Tag Archives: Citizen Wells open thread

Nancy Pelosi, Buh Bye, Republicans take House, Citizen Wells open thread, November 3, 2010

Nancy Pelosi, Buh Bye, Republicans take House

This is a happy day for me and millions of Americans. The Democrat Party has been dislodged from control of the House of Representatives in a huge way. Nancy Pelosi will no longer be Speaker of the House.

Buh Bye Nancy.

Election day, November 2, 2010, Today is the first day of the rest of our country, Citizen Wells open thread

Election day, November 2, 2010, Today is the first day of the rest of our country

Today, Tuesday, November 2, 2010 is election day. Perhaps the most important day in the history of this country since it’s founding. If you or someone you know has not voted, make certain that you do. I pray to God that we get the results that we need and that are anticipated. This, of course, will not be the end of the struggle. We must stay engaged and motivate others to do so. This, as it should be, will be a life long endeavor.

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”…Winston Churchill

William Cellini Obama Rezko Levine, et al, All searches lead back to Obama and Rezko, Citizen Wells open thread, November 1, 2010

William Cellini Obama Rezko Levine, et al, All searches lead back to Obama and Rezko

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

From John Kass of the Chicago Tribune August 13, 2010.

“Cellini, 75, a Republican boss, was once Democrat Blagojevich’s co-defendant in the corruption case known as Operation Board Games. And who says the bipartisan Illinois Combine doesn’t exist?

Cellini has been a hobby of mine for years. And although Sun-Times reporter Tim Novak has done excellent work on Cellini’s deals, Cellini has mostly flown under the media radar.

In 2008, Cellini was indicted on federal charges that he conspired with convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko and others to shake down Hollywood movie producer Thomas Rosenberg for $1.5 million in campaign cash for Blagojevich.

Since Blagojevich was arrested, Cellini’s volcano has been dormant. A trial date has not been set. If Blagojevich ends up with a hung jury and the case is retried and drags out for years, Cellini might turn 80 by the time of his trial, if ever.”

“Whether there will actually be a Cellini trial is an open question. If the Blagojevich case withers and dies, the Combine will ask its mouthpieces to call for the head of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. It’s been alleged that they already tried to get rid of Fitzgerald during the Bush administration.

Cellini made friends in all the high places. Yet federal tape recordings previously introduced in court show that he’s a guy who likes to lie low.

In a phone call recorded by the FBI on May 7, 2004, Cellini was reporting back to a fellow Republican, the since-convicted Stuart Levine. They were talking about the alleged shakedown of Rosenberg, who was threatening to go to the feds.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0813-20100813,0,6078726,full.column

Of course, one search leads to another.

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

“Connections could touch every somebody”

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

But you readers have the mental agility to follow along.

So as U.S. District Judge James Zagel accepted the not guilty plea, Cellini stood with his defense lawyer, Dan Webb.
“I had a glass of beer last night,” Cellini told Zagel, saying he had no problem following the court proceedings. The three talked as if they knew each other well. They do.

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

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

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

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

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

Read more:

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/blagojevich-trial-william-cellini-testimony-blagojevich-rezko-obama-corruption-buddies-pay-to-play-politics/

All searches lead back to Obama and Rezko

From Citizen Wells April 13, 2010.

(Note the highlighted areas)
Obama’s role in rigging the Health Planning Facilities Board
Evelyn Pringle, Obama Curtain Time 2
Obama was chairman of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee in January 2003. A few articles in the media have mentioned that Obama sat on a committee that reviewed matters related to the Planning Board in conjunction with the Governor’s staff but none have discussed his integral part in getting the bill passed.

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

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

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

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

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

As discussed fully in Curtain Time for Obama Part 1, the Republicans and Democrats worked together in setting up the Planning Board scheme because the Combine as a whole would profit.

(Citizen Wells Note – Cellini reference)

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

He told the jury he had the same understanding with the two prior Republican governors, Jim Edgar, and George Ryan, who is now sitting in prison due to Fitzgerald’s successful prosecution of a corruption case against him.

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

Tony Rezko’s name does not appear in the email. In fact, his attorney made the point to the jury that the exchange was from Blagojevich’s general counsel, Susan Lichtenstein, and Wilhelm’s office, and indicated the appointees were recommended by Wilhelm and supported by those who received the memo.

The memo said, “we worked closely over the past six months” with eight officials including three state senators.

Jennifer Thomas, a former aide in Blagojevich’s patronage office, testified that she attended regular weekly meetings at Rezko’s office between the spring of 2003 and November 2004, and Rezko floated names and specifically said Levine should be reappointed to the new Board.

The Senate bill said, the “Board shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate.” But the Senate Confirmation Hearings were a joke. For instance, the Feds recorded Levine talking to co-schemer, Jon Bauman, the day Levine learned he was approved by the Senate from the executive secretary of the Board.

Levine told Bauman he ran into Jeffrey Marks, who said “congratulations on your appointment,” and Levine asked for what. Marks said, “well the Senate Confirmation Hearings on Health Facility Plan Board members.”

He told Levine Senate President, Emil Jones, only allowed 2 members to be approved and “that was you and the other person he just put in.”

“Isn’t that hysterical ’cause you know they had this big battle going on,” Levine told Bauman.

Laughing away, Levine said, “don’t you just love it.”

“I’m one of those independents and not part of the block.”

“Well, good, you know it’s good to be just a true independent civil servant,” Bauman said laughing along with Levine.

“Is, is that a good thing,” Levine replied, “I’ve never been that.”

Corrupt appointees fund Obama and Blagojevich campaigns

The corrupt new appointees were all contributors to the presidential hopeful, Blagojevich, and the US senate hopeful Obama.

The previous Act allowed the Board itself to select a “Chairman and other officers as deemed necessary.” But the new law stated: “The Governor shall designate one of the members to serve as Chairman and shall name as full-time Executive Secretary.”

The Board’s then sitting-chairman, Thomas Beck, who was originally appointed by a Republican governor, testified under a grant of immunity that he brought a $1,000 check to Rezko on July 15, 2003, to make sure Blagojevich reappointed him.

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

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

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

Dr Imad Almanaseer contributed a total of $3,000 to Obama after he landed the appointment. On March 13, 2008, Almanaseer testified against Rezko and told the jury he was an investor in Rezko’s fast-food businesses.

This doctor’s son, Ahmed Almanaseer, was given a trade office intern position with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Ahmed is president of HireIraqis.com a bilingual human resources “site aimed at linking Iraqi job seekers with the companies engaged in the reconstruction [in Iraq] efforts,” according to Rezko Watch/RBO.”

Read more:

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/blagojevich-trial-documents-april-13-2010-documents-unsealed-judge-james-zagel-obama-reference-rezko-levine-obama-connection/

IL senate race debate, Alexi Giannoulias, Mark Kirk, Giannoulias Rezko Obama, Citizen Wells open thread, October 30, 2010

IL senate race debate, Alexi Giannoulias, Mark Kirk, Giannoulias Rezko Obama

Obama is back in Chicago and Illinois stumping again for another corruption crony, Alexi Giannoulias. Obama supporting any candidate should be a politcal kiss of death. However, Alexi Giannoulias, has enough baggage of his own, enough associations with criminals like Tony Rezko and Michael Durango, to alarm concerned citizens.

From the recent debate between Alexi Giannoulias and Mark Kirk provided by the Chicago Tribune.

“>> Phil Ponce: LET’S MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT CONTINUES TO LINGER. MR. GIANNOULIAS, YOU ACKNOWLEDGED THAT YOU KNEW THE CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS TO MEN TO

WHO YOUR FAMILY’S BANK MADE LOANS UP TO $27 MILLION, WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU KNOW ABOUT MICHAEL DURANGO AND OTHERS?

>> Alexi Giannoulias: LET ME STEP BACK AND TRY TO CLEAR THE AIR BECAUSE THROUGHOUT THIS CAMPAIGN, CONGRESSMAN KIRK AND KARL ROVE AND HIS OUTSIDE GROUPS HAVE

SAID THINGS THAT ARE WRONG, INACCURATE AND OFFENSIVE.
I’M VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE BUSINESS THAT MY FATHER STARTED 30 YEARS AGO.
AND, YOU KNOW, NO ONE    NO ONE HAS EVER ACCUSED MY FATHER’S BUSINESS OF EVER DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL, ELICIT OR IMPROPER.
HE CAME TO THIS COUNTRY WITH NOTHING.
HE STARTED A COMMUNITY BANK THAT HELPED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ACHIEVED THE AMERICAN DREAM.
BY  

>> Phil Ponce: LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR CONDUCT, THOUGH.

>> Alexi Giannoulias: BY HELPING THEM BUY THEIR FIRST HOME.
TO CHERRY PICK A FEW INDIVIDUALS OUT OF THOUSANDS    OUT OF THOUSANDS WHILE IT’S EASY TO MAKE A POLITICAL AD, RUNNING A BUSINESS IS NOT A STRAIGHT LINE.
AND MISTAKES ARE MADE, AND INEVITABLY, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE PEOPLE YOU WISH YOU NEVER HAD DONE BUSINESS WITH, BUT THAT DOESN’T REPRESENT THE THOUSANDS OF

CUSTOMERS THAT ACHIEVE THE AMERICAN DREAM BECAUSE OF MY FATHER.

>> Phil Ponce: AND YET YOU SAID IN A 2006 ARTICLE, THAT YOU DID DISCUSS HIS CRIMINAL BACKGROUND WITH MR. DURANGO.

>> Alexi Giannoulias: NOTHING I SAID IS INCONSISTENT.
THESE ARE NOT THE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT WE WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH, THAT’S NOT MY FATHER’S LEGACY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAY THAT BANKS AND COMMUNITY BANKS MAKE DECISIONS.
THEY LOOK AT THE CREDIT WORTHINESS AND WHETHER THAT INDIVIDUAL CAN PAY THEIR LOAN IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THAT’S HOW CREDIT DECISIONS ARE MADE.
IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT NONE OF THE LOANS THAT WERE GIVEN HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS.
NONE OF THEM.
SO, AGAIN, IT’S IMPORTANT TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE AND I’M VERY PROUD OF MY FATHER’S COMMUNITY BANK.

>> Phil Ponce: WE ARE REALLY TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU PERFORMED AS A SENIOR LOAN OFFICER.
AND DID YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TWO MEN WERE FACING PRISON SENTENCES AT THE TIME THE LOANS WERE MADE?

>> Alexi Giannoulias: AS I SAID, PHIL, IF WE KNEW THEN WHAT WE KNOW NOW, WE WOULDN’T DO BUSINESS.
>> Phil Ponce: SO YOU DON’T KNOW?

>> Alexi Giannoulias: PHIL, WHEN MAKE A CREDIT DECISION.
YOU LOOK AT THE CREDIT WORTHINESS OF THE BORROWER AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN PAY THAT LOAN.
AND WHEN YOU GO TO A LARGER BANK, YOU WILL FIND NOT TWO OR THREE PEOPLE BUT HUNDREDS.
THAT’S HOW THE REALITY OF BUSINESSES.

>> Phil Ponce: ARE YOU SAYING YOU GO TO A LARGER BANK LIKE CHASE, THEY DO BUSINESS WITH HUNDREDS OF CRIMINALS.

>> Alexi Giannoulias: ABSOLUTELY.
I’M SURE THEY HAVE GOTTEN LOANS FROM A LOT OF OTHER BANKS.

>> Phil Ponce: DO YOU HAVE YOUR LIST WITH YOU?

>> Mark Kirk: THIS IS A LIST OF ALL THE LOANS MADE BY BROADWAY BANK.
THE ONES IN YELLOW ARE THE ONES MADE WHEN ALEXI GIANNOULIAS WAS THE SENIOR LOAN OFFICER OF THE BROADWAY BANK.
TO INFAMOUS MOBSTERS LIKE MICHAEL “JAWS” DURANGO AND TO LEARN ABOUT THEM, YOU DON’T HAVE TO PULL THEIR RAP SHEET.
YOU CAN READ ABOUT THEM IN THE “CHICAGO TRIBUNE.”
JOE KLEIN OF “TIME” MAGAZINE SAID AFTER OUR APPEARANCE ON “MEET THE PRESS” IN ALL OF HIS YEARS IN POLITICS, HE DIDN’T SEE SOMEONE RUNNING FOR A NATIONALLY

POLITICAL OFFICE, SAYING I DIDN’T KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OF THE PEOPLE I WAS LENDING MONEY TO.
AND, REMEMBER, THIS WAS ELECTRIC A FEDERALLY LICENSE    FROM A FEDERALLY LICENSED AND FEDERALLY INSURED INSTITUTION THAT THEN COLLAPSED, TRANSFERRING A $390

MILLION BILL ON TO THE BACK OF THE FDIC.

>> Phil Ponce: YOUR RESPONSE.

>> Alexi Giannoulias: SO I’M THRILLED.
YOU KNOW WHAT THE CONGRESSMAN CONTINUES TO CARRY THIS LIST AROUND.
HE TRIES, IT’S GUILT BY ASSOCIATION ATTACKS THAT DON’T WORK.
HE TRIES TO MALIGN MY FAMILY, MY FATHER’S BUSINESS, AND HE READ THE LIST.
I BROUGHT MY LIST AND IF WE WANT TO PLAY THESE GUILT BY ASSOCIATION ATTACKS, LET’S DO IT.
HE TOOK MONEY, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM STUART LEVINE WHO PLED GUILTY TO CORRUPTION.
NICHOLAS HERKIN PLED GUILTY TO KICKBACK SCHEMES AND JOHN GLENON PLED GUILTY TO KICKBACK SCHEMES.
I CAN GO ON AND ON.
BUT, LOOK, THESE GUILT BY ASSOCIATION ATTACKS, PEOPLE AREN’T BUYING IT.
THEY ARE SICK OF IT.
LET’S ELEVATE THE CAMPAIGN AND TALK ABOUT IDEAS.
YOU CAN TALK ABOUT CRIMINALS WHO YOU TOOK MONEY FROM.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES AND MOVE THIS CAMPAIGN FORWARD AND TALK ABOUT THE FUNDAMENTAL ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES BUT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT YOU

ARE GOING TO SEE THAT CONGRESSMAN KIRK TODAY DECIDED TO GO STRAIGHT NEGATIVE THROUGHOUT THIS CAMPAIGN IS BECAUSE HE HAD AN INDEFENSIBLE RECORD IN CONGRESS.
FOR THE RECORD, I HAVE DECIDED FOR THE REST OF THE CAMPAIGN TO GO POSITIVE.

>> Phil Ponce: FOR THE REST  

>> Alexi Giannoulias: AND THE CONGRESSMAN.
IT’S IRONIC THAT TODAY HE PULLED ALL OF HIS POSITIVE ADS AND HE’S GOING STRAIGHT NEGATIVE.

>> Phil Ponce: LET’S GET YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT LIST.
ARE YOU AWARE THAT THESE DONORS ACCORDING TO MR. GIANNOULIAS HAVE CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS?

>> Mark Kirk: WELL, SO MUCH WITH ALEXI GIANNOULIAS, WHEN YOU ARE DEBATING HIM, IT’S LIKE AND NOW THE REST OF THE STORY.
IT’S LIKE A PAUL HARVEY EPISODE.
WHAT HE DOESN’T SAY IS WE REFUNDED THE MONEY AS SOON AS WE KNEW ABOUT CRIMINAL PROBLEMS.
MANY OF THEM WE REFUNDED ALMOST A DECADE AGO.

>> Alexi Giannoulias: YOU REFUNDED ALL OF THESE CONTRIBUTIONS?

>> Mark Kirk: WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, STUART LEVINE AND NICHOLAS HERKINS, WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS I DIDN’T LEND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO TONY REZKO.

>> Alexi Giannoulias: YOU RECEIVED A CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION FROM TONY REZKO.

>> Mark Kirk: I DIDN’T INTERRUPT YOU.
I WOULD GIVE YOU THE RESPECT OF NOT INTERRUPTING YOU.

>> Alexi Giannoulias: YOU ALSO HAVE TO ANSWER PHIL’S QUESTION.

>> Mark Kirk: ARE YOU OKAY NOW?
CAN I TALK?

>> Alexi Giannoulias: SURE, GO AHEAD.
BE TRUTHFUL.

>> Mark Kirk: I’M GOING TO RESPECT MY OPPONENT AND LET HIM ANSWER AND THEN I WILL ANSWER.
WE REFUNDED THIS MONEY FROM, FOR EXAMPLE, STUART LEVINE AND WHEN YOU RUN BIG CAMPAIGNS, YOU WILL ACCEPT MONEY FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE BUT THEN WHEN YOU HEAR

ABOUT CRIMINAL PROBLEMS, YOU WILL REFUND IT.

WHAT I DIDN’T DO IS I DIDN’T LOAN MONEY TO TONY REZKO.
WHAT I DIDN’T DO IS RUN A BANK THAT HAD SO MANY RELATIONSHIPS WITH MOBSTERS AND FELONS.
WHAT I DIDN’T DO IS BET THE WHOLE BANK ON RISKY REAL ESTATE LOANS, A BROKERED HOT MONEY DEPOSITS.
“THE NEW YORK TIMES” ANALYSIS SHOWED LED TO THE COLLAPSE OF THIS INSTITUTION.
AND THEN A $390 MILLION BILL PAID BY THE FDIC.
BY THE WAY THAT WAS MY OPPONENT’S FIRST JOB.
HIS SECOND JOB WAS AS TREASURER FOR THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, IN WHICH HE PRESIDED OVER A STEADY COLLAPSE OF OUR STATE’S CREDIT RATING AND A LOSS OF COLLEGE

SAVINGS UNDER THE BRIGHT START PROGRAM.”

Read more:

http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2010/10/us-senate-debate-transcript.html

Giannoulias Rezko Obama. Another of many examples of politicians tied to corruption and crime in Chicago and IL and pay to play politics. Obama has been endorsing Giannoulias for years and both had money ties to rezko.

From Citizen Wells August 3, 2010.

““A new headache for Giannoulias? Another Rezko loan”

“By February 2006, businessman and political fixer Tony Rezko was already politically radioactive, caught up in a federal investigation that would see him criminally charged by the end of that year.

News reports had linked Rezko, a key adviser and campaign fund-raiser for then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, to shady deals involving state pension funds — among the crimes that ultimately would send him to prison.

This was the Tony Rezko who, looking for millions of dollars for a massive South Loop development, turned to Broadway Bank, owned by the family of Alexi Giannoulias. Giannoulias, the Democrat now running for U.S. Senate, had left his post as a senior loan officer at the Chicago bank in late 2005 to mount a successful campaign for Illinois state treasurer, though he still held an ownership stake in the bank.

Rezko’s company asked. And Broadway Bank came through.

On Feb. 14, 2006, newly obtained records show, the bank made a $22.75 million loan to a company called Riverside District Development LLC, whose owners, it turns out, included Rezko.”

“Giannoulias, who touted his experience at Broadway Bank in his campaign to win election as state treasurer, has said its failure was the result of the national economic slowdown and the pullback in the real estate market, in which it invested heavily.”

“Broadway Bank made the loan even though another Rezko company, Chicago Hudson LLC, had fallen behind on a $10.9 million loan it got from the bank four years earlier. That loan — for a proposed high-rise condo building at 750 N. Hudson on the Near North Side that never got built — ended up in Bankruptcy Court. The property ended up being sold to another developer. Broadway Bank received $11.5 million from the sale, which took place July 31, 2006.

Following Rezko’s indictment in October 2006, he and his lawyers met in January 2007 with U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve to discuss his assets. During that closed-door hearing, Rezko disclosed his ownership stake in Riverside District Development, the company that got the $22.75 million loan from Broadway Bank. Rezko’s lawyers said his main partner in Riverside was General Mediterranean Holding, a Luxembourg company controlled by Iraq-born billionaire Nadhmi Auchi.”

“According to Giannoulias and Auchi, Riverside District Development paid off the Broadway Bank loan with money it obtained from a $27 million loan from another financial institution: Mutual Bank.

Like Broadway Bank, Mutual also ended up getting shut down by federal regulators — though the loan was paid off, records show. Like Rezko, Mutual’s president, Amrish Mahajan, had been a top fund-raiser for Blagojevich.”

Read more:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/watchdogs/2555870,CST-NWS-watchdogs02.article

For those of you really paying attention, the following exerpt will ring a bell.

“Conner was employed by Mutual bank from on or about August 3, 2000 until involuntarily terminated on October 23, 2007. Conner reported to James Murphy, Senior Vice President, Internal Auditor/Risk Manager, who in turn reported to Amrish Mahajan, President & CEO of Mutual Bank.””

Read more:

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2010/08/03/obama-giannoulias-rezko-auchi-mahajan-obama-still-attending-giannoulias-fundraiser-giannoulias-bank-loan-citizen-wells-open-thread-august-3-2010/

MN voter fraud, Same day registration in Minnesota, Obama thugs, Mitch Stewart email, Citizen Wells open thread, October 29, 2010

MN voter fraud, Same day registration in Minnesota, Obama thugs, Mitch Stewart email

From Mitch Stewart, Director Organizing for America last night.
“Friend —

Because you live in Minnesota, voting couldn’t be easier.

All you and your friends have to do is show up on Election Day. If you’re not registered, you can do that right at your polling place.

The stakes this year are simply too great for anyone who cares about the future of this country to stay at home — and the voting rules in Minnesota make it as easy as possible for you to make sure you can cast your ballot.

Voter turnout will be high, so please make a plan about when and how you expect to make it to your polling place — and talk to at least three friends to make sure they have a plan, too.

If you have any questions at all, you can find more information here:

www.RaiseYourVote.com

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

P.S. — If you encounter any problems at the polls, please call our Voter Protection Hotline at 1-800-311-VOTE (8683).”

“Because you live in Minnesota, voting couldn’t be easier.”

That is the understatement of the year!

I’m sure you remember. If not.

From Citizen Wells July 13, 2010.

“Dear Mr. Coates,
I represent Minnesota Majority, a non-profit public policy watchdog group. I am contacting you to request a
formal investigation into apparent voter registration irregularities in Minnesota. We believe that the
Minnesota Secretary of State may be in violation of requirements for voter registration practices as defined
by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). I will begin by providing some background on the situation, which
prompted this letter. I will then provide my specific complaint and our request of your office.
BACKGROUND
As part of Minnesota Majority’s issue advocacy activities, we make use of Minnesota’s voter file, as
provided under Minnesota law. It was in the course of utilizing this list that we began to notice a number of
unusual anomalies in the data, which prompted us to conduct additional research. Our cursory review of the
data revealed a number of potential issues, including:

• POTENTIAL DUPLICATE VOTER REGISTRATION RECORDS: We discovered thousands of voter
registration records that have an exact match on the criteria of first name, middle name, last name and
birth year.

• VACANT AND NON-DELIVERABLE ADDRESSES: The United States Postal Service has flagged
nearly 100,000 voter registration records as being either “vacant” or “undeliverable”. We visited
approximately two-dozen of these addresses to verify the USPS results and discovered approximately
50% of the addresses to be correctly flagged, in that the addresses did not exist. We have taken
photographs of empty lots and non-existent addresses where our investigation revealed invalid addresses.

• DEFICIENT VOTER REGISTRATIONS: Minnesota Statute 201.071 requires voter registrations
recorded after August 1, 1983 to include the voter’s name, address, date of birth and signature. We
discovered thousands of voter registrations that would be considered “deficient” under Minnesota law
due to missing or invalid information. Minnesota law requires these deficient registrations to be
corrected before an individual is allowed to vote.

• DECEASED VOTERS: Using a standard deceased matching service commonly utilized by mailing
houses, we discovered thousands of apparently deceased individuals who are still on the voter rolls.
• DOUBLE VOTING: We found nearly 100 cases in which voter registration and voter history records
suggest that a single voter may have voted more than once in a single election. There are thousands of
additional records that merit review.

• OTHER INCONSISTENCIES: We have discovered several thousand voters registered after August 1,
1983 that had birth years suggesting these individuals are 108 years of age or older. We also found
nearly 2,000 individuals who appear to have registered and voted before the age of 18.”

Fox News November 10, 2008.

“Minnesota is becoming to 2008 politics what Florida was in 2000 or Washington State in 2004 — a real mess. The outcome will determine whether Democrats get 58 members of the U.S. Senate, giving them an effective filibuster-proof vote on many issues.

When voters woke up on Wednesday morning after the election, Senator Norm Coleman led Al Franken by what seemed like a relatively comfortable 725 votes. By Wednesday night, that lead had shrunk to 477. By Thursday night, it was down to 336. By Friday, it was 239. Late Sunday night, the difference had gone down to just 221 — a total change over 4 days of 504 votes.

Amazingly, this all has occurred even though there hasn’t even yet been a recount. Just local election officials correcting claimed typos in how the numbers were reported. Counties will certify their results today, and their final results will be sent to the secretary of state by Friday. The actual recount won’t even start until November 19.

Correcting these typos was claimed to add 435 votes to Franken and take 69 votes from Coleman. Corrections were posted in other races, but they were only a fraction of those for the Senate. The Senate gains for Franken were 2.5 times the gain for Obama in the presidential race count, 2.9 times the total gain that Democrats got across all Minnesota congressional races, and 5 times the net loss that Democrats suffered for all state House races.

Virtually all of Franken’s new votes came from just three out of 4130 precincts, and almost half the gain (246 votes) occurred in one precinct — Two Harbors, a small town north of Duluth along Lake Superior — a heavily Democratic precinct where Obama received 64 percent of the vote. None of the other races had any changes in their vote totals in that precinct.””

Newsmax June 2, 2009

“A public watchdog group is calling for federal authorities to investigate allegations of widespread voter fraud in Minnesota, charging that state election officials have been unable to establish the eligibility of over 30,000 persons whose ballots were included in the November election.

A lawsuit filed by the nonprofit group Minnesota Majority alleges that Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and 25 county election officials failed to reconcile registrations — matching votes cast with actual voter registrations of people who live at valid addresses — thereby casting a shadow over the legitimacy of thousands of ballots cast on Nov. 4.

The lawsuit transcends the issues being debated in the ongoing Senate election contest between Democrat Al Franken and former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman, which is now under review by the state’s supreme court.

“When you’re talking about a major U.S. Senate race that’s being decided by 312 votes, whether you’re for Coleman or Franken, it doesn’t give me a great deal of confidence in the election,” Minnesota Majority founder and CEO Jeff Davis tells Newsmax. “I would guess that both camps would be really interested in knowing what the heck is going on.”

Davis is calling for a federal investigation into what he sees as systemic voter fraud in Minnesota elections. Minnesota law allows people to show up at the polls on Election Day, fill out a voter registration card based on a pledge that they are eligible, and cast a ballot.””

“Minnesota Majority July 8, 2010.”

“Minnesota Majority has experienced the DOJ’s refusal to investigate these kind of cases first-hand. On November 17th of 2008 (immediately following the 2008 General Election and while the Coleman-Franken recount battle was getting underway), Minnesota Majority president Jeff Davis sent a certified letter to then Voting Section chief of the Civil Rights Division at the DOJ, Christopher Coates, requesting an investigation into apparent failures to comply with HAVA by Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. No response was forthcoming.
 
Since the DOJ in Washington DC failed to follow up on Davis’ complaint, Minnesota Majority contacted the local FBI office and lodged the same complaint. Special Agent Brian Kinney responded and visited the Minnesota Majority office to examine Minnesota Majority’s findings. At that time, he said, “based on what I see here there is more than enough evidence to initiate an internal complaint.” He gave his assurances that he would bring the matter to the attention of his supervisors. There was no further follow-up.”

Read more:

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2010/07/13/us-justice-department-corruption-mn-voter-fraud-al-franken-stole-election-november-2008-justice-dept-letter/

“All you and your friends have to do is show up on Election Day. If you’re not registered, you can do that right at your polling place.”

Blagojevich trial update, Judge James Zagel refuses to throw out conviction, Citizen Wells open thread, October28, 2010

Blagojevich trial update, Judge James Zagel refuses to throw out conviction

From the Chicago Tribune October 27, 2010.

“A federal judge on Wednesday refused to throw out former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s lone conviction from his trial last summer.

U.S. District Judge James Zagel rejected the defense contention that prosecutors brought an overly complicated case that confused the jury and then damaged Blagojevich’s right to defend himself by limiting his lawyers at every turn.

The jury convicted Blagojevich of a single count of lying to the FBI but deadlocked on all 23 other counts. He is set to be retried on those charges April 20.

Blagojevich’s lawyers had maintained that a “plethora of errors” at trial had led to the lone conviction. Blagojevich’s “fundamental right to defend himself through cross-examination was stomped upon by obstructionist (and continuous) objections that were sustained by the court,” the defense wrote.

But Zagel’s two-page opinion concluded that the defense tactics showed it didn’t have a legal leg to stand on.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-blagojevich-motion-denied-20101027,0,1744287.story

Nevada voter fraud, Voting machines suspect, Clark County, Harry Reid son Rory, Citizen Wells open thread, October 27, 2010

Nevada voter fraud, Voting machines suspect, Clark County, Harry Reid son Rory

From Gateway Pundit.

“The suspect voting machines in Clark County Nevada are serviced by the SEIU.

The SEIU is the same corrupt union that is behind thousands of bogus voter registrations across the nation. The group is spending millions this year to help democrats win back their majorities in Congress.
The Washington Examiner reported:

Clark County is where three quarters of Nevada’s residents and live and where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s son Rory is a county commissioner. Rory is also a Democratic candidate for governor.

Since early voting started, there have been credible reports that voting machines in Clark County, Nevada are automatically checking Harry Reid’s name on the ballot:

Voter Joyce Ferrara said when they went to vote for Republican Sharron Angle, her Democratic opponent, Sen. Harry Reid’s name was already checked.

Ferrara said she wasn’t alone in her voting experience. She said her husband and several others voting at the same time all had the same thing happen.

“Something’s not right,” Ferrara said. “One person that’s a fluke. Two, that’s strange. But several within a five minute period of time — that’s wrong.””

“UPDATE: Harry Reid is offering free food and gift cards to get people out to vote.”

Read more:

http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/10/breaking-suspect-voting-machines-in-nevada-are-serviced-by-seiu/

Thanks to Jonah

Blagojevich trial delayed, Retrial April 2011, Chicago Tribune feedback, Citizen Wells open thread, October 25, 2010

Blagojevich trial delayed, Retrial April 2011, Chicago Tribune feedback

From the Chicago Tribune.

“A federal judge agreed Friday to delay former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s retrial until April to give his defense team — down to just two lawyers — more time to prepare.

U.S. District Judge James Zagel, who had tentatively planned for the retrial to begin in early January, postponed its start until April 20.

Prosecutors objected to the delay, pointing out that Blagojevich’s two remaining attorneys took part in the first trial. “The faulty premise is that they are starting from scratch,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar.

But the defense said the two will have to take on much heavier roles in the retrial.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/blagojevich/ct-met-blagojevich-trial-delayed-20101022,0,794409.story

From the Chicago Tribune.

“Those of us who work for the Chicago Tribune speak with our readers every day. That conversation survives on our credibility and your trust. We understand the humbling truth that neither of those is assured.

Today we need to talk with you about painful developments that have threatened that credibility, that trust.

On Oct. 6, The New York Times reported that the Tribune Co. had been engulfed by “a culture run amok.””

“Much of the New York Times story was disturbing, but one passage particularly troubled us: It called into question the independence of the newsroom and this editorial board.

In June 2008, according to the story, Tribune Co. Chairman Sam Zell approached then-Editor Ann Marie Lipinski at a meeting, “saying that the Chicago Tribune should be harder on Gov. Rod Blagojevich. … In a news meeting later the same day, she found out that Mr. Zell was in negotiations to sell Wrigley Field to the state sports authority.” Lipinski says, “It was hard to avoid the conclusion that he was trying to use the newspaper to put pressure on Blagojevich.””

“Blagojevich was arrested in December 2008. Among the charges: that he sought to pressure Tribune Co. to fire members of the Chicago Tribune editorial board. Tribune editorials had been discussing the governor’s removal from office since October 2007. At the time of his arrest, the Tribune reported that negotiations on Wrigley Field had resumed shortly after the company had rejected the state’s offer.”

“Zell has denied that he sought to use the newspaper for business purposes. No one from the editorial board was present for the conversation between Zell and Lipinski. We can, however, say with certainty that Tribune Co. executives — from Zell on down — have never tried to influence this editorial board. Their approach has been completely hands-off. Completely. They have had no impact whatsoever on our Blagojevich editorials. We realize that we cannot prove a negative. All we can do is tell you the truth and ask you to believe us.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-tribune1-20101022,0,1392448.story

The Chicago Tribune has done a decent and sometimes excellent job of covering Rod Blagojevich. They can be faulted, along with the rest of the mainstream media for not covering the complete Obama stories.

The rest of the story.

Philip Berg DC eligibility rally, Removal of Obama with or without Issa, Citizen Wells open thread, October 24, 2010

Philip Berg DC eligibility rally, Removal of Obama with or without Issa

“Why has Obama, for over 2 years, employed numerous private and government attorneys to avoid presenting a legitimate birth certificate and college records?”…Citizen Wells and millions of concerned Americans

From World Net Daily October 23, 2010.

“D.C. eligibility rally boldly blasts Obama as ‘fraud’
Attorney Berg motivates crowd to ask, ‘Where’s birth certificate?'”

“A rally today at the U.S. Capitol pulled no punches in declaring President Barack Obama an “imposter” and “fraud” who should resign before a constitutional crisis of his own making rips apart the nation.

The rally was called by Philip Berg, a Pennsylvania attorney who runs the ObamaCrimes.com website and was the first to sue over allegations Obama is constitutionally ineligible to occupy the Oval Office.

“The main thrust of the rally,” Berg told WND, “was to get out the continuing message that Obama is a phony, a fraud, an imposter, and [his eligibility to serve as president] is the biggest hoax committed against the U.S. in 234 years.”

Berg believes there is enough evidence, both hard and circumstantial, to justify an investigation into whether or not Obama is a “natural-born citizen” as required by the Constitution to serve as president. Berg is looking for a court with “the guts” to demand Obama provide proof of his eligibility.”

“Berg told WND he isn’t pushing for Obama’s resignation out of some right-wing venom – he’s a life-long Democrat – or racism or hatred, but out of dedication to preserving the U.S. Constitution and out of concern about what will happen to the country if Obama continues his presidency and is discovered ineligible years down the road.
“My goal is to have a peaceful revolution before something worse breaks out,” Berg said. “The sooner the better.”

He continued, “Obama is walking all over the Constitution, destroying the Constitution through holding office while ineligible, through a health-care plan that is clearly unconstitutional, and he has plans for more unconstitutional actions. I’m doing this because nothing is more important to the U.S. than its Constitution.”

Berg’s initial emergency appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court when Obama first took office, like those of a number of other attorneys, were not accepted by the panel. He has one case pending, and it is being prepared for presentation to the high court now.”

“He says that if it weren’t for the U.S. media, Obama would already have been exposed and removed from office.

“The media gave him a free ride,” he said.”

“Berg’s is not the only one who has challenged Obama’s residency in the White House. A case is developing involving Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin, who has questioned the legitimacy of the orders in the U.S. military under a president whose eligibility is under question.

Another case being handled by California attorneys Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation and Orly Taitz is on behalf of another presidential candidate and challenges Obama’s inclusion on the ballot.

Yet another claims Congress failed to perform its constitutional obligations to investigate Obama.

There’s even been a series of discussions about impeachment.”

Read more:

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.printable&pageId=219109

“The court concludes … that the public’s need to know is more compelling

From The Wall Street Journal .

“Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Joe Miller meets supporters at his Anchorage, Alaska, campaign headquarters Thursday.“Mr. Miller is a public figure by virtue of the fact that he’s a candidate for the U.S. Senate,” said Superior Court Judge Winston Burbank at a hearing. He continued, “The court concludes … that the public’s need to know is more compelling than Mr. Miller’s right to privacy.”

He ruled some information shouldn’t be disclosed for reasons including the privacy of the people involved and client-attorney privilege. He added that the records shouldn’t be disclosed any earlier than Tuesday at 4 p.m., to give Mr. Miller time to appeal the decision before then. “Joe is going to confer with his attorney to see if an appeal is even necessary,” said a spokesman for Mr. Miller.

The decision was a twist in a battle involving several news organizations who had together sued the Fairbanks North Star Borough, where Mr. Miller once worked as a lawyer, for records about the Republican candidate’s potential misuse of government computers and the circumstances of his departure from the job.

Mr. Miller was allowed Tuesday to intervene in the lawsuit to push for the protection of the records. If the employment records are ultimately released, they could cast a spotlight on the candidate’s previous professional behavior at a critical point in the election.

Mr. Miller, who is backed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express, beat Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the GOP primary and now faces Ms. Murkowski who is running a strong campaign as a write-in candidate, and Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams, the Democratic candidate.”

Obama can be removed with or without Darrell Issa.

From Citizen News.

““If Republicans take control of the House, there is “not a chance at this point” that they will try to impeach President Obama, a top Republican lawmaker said this week.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who would helm the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee if the GOP wins on Election Day, said that his party will not try to bring impeachment charges simply because it disagrees with the president.
“Not a chance at this point. I don’t see it happening,” Issa said when asked if there is a chance of impeachment on Bloomberg’s “Political Capital,” which airs over the weekend.”

“Before proceeding, I want to be crystal clear. Obama is apparently not a legal president, is in fact a usurper, and as such does not have to be impeached, but simply arrested and removed from the White House in hand cuffs.

The First Amendment to the US Constitution provides for petitioning government, specifically the US House of Representatives, for a redress of grievances. This includes a petition or demand for the arrest or impeachment of Barack Hussein Obama.

From the 110th Congress House Rules Manual — House Document No. 108-241.

Petitions, memorials, and private bills

“Petitions, memorials, and other papers addressed to the House may be presented by the Speaker as well as by a Member (IV, 3312). Petitions from the country at large are presented by the Speaker in the manner prescribed by the rule (III, 2030; IV, 3318; VII, 1025). A Member may present a petition from the people of a State other than his own (IV, 3315, 3316). The House itself may refer one portion of a petition to one committee and another portion to another committee (IV, 3359, 3360), but ordinarily the reference of a petition does not come before the House itself. A committee may receive a petition only through the House (IV, 4557).”

Jefferson’s Manual as adopted in the US Congress House Rules Manual.

“In the <<NOTE: Sec. 603. Inception of impeachment proceedings in the
House.>> House there are various methods of setting an impeachment in
motion: by charges made on the floor on the responsibility of a Member
or Delegate (II, 1303; III, 2342, 2400, 2469; VI, 525, 526, 528, 535,
536); by charges preferred by a memorial, which is usually referred to a
committee for examination (III, 2364, 2491, 2494, 2496, 2499, 2515; VI,
543); by a resolution dropped in the hopper by a Member and referred to
a committee (Apr. 15, 1970, p. 11941; Oct. 23, 1973, p. 34873); by a
message from the President (III, 2294, 2319; VI, 498); by charges
transmitted from the legislature of a State (III, 2469) or territory
(III, 2487) or from a grand jury (III, 2488); or from facts developed
and reported””

Read more:

https://citizenwells.com/2010/10/23/obama-impeachment-impeachment-process-issa-not-a-chance-of-obama-impeachment-oh-really/

Patrick Fitzgerald press release, Election day monitoring, US Attorney’s Office, Citizen Wells open thread, October 23, 2010

Patrick Fitzgerald press release, Election day monitoring, US Attorney’s Office

Why did Patrick Fitzgerald release the following statement from the US Attorney’s Office on January 25, 2010?

“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACT: MONDAY JANUARY 25, 2010 Randall Samborn 312-353-5318
www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln
U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE TO CONDUCT ELECTION DAY MONITORING ELECTION DAY HOTLINE: (312) 469-6157
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor the primary election in Chicago and surrounding suburbs on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced today. As part of the monitoring effort, the office will operate a hotline for candidates or the public to call to report any complaints relating to voting. In addition, Assistant U.S. Attorneys will be available to respond to complaints as needed.
The hotline number, staffed on Election Day only, is
(312) 469-6157. “This office has a long tradition of monitoring the polls on Election Day to help protect the integrity of the voting process,” Mr. Fitzgerald said. “No one who is entitled to vote should in any way be inhibited from doing so while, at the same time, no one not entitled to vote should corrupt the election.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Heinze coordinates the office’s election monitoring efforts and subsequent investigations, if any. The Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service will assist in this effort by following-up, if necessary, on any election fraud complaints.
Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767. Violations of federal voting rights statutes carry penalties ranging from 1 to 10 years imprisonment and fines up to $250,000.”

http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2010/pr0125_01.pdf