Blagojevich appeal prediction, Reduced sentence or Obama pardon, 6 Seventh Circuit Appeals Court sessions before Nov 4, Obama protection continues, Obama Rezko ties, Blagojevich fall guy
Why did Patrick Fitzgerald and the US Justice Department wait until December 2008 to arrest Rod Blagojevich?”…Citizen Wells
“I believe I’m more pristine on Rezko than him.”…Rod Blagojevich
“There is enough corruption in Illinois so that all it takes is someone who is serious about finding it to uncover it. If a U.S. attorney is not finding corruption in Illinois, they’re not seriously looking for it.”…Northwestern Law Professor James Lindgren
The administration of Rod Blagojevich came under FBI scrutiny beginning in late 2003.
Yet, with all the harm Blagojevich et al were doing to the citizens of Illinois, he was not arrested until just after the 2008 election.
His arrest and the timing of his prosecution were clearly coordinated to have the least impact on Barack Obama.
That protection of Obama continues.
The 2010 election cycle has passed.
The 2012 election cycle has passed.
The 2014 election cycle is about to pass.
We have 6 sessions of the US Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit left before the November 4, 2014 elections.
If the decision comes before the election, I predict that Blagojevich will get a reduced sentence.
If not, it is entirely possible that Obama will pardon Blagojevich.
I believe that they have a deal.
Blagojevich “prosecution” history.
From Citizen Wells December 13, 2013.
The Rod Blagojevich appeal hearing is scheduled for today, Friday the 13th of December, 2013, in the US Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit.
This is part of a 10 year saga of investigations, prosecutions and perpetual delays.
Blagojevich, who was the presumptive presidential candidate, not Obama, in early 2006, should have been prosecuted before Tony Rezko, with stronger ties with Obama, and most definitely before the 2008 election.
Remember, the Blagojevich Administration was being investigated by the feds at least by late 2003 when the chicanery of Obama buddies Tony Rezko and Stuart Levine was being monitored by wiretap.
Attorney Len Goodman has made some strong arguments for a retrial or new sentencing hearing. Do not be surprised at the outcome.
I personally believe that the fix was in by 2006 and this is why Blagojevich was arrested after the 2008 election.
From Citizen Wells July 16, 2013.
“Lawyers for Rod Blagojevich filed an appeal Monday challenging the imprisoned former Illinois governor’s corruption conviction and stiff, 14-year prison term.
The lengthy filing with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago comes more than two years after the Chicago Democrat’s retrial and 16 months after he entered a federal prison in Colorado.”
The appeal.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/154180774/Blagojevich-Appeal
From Citizen Wells November 13, 2013.
“Prosecutors have filed a response to Rod Blagojevich’s corruption conviction appeal. The 169-page government filing submitted late Tuesday urges the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reject the imprisoned former governor’s request for a new trial. Defense lawyers filed the appeal on the Illinois Democrat’s behalf in July. It asks the Chicago-based appellate court to toss his convictions or at least reduce his 14-year prison sentence.”
The response.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/183864545/Blagojevich-Appeal-Response-Prosecutors-oppose-new-trial
On December 2, 2013 Blagojevich attorney Len Goodman filed a reply brief.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/190964843/Blagojevich-appeal-reply-brief-December-2-2013
From Citizen Wells March 7, 2013.
Still wondering about the continued delay in the prosecution of Rod Blagojevich, specifically the lengthy delay in his appeal?
Here is one of the reasons.
From Chicago Business March 6, 2013.
“Blagojevich attorney hopes three’s a charm”
“Will three be a charm for Chicago attorney Len Goodman?
He’s on a winning streak that he’s hoping will carry over to his next case — defending former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.”
“The next big case on the criminal defense attorney’s plate is the appeal of Mr. Blagojevich, who is in prison in Colorado following his conviction on corruption charges.
“Right now, I’m just trying to get through 10,000 pages of trial transcripts,” says Mr. Goodman, who is the nephew of Chicago financier Lester Crown.
The case likely will go before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals later this year.”
Read more:
Of course there are other reasons why the appeal of Blagojevich has dragged on so long.
From Citizen Wells January 30, 2013.
“Here is the rest of the story.
Patrick Fitzgerald and the US Justice Department aggressively prosecuted George Ryan.
Patrick Fitzgerald and the US Justice Department, despite the fact that they began wiretaps in late 2003 and had in depth knowledge of corruption in the Rod Blagojevich Administration by 2005 at the latest, delayed the arrest of Blagojevich until after the 2008 election. The production of transcripts required for the Blagojevich appeal were delayed for over half a year by the US Justice Department in 2012, once again delaying the appeal until after the 2012 election.
From Citizen Wells May 27, 2012.
“Fitzgerald aggressively prosecuted Republican ex Governot of Illinois, George Ryan and unjustly went after Scooter Libby and Karl Rove. Fitzgerald waited until after the 2008 elections to arrest Governor Rod Blagojevich despite the fact that he had details of corruption in the Blagojevich Administration at least by late 2003.
Is Patrick Fitzgerald a pawn, an idiot or corrupt?
From an FBI wiretap:
“You know, Axelrod and Obama’s people, you know, clearly turned, you know, got the Chicago media to make Rezko all about me.”
Late 2003.
Earliest documented awareness by FBI and Patrick Fitzgerald of corruption in Blagojevich admin. Pamela Meyer Davis agreed to secretly record conversations involving state health planning board with an FBI wire.
December 31, 2003 NY Times.
“Mr. Fitzgerald announced that he was prosecuting former Gov. George Ryan, a Republican, in a scandal that had been swirling around long before Mr. Fitzgerald got here and that many people thought would never touch the most powerful politicians in Illinois. But there Mr. Fitzgerald was, a week before Christmas, ticking off the details of a 91-page indictment against Mr. Ryan, seemingly from memory.
That, even Mr. Fitzgerald’s former opponents in the courtroom say, is classic Fitzgerald: dogged, dispassionate and endlessly prepared.”
April 8 – May 21, 2004 (Rezko Trial March 12, 2008; 11:11 a.m.)
“FBI Special Agent Daniel Cain, the primary case agent on the investigation into Levine and Rezko, is on the stand now in testimony that is laying the foundation for entering the wiretaps into evidence.
Cain said the investigation, dubbed Operation Board Games by the federal agents, began in December 2003 and was prompted by information gleaned from an informant whom he did not identify. That witness, he said, took part in meetings with two other individuals who were in contact with Levine by phone at his home.
Cain said Levine had three phone lines in his North Shore home. Federal agents recorded conversations on those lines April 8-May 21, 2004. Those dates span the time when Levine, Rezko and others allegedly were working to rig the hospital board vote on a Mercy Health System hospital proposal for Crystal Lake and other kickback schemes prosecutors claim they were engaged in.”
May 9, 2005.
Stuart Levine indicted on corruption charges. Federal subpoena issued to Tony Rezko.
June 15, 2005.
Obama purchased home next door to Rezko for $1.65 million, $300,000 less than the asking price.
June 15, 2005.
Rita Rezko, Tony’s wife purchased plot next door for $625,000 asking price.
October 25, 2005.
The Chicago Tribune reports about a federal grand jury investigation into the alleged political hiring practices of the Blagojevich administration.
January 2006.
Rita Rezko sells the Obamas one-sixth of her lot for $104,500.
August 5, 2006.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Stuart Levine is cooperating with the federal investigation of state government.”
“December 7, 2008.
Criminal complaint of Blagojevich. Nine individuals is important. Obama helped passed a bill to reduce the number from 15 to 9.
“b. Corruption of the Planning Board”
“At the relevant time period, the Planning Board consisted of nine individuals.”
“Planning Board” (IL Health Facilities Planning Board) is mentioned 31 times.
“Rezko” is mentioned 170 times.
“Hospital” in context of Mercy Hospital mentioned 8 times.
December 9, 2008.
Blagojevich arrested
“Fitzgerald said, “We make no allegations” that Obama was aware of any alleged scheming by Blagojevich.”
February 24, 2011.
Counts 1,2,4 in the Blagojevich Indictment are dropped. This represents approx. half of the indictment and includes numerous corruption ties to Blagojevich and Obama.”
“December 7, 2011.
Rod Blagojevich sentenced to 14 years.
Colin Powell, who has continued to endorse Barack Obama, knew that Scooter Libby and Karl Rove were innocent in the Valerie Plame leak. Yet Powell did not share his knowledge with the Bush Administration and thus allowed Patrick Fitzgerald to continue to investigate and prosecute Libby and Rove.
Why did Colin Powell allow Patrick Fitzgerald to be pulled away from the Blagojevich prosecution?
From Citizen Wells October 26, 2012.
“FOX Chicago News has learned that Rod Blagojevich’s appeal is still having trouble getting off the ground, because of delays in producing transcripts from his two trials
.
For the second time in the last four months, Lauren Kaeseberg, one of the attorney’s handling Rod Blagojevich’s appeal, has been threatened with disciplinary action because she still hasn’t provided a complete copy of the Blagojevichtrial transcripts to the appellate court.
The appellate court won’t set a briefing schedule to get the appeal moving until the transcripts are available.
As FOX Chicago reported exclusively in August, the court reporter responsible for producing the 16,000 pages of transcripts took a leave of absence for five and a half months after Blagojevich was convicted. So, the appellate court agreed to wait until September 28th for the transcripts.
But, now in October, they’re still not completed. On Monday, the court issued an order, warning Kaeseberg again that she could face monetary or disciplinary sanctions. She responded Tuesday with an explanation, saying transcripts are still missing because they were under seal, or were handled by a different court reporter and she hopes to have them soon.”
“ The court reporter, trial judge James Zagel and the appeals court all have a responsibility to produce transcripts needed for an appeal in a timely manner.”
Citizen Wells for years has been questioning the delayed prosecution of Rod Blagojevich with the obvious intent of protecting Obama.
Today we present a new question that will be explored further soon.
“Why wasn’t Rod Blagojevich, the Governor of Illinois, wiretapped at least by 2005 when it was known in 2003 that there was widespread corruption in his administration?”
CHRISTOPHER KELLY HAD TIES TO BLAGOJEVICH AND OBAMA.
Citizen WElls 