with state and Chicago City Hall connections, and management of state pension funds.

So it was probably just an amazing coincidence that a rather timid-looking former high school physics teacher made a killing in all these high-powered, politically leveraged businesses.

Is it a miracle? Or is this just another political story with an Illinois happy ending?

Webb had hoped to narrow the scope of the trial, to have it focus strictly on whether Cellini did or did not use his connections on state pension boards to muscle a Hollywood producer for campaign cash for then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The Hollywood producer is Tom Rosenberg, and he’s no shrinking violet, and no stranger to hardball Illinois politics.

But U.S. District Judge James Zagel signaled that he will allow — at least in the early stages of the trial — more background and context. That will help jurors fully understand the extent of the political muscle involved.

Unfortunately, I’ve got a feeling that Cellini on trial won’t generate the publicity buzz he deserves.”

Perhaps part of the reason involves titles of great prestige. Blagojevich, a Democrat, got oodles of publicity before, during and after his corruption trials.

Dead Meat was, after all, a governor. So he had a title. He worked closely with President Barack Obama’s real estate fairy and convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko. And Dead Meat had big hair.”

“For four decades now, Bill Cellini has worn many magic hats in Springfield. One gave him remarkable power over governors. Another was his hat as boss of Springfield. And then there was the cunning cap of media invisibility.

But he also wore a road builder’s hat. It’s more like a crown. For years, Cellini was the boss of the road builders. The kings of concrete and asphalt would flock to him for advice on “shovel-ready projects.”

And so Republican Cellini told the guys they should give money to Democrat Blagojevich.

But after the fundraiser, an amazing thing happened.

Glynn testified that Blagojevich’s senior adviser, Christopher Kelly — the same fellow who was later indicted and then committed suicide — came to see her.

Kelly asked her to wipe Cellini’s name from the fundraiser, and give credit instead to Rezko and former state Sen. James A. DeLeo, D-How You Doin?

Glynn said Kelly wanted her to call it the Rezko-DeLeo-Roadbuilders fundraiser for Blagojevich.

“Chris Kelly told us to call it that,” Glynn testified.

Combine? What Combine?

Good hair or bad hair, jury selection in the Cellini trial is scheduled for Monday.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-1002-20111002,0,1626862,full.column

Patrick Fitzgerald agenda, Protect Obama, Rezko testimony withheld, Fitzgerald attacked Republicans Ryan Libby Rove, Cellini trial

Patrick Fitzgerald agenda, Protect Obama, Rezko testimony withheld, Fitzgerald attacked Republicans Ryan Libby Rove, Cellini trial

“Why did Patrick Fitzgerald and the US Justice Department wait until December 2008 to arrest Rod Blagojevich?”…Citizen Wells

The William Cellini trial begins Monday, October 3, 2011. From all indications, and in spite of key Witness Stuart Levine being tainted with a drug use history, the prosecution will not call Tony Rezko as a witness. US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, a prosecutor who aggresively went after former IL Governor Ryan and Scooter Libby and Karl Rove, is the reason.

From Nuclear Chicago May 25, 2011.

“US Attorney Patrick “The Sandbagger” Fitzgerald: Winning Thru Intimidation of Citizen Journalists?”

“As an update to my continuing effort to construct a biography of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald as well as provide special reporting related to the retrial of Milorad Blagojevich, I am writing this morning to officially report upon and inform The May Report and NuclearChicago readership of the following:

At approximately 9:15a this past Thursday morning (May 19th), while en route to the Federal Courts to continue our coverage of USA v. Blagojevich – Nuclear Chicago published the following headline:

USA v. Blagojevich Retrial: US Attorney Patrick “The Sandbagger” Fitzgerald?

http://www.nuclearchicago.com/2011/05/nuclear-chicago-usa-v-blagojevich-retrial-u-s-attorney-patrick-the-sandbagger-fitzgerald/

Among other factors, the prevailing basis for same sensational headline as well as related analysis was due to the fact that Antoin “Tony” Rezko – Uber Confidante to Blagojevich, Obama and Nadhmi Auchi – had not yet testified as a Federal Government Witness in USA v. Blagojevich.

Same refusal by US Attorney Fitzgerald to place Rezko in the Witness Box to bury Blagojevich further corroborates the brutal realities that US Attorney Fitzgerald has been running egregious political interference to both benefit and protect Team Obama (i.e., Allison Davis, Dr. Eric Whitaker, Marty Nesbitt, et al).

Simply put – Antoin “Tony” Rezko is the only witness that can bury Blagojevich and the Chicago Political Thuggery Machine.  Why is Fitzgerald holding back Rezko?  What has been promised or implied to Fitzgerald as a “reward” for Fitzgerald’s blatant sandbagging efforts.

Same egregious political interference by Fitzgerald can be traced back to as early as 2006 when the Chicago Tribune was preparing to publish an exclusive scoop that convicted felon and Federal Goverment informant John Thomas (formerly Bernard Barton) was parading around Chicago procuring taped conversations and other evidence against politicians that were visiting Rezko’s real estate office on the near north side of the City. Evidently, same surveillance efforts procured damaging information against then US Senator Obama and Governor Blagojevich.

As reported in an earlier update (and according to a well-placed source at the Chicago Tribune), the Chicago Tribune finally capitulated to Fitzgerald’s demands and efforts to stop same exclusive John Thomas scoop only when Fitzgerald informed the Tribune that same exclusive John Thomas scoop would impair a 2008 Obama Presidential campaign. Upon being informed of 2008 Obama Presidential campaign implications – the Tribune terminated its efforts.  Same scoop was ultimately published in May 2007 via Crain’s Chicago Business to serve as a ‘heads-up’ to Obama for America Treasurer and Chicago Housing Authority Chairman Marty Nesbitt.  Same ‘heads-up’ was yet another example of political interference as John Thomas was actively trying to purchase prime real estate owned by the Chicago Housing Authority – 626 West Jackson.

US Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald — a modern day Elliot Ness with a Harvard Law Degree?

Hardly.

Fitzgerald is a dangerous, unaccountable Federal Bureaucrat with highly-charged political ambitions.  Recent history has demonstrated that nothing is sacred for Fitzgerald when it comes to his highly-charged political ambitions (i.e., Journalist Judith Miller, Scooter Libby, Blago-Gate, et al).

To further demonstrate the highly-charged political behavior of US Attorney Fizgerald, within 2-hours of publishing our Thursday morning update – “US Attorney Patrick ‘The Sandbagger’ Fitzgerald”, which was highly-critical of Rezko being surgically-removed from trial by Fitzgerald – I was detained by US Marshal Service, prohibited from re-entering 25th floor courtroom and escorted out of the Federal Courts Building.”

Read more:

 http://www.nuclearchicago.com/2011/05/nuclear-chicago-us-attorney-patrick-the-sandbagger-fitzgerald-winning-thru-intimidation-of-citizen-journalists/

We discovered recently that Colin Powell knew that Scooter Libby and Karl Rove were not the source of leaks in the Valerie Plame CIA story.  We also knew the truth from Robert Novak on July 12, 2006.

“Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has informed my attorneys that, after two and one-half years, his investigation of the CIA leak case concerning matters directly relating to me has been concluded. That frees me to reveal my role in the federal inquiry that, at the request of Fitzgerald, I have kept secret.

I have cooperated in the investigation while trying to protect journalistic privileges under the First Amendment and shield sources who have not revealed themselves. I have been subpoenaed by and testified to a federal grand jury. Published reports that I took the Fifth Amendment, made a plea bargain with the prosecutors or was a prosecutorial target were all untrue.

For nearly the entire time of his investigation, Fitzgerald knew — independent of me — the identity of the sources I used in my column of July 14, 2003. A federal investigation was triggered when I reported that former Ambassador Joseph Wilson?’s wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, was employed by the CIA and helped initiate his 2002 mission to Niger. That Fitzgerald did not indict any of these sources may indicate his conclusion that none of them violated the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.”

“In my sworn testimony, I said what I have contended in my columns and on television: Joe Wilson’s wife’s role in instituting her husband’s mission was revealed to me in the middle of a long interview with an official who I have previously said was not a political gunslinger. After the federal investigation was announced, he told me through a third party that the disclosure was inadvertent on his part.

Following my interview with the primary source, I sought out the second administration official and the CIA spokesman for confirmation. I learned Valerie Plame’s name from Joe Wilson’s entry in “Who’s Who in America.””

Read more:

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15988

Some more insight into Patrick Fitzgeralds activities from Sweetness & Light May 25, 2006.

“Patrick Fitzgerald Ratchets Up Attack On Cheney
From the DNC’s house organ, the Washington Post:”

“There’s nothing “alleged” about Plame’s sending Joe to Niger. It’s documented in the 9/11 Commission’s report.

But notice that the Washington Post never uses “alleged” when it is leveling the most preposterous charges against Libby and Cheney.

If there was ever any doubt that Fitzgerald is a political whore, this should clear that up. There is no reason on earth for him to have released this information to the press. It is just more of the DNC’s smear machine at work.”

Read more:

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/fitzgerald-ratchets-up-attack-on-cheney

May 2006, does that ring a bell with anyone? Like the time when Patrick Fitzgerald began protecting Obama, when Blagojevich dropped any presidential aspirations and Obama began planning his presidential bid.

I am not through with Patrick Fitzgerald!

William Cellini trial overview, Tony Rezko not sentenced, Rezko unlikely witness, Patrick Fitzgerald collusion

William Cellini trial overview, Tony Rezko not sentenced, Rezko unlikely witness, Patrick Fitzgerald collusion

“Why did the Illinois Senate Health & Human Services Committee, with Obama as chairman, create and push Bill 1332, “Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act,” early in 2003, which reduced the number of members on the Board from 15 to 9, just prior to rigging by Tony Rezko and Rod Blagojevich?”…Citizen Wells

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

“Why were Stuart Levine and Tony Rezko not called as witnesses in the Blagojevich trials? FBI agent Daniel Cain testified in the Rezko trial. Why was agent Cain not questioned more in the Blagojevich trial?…Citizen Wells

As I have stated before, the first letters in Wells are WE. This has always been a group effort and will continue that way. Below are 2 comments from regulars here. I wish that the rest of the country was paying this much attention.

From Bessie on 2011/09/28 at 8:00 pm.

“It was made perfectly clear in the 2 trials of Rod Blagojevich that
the prosecution and the judge were more concerned with protecting
Obama than they were with a guilty verdict….first they never called
Rezko who’s testimony would have prevented a second trial and he would
have been found guilty on all charges…second, their refusal to turn
over the 302′s and thier lame excuse, “I read them and theres nothing
there”…third, the leaker??? was it someone inside the fbi or U.S.
Attorney’s office or was it John Wyma himself…fourth, Patrick
Fitzgerald’s lack of interest in “who” tipped off John Chase, “It
wasn’t me”, just doesn’t cut it….We can be certian who ever was the
leaker also tipped off Obama and his staff…fifth, Rezko never being
called to testify and him waiting for over 3 years to be sentenced.
sixth, the current law suit of Frawley vs. Weaver, it answers numerous
questions including payments made from Rezko to Obama…which we can all
be pretty sure that the feds knew about this for years…am I forgetting
anything????”

From Pete on 2011/09/29 at 12:54 pm.

“I read a little background about our mutual prosecutor Fitzpatrick the other day. Seems he was famous before being involved in the Chicago crime, we call Obama’s past. Fitzgerald brought a guy in to testify for a grand jury, knowing the whole time that the person he was interviewing had nothing to do with the crime he was investigating. He did this to ‘entrap’ the witness. The witness was Scooter Libby, and he didn’t have ANYTHING to do with Valerie Plame or her public outing at the hands of a Colin Powel aid.

So, we know that Fitzgerald is a political hack for the DEMOCRATS and has no interest in unbiased justice. He is directly INVOLVED in cover-up for Obama and his associations with Blago, Levine, the hospital board, the sale of the illegal senate seat, his illegal housing gift from Rezco, and some 600 million dollars of Iraq reconstruction aid that went mysteriously missing.

I believe it’s all corrupt, to the very core, and the American people are starting to smell and feel the stench of our dear democratic party people. Just remember to remind EVERYONE you see that while politicians may be ‘dirty’ this sort of all out criminal administration has NO PEER in the last 150 years, and is starting to resemble Ulysses Grant for illegal behavior and pay to play.”

Here is a decent overview of the William Cellini trial.

http://www-tc.pbs.org/video/media/swf/PBSPlayer.swf

Watch the full episode. See more Chicago Tonight.

I stated in 2008 before the election that Obama had to win to avoid prosecution. Since taking the White House he has controlled Eric Holder and the US Justice Department. Obama may lose control of Holder for a number of reasons.

Many rumors are circulating about Obama not running in 2012 or having competition in the primaries. I posed the question months ago of who would throw Obama under the bus. At this point I give it a 50 50 chance of his running in 2012. He still has some of the same problems of actually being investigated for a number of indiscretions. So Obama will have to work out a deal with someone(s). Watch closely. This may happen.

Wells

Patrick Fitzgerald protects Obama, Rezko Blagojevich prosecution orchestrated delayed, John Thomas FBI mole, Chicago Tribune

Patrick Fitzgerald protects Obama, Rezko Blagojevich prosecution orchestrated delayed, John Thomas FBI mole, Chicago Tribune

From Illinois Pay To Play September 28, 2011.

“Patrick Fitzgerald: Intrepid Crime Fighter? Or, Politically-Driven Leaker?”

“Was Bernard Barton, Jr. relocated to Chicago on a mission to help
bring down Tony Rezko and, thereby, shield a young, articulate,
African-American politician from his potentially incriminating
associations with Rezko? Too conspiratorial, you say? Maybe. Maybe
not.

Let’s review the highlights of the Silent Mole, starting with an
admission from the Complicit Newspaper.

The Chicago Tribune identified Thomas as a Mole in this May 4, 2007,
article written by David Jackson.

John Thomas bought and sold downtown office buildings and helped other
property developers secure multimillion-dollar mortgage loans.

But the high-living dealmaker had a double life.

Thomas, who was convicted of federal business fraud in New York in
2004, has been serving as an undercover government mole in Chicago for
at least a year as part of an ongoing federal investigation into fraud
in the financing of large-scale commercial real estate deals, the
Tribune has learned.

Records made public so far do not identify the targets of the federal
probe and the FBI and US Attorney’s Office declined to comment for
this article.

That same May, a concerned citizen spoke on the phone with a
well-known Chicago Tribune reporter.  The concerned citizen was trying
to chase down information as to when the Tribune learned that John
Thomas was an FBI mole while working in Rezko’s office.  “Thomas” was
Barton’s new name in Chicago after being relocated from New York,
where he faced prosecution and eventual sentencing for fraud.  (The
complete story of Burton-Thomas is well documented and won’t be
rehashed here.)

The concerned citizen asked the reporter why the Trib had sat on the
Mole’s story since, at least, 2006.  That timeframe was implicitly
provided by the Trib reporter when stating that Patrick Fitzgerald
warned the paper, a year earlier in May 2006, that outing the Mole
would cause problems for the investigation and could prove dangerous
for Burton-Thomas.

Then, in a moment of indiscretion, the reporter added that Fitzgerald
told the Trib in May 2006 that identifying the mole could also
“influence the election.””

“Back when the Mole was entangled with the Eastern District of New
York, Patrick Fitzgerald was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the
adjacent Southern District.  The two would later rendezvous in
Chicago.

So, in February 2002, shortly after Burton-Thomas was relocated to
Chicago from the Big Apple, his nefarious past was outed by a Trib
reporter, but lacked any hint of his cooperation with the feds, nor
reference to his real name.”

“Now, jump ahead to February 2008. Sun-Times staff reporter David
Roeder elaborated on the Mole’s activity:

But sources said that, for more than two years when he was giving
information to agents, Thomas provided a fly-on-the-wall look inside
Rezko’s real estate operations and his desperate attempts to keep his
projects afloat.

Sources said Thomas also logged frequent visits to Rezko from Gov.
Blagojevich and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama​ (D-Ill.).Blagojevich and Obama
were among the many politicians for whom Rezko raised campaign cash.
Neither has been charged with any wrongdoing.

Thomas had good reason to help. He hopes to get probation for his own
felony fraud conviction in a New York case. And he said he wants to
redeem himself in the eyes of business associates and his family.

Sources said Thomas helped investigators build a record of repeat
visits to the old offices of Rezko and former business partner Daniel
Mahru’s Rezmar Corp., at 853 N. Elston, by Blagojevich and Obama
during 2004 and 2005…

Sources said the government had him wear a hidden wire to record
conversations with a Chicago alderman — but that he did not record
Blagojevich or Obama.

Why no recording of Blago and Obama?  Maybe because Blago had
notoriously loose lips and might say something that implicated the
Protected One, Obama.

One month later, in March 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama
was subjected to an underhand, slow-pitch softball interview by the
editorial board of the Sun Times. The transcript of the interview (no
longer available on line) includes this exchange:

Q: In November 2006, you and your campaign exchanged with us written
interrogatories. So a lot of the quotes I will give you just come out
of those. The campaign said that you probably had lunch with Rezko
once or twice a year. You sort of added four or five times, something
like that.

John Thomas is an FBI mole. He recently told us that he saw you coming
and going from Rezko’s office a lot. And three other sources told us
that you and Rezko spoke on the phone daily. Is that true?

A: (Obama) No. That’s not accurate…
John Thomas aka Bernard Barton
Okay, maybe the Mole misremembered.  A bad memory might explain why he
was never called by the USAO as a witness in the Rezko trial. Or,
perhaps, there was another reason.

On June 21, U.S. District Judge Elaine Bucklo sentenced John Thomas to
three years probation. His court records are sealed. His mission
accomplished.  And the extent of his subsequent success in Chicago
commercial real estate is displayed on his face today.”

Read more:

http://illinoispaytoplay.com

As most of you know, the Citizen Wells blog has stated that Patrick Fitzgerald has been protecting Obama for some time and should have prosecuted Blagojevich much sooner.

Patrick Fitzgerald is just as guilty of corruption as those he prosecutes. I could prove this in a court of law.

Thanks to commenter Whistleblower

Bill Cellini trial, Prosecutors request block of Stuart Levine drug and party questions, Rezko not expected to testify

Bill Cellini trial, Prosecutors request block of Stuart Levine drug and party questions, Rezko not expected to testify

“Why was Tony Rezko’s sentencing delayed?”…Citizen Wells

From the Chicago SunTimes September 20, 2011.

“Cellini prosecutors: Don’t ask our star witness about drug-fueled parties, personal life”

“Federal prosecutors in Chicago are asking a federal judge to block “irrelevant” questions about the personal life of the expected star witness in the William Cellini trial: serial swindler Stuart Levine.

Prosecutors say defense lawyers for Cellini should not be allowed to delve into Levine’s lurid background, including his previous testimony that he’d engage in all-night, drug-fueled parties at the Purple Hotel in Skokie and then attend a meeting for a state board the following day.

The government is trying to avoid the same 15-day saga that played out in Tony Rezko’s 2008 corruption trial, where Levine, once a GOP supporter and the member of two influential state boards, spelled out many details of his personal life, arguably creating a distraction in the trial.

“The government anticipates that the defendant will attempt to introduce evidence or cross-examine Stuart Levine, a potential government witness, on certain matters that are irrelevant and/or unduly prejudicial, such as on matters pertaining to Levine’s drug use and personal life,” prosecutors wrote in today’s filing. “…Those topic areas are as irrelevant and/or unfairly prejudicial.”

Prosecutors are again before Judge James Zagel, who previously ruled that those issues could not come up if Levine were to testify in the Blagojevich trial.

He never did.

Cellini is a wealthy Springfield power broker accused of conspiring with others to extort a campaign contribution for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich from Capri Capital’s Tom Rosenberg, who is also a Hollywood film producer.

Levine is key to Cellini’s trial because he and Cellini are on recordings.”

“Rezko, who had been cooperating with authorities following his conviction, is not expected to testify.

Cellini is supposed to go on trial Oct. 3 though Blagojevich –once a codefendant — is scheduled to be sentenced three days later.

Scheduling could come up in a hearing set for this Friday.”

Read more:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/blago/2011/09/cellini_prosecutors_dont_ask_s.html

Why was Tony Rezko’s sentencing delayed?

William Cellini trial, Prosecutors outline case against power broker Cellini, Blagojevich Rezko Levine

william Cellini trial, Prosecutors outline case against power broker Cellini, Blagojevich Rezko Levine

From the Chicago Tribune September 7, 2011.

“Prosecutors outline case against power broker Cellini
Longtime Springfield insider faces corruption, bribery charges”

“Weeks before longtime state power broker William Cellini is set to stand trial, federal prosecutors detailed evidence they have against him, including statements he allegedly made about what to do if law enforcement closed in and about his decades of navigating Illinois politics.

A longtime Republican fundraiser, Cellini cozied up to Democrat Rod Blagojevich during the 2002 governor’s race and struck a deal with Tony Rezko and Chris Kelly, two of Blagojevich’s closest advisers, authorities said. He faces charges of extortion, conspiracy and bribery.

He is accused of agreeing to raise money for Blagojevich as a way to protect his power and influence in Springfield, specifically at the state teacher pension board. He is also accused of trying to shake down a Hollywood producer for campaign contributions for Blagojevich.

In the filing, the government alleges that Cellini, who was a presence in Illinois politics for four decades, discussed his longevity in a February 2004 meeting on an upcoming allocation of $4.8 billion in pension board money.

Cellini recounted to the group — which included Stuart Levine, who was also charged with public corruption — about a meeting he had just had with Rezko and Kelly.

“Upon arriving, defendant said he had just come from a meeting with Rezko and Kelly, and he was upset with them,” the document reads. “He told Rezko and Kelly that they were moving too fast and were going to get themselves in trouble. Defendant said he told Rezko and Kelly that they should take defendant as an example: He had been doing this for 30 years and had always stayed above the fray.”

The filing also details a call in May 2004 between Cellini and Levine. During the recorded call, Cellini allegedly discusses the potential for an investigation and how he allegedly told Rezko and Kelly to have a cover story ready about their relationship with him.”

“The trial is set to begin on Oct. 3.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-cellini-filing-0907-20110907,0,984059.story

Neil Abercrombie Obama birth certificate facts, Abercrombie found no birth certificate, Exists in the archives written down

Neil Abercrombie Obama birth certificate facts, Abercrombie found no birth certificate, Exists in the archives written down

“Oh the tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”

“Birds of a feather flock together.”

“Why has Obama, since taking the White House, used Justice Department Attorneys, at taxpayer expense,  to avoid presenting a legitimate birth certificate and college records?”…Citizen Wells and millions of concerned Americans

In a review that I wrote on September 2, 2011 of John Woodman’s new book, “Is Barack Obama’s Birth Certificate a Fraud?”, I wrote the following:

“Governor Abercrombie stated that he could find no birth certifcate for Obama. Only a notation.”

Mr. Woodman responded to that statement and others that I made.

“Instead, he claims, “Governor Abercrombie stated that he could find no birth certifcate for Obama. Only a notation,” — completely ignoring the evidence that I presented in the book as to what Governor Abercrombie actually did and did not say.

We might ask Mr. Wells to provide proof of his statement, to give us a direct and verified quote from Governor Abercrombie in which the Governor specifically stated that he found no birth certificate, and that he instead only found a notation.

But he can’t, because it doesn’t exist. I’ve looked.”

The astute reader will immediately notice that I did not provide a direct quote of Abercrombie. Instead I provided an accurate representation of what Abercrombie said and did.

Here are the facts.

From a Honolulu Star Advewrtiser of Governor Abercrombie January 18, 2011.

“Q: You stirred up quite a controversy with your comments regarding birthers and your plans to release more information regarding President Barack Obama’s birth certificate. How is that coming?

A: I got a letter from someone the other day who was genuinely concerned about it; it is not all just political agenda. They were talking on Olelo last night about this; it has a political implication for 2012 that we simply cannot have.

(Abercrombie said there is a recording of the birth in the State Archives and he wants to use that.)

It was actually written I am told, this is what our investigation is showing, it actually exists in the archives, written down …

…What I can do, and all I have ever said, is that I am going to see to it as governor that I can verify to anyone who is honest about it that this is the case.”

Read more:

http://www.staradvertiser.com/editorials/20110118_This_is_a_collaborative_endeavor.html

Anyone with average reading comprehension skills and vocabulary should notice that Abercrombie states “written down”  and that is one of the definitions of notation.

Next for my use of the word stated, one of the definitions of state.

State (verb): To express or present in a non verbal way.

Implied assertion: Evidence of the truth of some fact that can be inferred from some statement, behaviour, or conduct put forward as evidence in court.

Assertion: Positive statement.

To the best of my knowledge, Governor Abercrombie has not announced that he has located an original birth certificate proving Hawaiian birth for Obama.

Anyone really seeking the truth would be statisfied with the facts presented above. However, as the regulars on this blog are aware, I always try to provide as much verification as possible.

Mike Evans, a celebrity journalist, is a friend  of Governor Neil Abercrombie. Evans confirms that Abercrombie could find no birth certificate for Obama. Evans then trys to backtrack, but gets caught.

From The NY Daily News January 27, 2011.

“Evans went on to tell KQRS that he talked “with Neil’s office, Neil says that he’s searched everywhere using his power as governor” at the two hospitals Obama was likely born at in 1961 – Kapiolani Medical Center and Queens Medical Center – only to come up empty.

“There is no Barack Obama birth certificate in Hawaii,” Evans claimed he was told by the governor’s office. “Absolutely no proof that he was born in Hawaii… now [Abercrombie] admits, publically, that there is no birth certificate.”

Evans now says it was all a big misunderstanding.”

Read more:

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-01-27/news/27738132_1_barack-obama-president-obama-birth-certificate

From American Thinker February 13, 2011.

“But less than a month later, when it was Abercrombie’s turn to produce the long form, he turned up empty-handed, and instead offered some ambiguous lines about something “written down” that “actually exists.”
Enter a new player to the game: journalist friend of Abercrombie, Mike Evans, on the radio a few days later touting “There is no Barack Obama birth certificate in Hawaii — absolutely no proof at all that he was born in Hawaii.” Evans backtracked after the story went national, saying he “misspoke” and had not conversed personally with Abercrombie, and that this error occurred in only one of the 34 interviews he had done that morning.  Further research, however, found that Evans repeated his misstatement more than once and “appeared to be reading from a script and ad-libbing around it as he read.””

Read more:

 http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/02/the_birther_card.html

Colin Powell Obama coverup, General Powell NPR comments edited, Natural Born Citizen not citizen is the requirement

Colin Powell Obama coverup, General Powell NPR comments edited, Natural Born Citizen not citizen is the requirement

“Why has Obama, since taking the White House, used Justice Department Attorneys, at taxpayer expense,  to avoid presenting a legitimate birth certificate and college records?”…Citizen Wells and millions of concerned Americans

“As soon as all the corrections which happened to be necessary in any partiucular number of the Times had been assembled and collated, that number would be reprinted, the original copy destroyed, and the corrected copy placed on the files in it’s stead. This process of continuation alteration was applied not only to newspapers, but to books, periodicals, pamphlets, posters, leaflets, films, sound tracks, cartoons, photographs–to every kind of literature or documentation which might conceivably hold any political or ideological significance. Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. In this way every prediction made by the Party could be shown by documentary evidence to be correct; nor was any item of news, or expression of opinion, which conflicted with the needs of the moment, ever allowed to be on record.”…George Orwell, “1984″

From Birther Summit September 5, 2011.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dean C. Haskins 
202.241.3648
dean@birthersummit.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 

Posted: September 5, 2011
© 2011 The Birther Summit
Download a PDF 

UPDATE: NPR SCRUBS POWELL’S STATEMENT ABOUT THE BIRTHER SUMMIT CHALLENGE

UPDATE: BirtherReport.com provides before and after audio and screenshots

In a recent NPR interview, Gen. Colin Powell stated, “The president had to produce his birth certificate because there was still this coterie of people in the country who won’t believe. And even after he produced his long-form birth certificate, and Mr. Trump decided he better find another thing to do besides run for president, there are still people who don’t accept that.In fact, as you may have noticed, some people are trying to persuade me to listen to their arguments as to why he is not a citizen, and I don’t choose to participate in that any longer. We’ve spent enough time on this issue. President Obama was born in the United States. He was born in Hawaii. He’s shown his certificates, and the rest of this is just conspiratorial nonsense.” Click here to listen to Powell’s original statement.

 

However, NPR’s Morning Edition website now shows the following statement in their transcript of that interview: “. . . The president had to produce his birth certificate because there was still this coterie of people in the country who won’t believe. And even after he produced his long-form birth certificate, and Mr. Trump decided he better find another thing to do besides run for president. There are still people who don’t accept that. We spent enough time on this issue. The rest of this is just conspiratorial nonsense.”

 

The Birther Summit is unaware of who might have requested the redaction, but Powell’s original comments have certainly been edited. As to any notion that Gen. Powell might not have been speaking specifically about The Birther Summit’s challenge of him, it can be concluded easily that he would not have been speaking about any other group, as The Birther Summit is the only one that has publicly challenged him to such a discussion. Before discussing Powell’s comments, The Birther Summit does want to assert that NPR’s journalistic dishonesty in this seems to underscore the public’s perception of NPR’s vastly left-leaning bias, and is generally indicative of the national media as a whole.

BarackObamaPresidentObamaMeetsColinPowellPiCEW3D3D8RlAs to his original comments, it is clear that Gen. Powell is still running cover for Barack Obama, as his statement is devoid of fact. First, it is apparent to many Americans that what Barack Obama released on April 27, 2011 was a blatantly cheap computer-generated image that was not a scan, copy, or photograph of any real document. Next, Gen. Powell stated “. . . some people are trying to persuade me to listen to their arguments as to why he is not a citizen.” Reading through our challenge, it is obvious that it included no statement that Barack Obama is not a citizen; however, as those of us who have been lifting the banner of truth in this for nearly three years have become accustomed, this is a common straw-man argument that deceptive liberals use (please pardon our redundant use of “deceptive”).

 

The fact of the matter is, the general public has no way of knowing whether or not Barack Obama is a “citizen” because he has provided no evidence to settle that matter conclusively, as forgeries establish nothing factual. However, The Birther Summit is fully prepared to present evidence that Barack Obama is not a “natural born Citizen,” as required by Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution. Gen. Powell conveniently forgot the “natural born” part in his comment. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a “citizen,” Gen. Powell, but you know that he cannot be president.

 

Next, Powell said, “. . . I don’t choose to participate in that any longer. We’ve spent enough time on this issue.” It was just this past May when Powell publicly stated that he enjoyed it when, “President Obama took out his birth certificate and blew away Donald Trump and all the birthers!” So, it appears that Gen. Powell is willing to “participate in that” on his terms, but refuses to be called out on the issue when it is understood he will be confronted with the facts, and those facts don’t line up with his statements.

 

Powell concluded his remarks about this with, “He was born in Hawaii. He’s shown his certificates, and the rest of this is just conspiratorial nonsense.” Unless Colin Powell has been privy to what has been hidden from the rest of the world, that statement was foolish at best, and purposely dishonest at worst. Moreover, to try to marginalize the issue by calling it “conspiratorial nonsense,” especially before actually hearing the evidence, is further proof of Colin Powell’s complicity in the matter. The Birther Summit believes that rendering a decision on a matter before weighing the evidence is an unwise posture for anyone to maintain.

 

Here is retired Commander Charles Kerchner’s response to Gen. Powell’s comments:

 

Colin Powell is bringing much dishonor upon himself in not standing up to support and defend the U.S. Constitution in the face of the clear and present danger in having a person, Obama, occupying the White House and in command of our military, for whom we do not conclusively know, and proven to any controlling legal authority, his true legal identity. In addition Collin Powell is saying nothing about Obama’s revealed history of engaging in criminal felonies and activities before and after his accession to the Oval Office, i.e., SSN fraud, Draft Registration fraud, and forging Birth Certificate documents. Both the long-form and the short-form are clear forgeries per numerous digital image and typographic experts.

 

You would think the proven draft registration fraud by Obama would definitely get the attention of what had been an outstanding military leader such as Powell. He has abandoned all the teachings military leadership as to duty and honor and adherence to common core values of truth and honesty. General Powell is now clearly shirking his oath as a commissioned officer to support and defend the U.S. Constitution. He cannot intellectually honestly say he does not know about the charges against Obama and the seriousness of them and the threat our nation faces with a usurper of unknown true legal ID as Commander in Chief of our military and the need for Congress to launch a congressional investigation of these charges under oath and with full subpoena power to get to the original paper documents in question as to Obama’s contemporaneous 1961 birth registration records, SSN records, and draft registration records.

 

Powell had a highly successful military career up to this time and this incident and challenge. However, he is failing the call of duty and honor in not confronting the usurper in the White House who is trampling on the U.S. Constitution and presents a great danger to our national security. Powell is failing to provide honest and honorable leadership to support and defend the U.S. Constitution and the Rule of Law and live up to his commissioned officer’s oath at a critical time in our nation’s history. History will not be too kind to General Powell for what he has and has not done on the issue of exposing Obama’s true legal identity and criminal activities and that he is instead acting and speaking in ways to facilitate the original fraud and the continuing cover-up.

 

I once admired and respected General Collin Powell. I no longer do. If I met him in his uniform at this point in time, I would salute the uniform but not the man! At some point in his life Powell has allowed the Washington DC political cesspool to totally corrupt him and any sense of honor he once had during his military career. He is disgracing and dishonoring his oath to the U.S. Constitution.

 

Additionally, Lt. Commander Walt Fitzpatrick (Ret) has done extensive work to expose the numerous commissions of treason committed by Barack Obama, which causes one to wonder how a decorated military hero like Gen. Colin Powell could be so unaware of the multiple dubious issues surrounding someone to whom he openly lends his loyal support, if those issues are so obvious to other military officer veterans. Actually, we stopped “wondering” quite some time ago. Whether Colin Powell is running cover for Barack Obama because of Obama’s race or his politics is immaterial, as he is supporting an illegal president—one who has gone to great lengths to obfuscate his true identity. A true soldier who respects his oath, as well as the principles of duty, honor, and country, would unequivocally oppose the current resident of our White House.

 

Whom do you think we should challenge?

 

While our original offer to Gen. Powell stands, and it is apparent that many citizens would like to see him do the right thing in this by listening honestly to the evidence and allowing a charity to receive $15,000, it appears that Gen. Powell, as well as the four television commentators we subsequently included, continue to dodge it. Because of that, The Birther Summit is open to YOUR suggestions regarding whom you think we should challenge next. Just visit our Contact page and offer your suggestions about who should be added to the list of people who are (so far) afraid of the facts (apparently, so much so that they will not offer three hours of their time for a charity to receive a check for $15,000). Please also explain why you would like to see the person(s) you suggest added to our challenge. Remember, elected officials cannot be a part of the challenge, as they would not be able to be a part of a challenge that includes a monetary reward.

John Woodman book, Is Barack Obama’s Birth Certificate a Fraud?, Computer guy, Market Watch article, Citizen Wells emails Woodman

John Woodman book, Is Barack Obama’s Birth Certificate a Fraud?,  Computer guy, Market Watch article, Citizen Wells emails Woodman

“Why has Obama, since taking the White House, used Justice Department Attorneys, at taxpayer expense,  to avoid presenting a legitimate birth certificate and college records?”…Citizen Wells and millions of concerned Americans

I posted the following article at Citizen News this afternoon.

“From Market Watch Aug. 30, 2011.

“‘Tea-Party Conservative’ Refutes Claims of Obama Birth Certificate Forgery”

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Aug. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — New book details 3-month investigation that found “no credible evidence” of fraud

“As Tea Partiers flock to hear Sarah Palin speak in Iowa this Saturday, one conservative who identifies with the movement is busy shredding the “expert claims” that President Barack Obama’s birth certificate is forged.

And John Woodman insists that what might be seen by some as odd behavior for a conservative is, in fact, completely in harmony with the Tea Party’s “Restoring America” theme.

“I didn’t set out to disprove the forgery claims,” he says. “I set out to discover the truth. And truth, even when some may find it inconvenient, is definitely one of the values we need to preserve and restore in our society.”

In this case, unraveling the truth took Woodman, a computer professional with 20 years’ experience, a full 3 months of careful investigation. He meticulously researched more than 30 different claims of evidence that Mr. Obama’s birth certificate is forged – and ended up dismissing them all.

“There are certainly a lot of odd and interesting things about the birth certificate,” he says. “But in spite of what you’ve heard, not one of them amounts to credible evidence that it’s a fraud.”

A related survey by Mr. Woodman suggests at least two-thirds of Americans have heard the rumors that President Obama’s birth certificate – publicly released by the White House in the form of a computer PDF file – is an obvious and proven forgery. And those claims have been backed up by an entire panel of experts showcased by conservative website WorldNetDaily. But Woodman says that all of “their experts” are wrong – and that his detailed analysis proves it.

The full story of the investigation is being released nationwide today in a 221-page book titled Is Barack Obama’s Birth Certificate a Fraud? A Computer Guy Examines the Evidence for Forgery. The book, with more than 70 illustrations, is available through Amazon and other major outlets, in both paperback and e-book formats.

Woodman says his investigation also reveals mysteries about the birth certificate not talked about anywhere else: “In about 20 different instances, I’ve presented information that is either entirely new, or very little known until now.”

But is he worried that WorldNetDaily’s panel of experts will be able to counter his analysis?

“I’m always willing to be proven wrong. But I’d say they’re the ones who are now going to have to backtrack,” he replies. “So it will be interesting to see what happens from here.”

Read more:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tea-party-conservative-refutes-claims-of-obama-birth-certificate-forgery-2011-08-30

http://www.obamabirthbook.com/

I have over 30 years experience in IT including OCR and a strong technical background. I sent John Woodman the following email a few minutes ago:

“Hi John.
I do not know you & I do not know what your motives are.
However, before I potentially “let you have it,”
how do you account for the following:
1. No chain of document.
2. I assume you have not seen the original.
3. It is clearly not a photostatic copy of an original HI long form
birth certificate.

There is plenty more.
Do you wish to respond before I put an article up?
Or debate?
Let me know.
Thanks.”

I will keep you posted.”

https://citizenwells.com/2011/08/30/is-barack-obamas-birth-certificate-a-fraud-john-woodman-computer-guy-market-watch-article-tea-partiers-sarah-palin-iowa-speech/

I have engaged in a rather extensive email exchange with John Woodman since posting that article. I will be evaluating what he has written and responding soon. Mr. Woodman has welcomed my scrutiny of his research.