PHOTOS: Blagojevich Cronies
Posted on 04/22/2010 2:57:26 PM PDT by txroadkill
Edited on 04/22/2010 4:12:44 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
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Former governor Rod Blagojevich's defense team asked Thursday to issue a trial subpoena to the President of the United States of America. The motion, intended to be heavily redacted, was improperly edited -- the full document was easily viewable if the text is copied and pasted to another document. Below, the six revelations the redacted portions were meant to conceal.
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PHOTOS: Blagojevich Cronies
2010 Illinois Election Guide
Blagojevich's lawyers allege that Rezko admitted breaking the law by contributing "a large sum of cash" to a public official. Blagojevich's attorneys say that public official is Obama. Obama said that Rezko never relayed a request from a lobbyist to hold a fundraiser in favor of favorable legislative action. But the point may be moot: regardless of Obama talking/not talking to Rezko, Blagojevich's attorneys say that Obama refused the request regardless.
Redacted portion: However, the defense has a good faith belief that Mr. Rezko, President Obama’s former friend, fund-raiser, and neighbor told the FBI and the United States Attorneys a different story about President Obama. In a recent in camera proceeding, the
government tendered a three paragraph letter indicating that Rezko “has stated in interviews with the government that he engaged in election law violations by personally contributing a large sum of cash to the campaign of a public official who is not Rod Blagojevich. &hellip Further, the public official denies being aware of cash contributions to his campaign by Rezko or others and denies having
conversations with Rezko related to cash contributions. &hellip Rezko has also stated in interviews with the government that he believed he transmitted a quid pro quo offer from a lobbyist to the public official, whereby the lobbyist would hold a fundraiser for the official in exchange for favorable official action, but that the public official rejected the offer. The public official denies any such conversation. In addition, Rezko has stated to the government that he and the public official had certain conversations about gaming legislation and
administration, which the public official denies having had.
Redacted footnote: The defense has a good faith belief that this public official is Barack Obama.
2. Obama may have overtly recommended Valerie Jarret for his Senate seat
Blagojevich's defense team basically alleges that Obama told a certain labor union official that he (Obama) would support Valerie Jarrett's candidacy for the Senate seat. Jarrett, referred to as "Senate Candidate B", is now a senior advisor to the president.
Redacted portion: Yet, despite President Obama stating that no representatives of his had any part of any deals, labor union president told the FBI and the United States Attorneys that he spoke to labor union official on November 3, 2008 who received a phone message from Obama that evening. After labor union official listened to the message labor union official told labor union president “I’m the one”. Labor union president took that to mean that labor union official was to be the one to deliver the message on behalf of Obama that Senate Candidate B was his pick. (Labor union president 302, February 2, 2009, p. 7).
Labor union official told the FBI and the United States Attorneys “Obama expressed his belief that [Senate Candidate B] would be a good Senator for the people of Illinois and would be a candidate who could win re-election. [Labor union official] advised Obama that [labor union official] would reach out to Governor Blagojevich and advocate for [Senate Candidate B].. . . [Labor union official] called [labor union president] and told [labor union president] that Obama was aware that [labor union official] would be reaching out to Blagojevich.” (Labor union official 302, February 3, 2009 p. 3).
3. A supporter of President Obama may have offered quid pro quo on a Jarrett senate appointment
Redacted portion: Supporter of Presidential Candidate Obama is mentioned in a phone call on November 3, 2008, having offered “fundraising” in exchange for Senate Candidate B for senator (Blagojevich Home Phone Call # 149).
4. Obama maintained a list of good Senate candidates
Redacted portion: President-elect Obama also suggested Senate Candidate A to Governor Blagojevich. John Harris told the FBI and the United States Attorneys that he spoke to President’s Chief of Staff on November 12, 2008. Harris took notes of the conversation and wrote that President’s Chief had previously worked as Blagojevich's press secretary. Obama agreed of Staff told Harris that Senate Candidate A was acceptable to Obama as a senate pick. (Harris handwritten notes, OOG1004463) President’s Chief of Staff told the FBI that “he could not say where but somewhere it was communicated to him that” Senate Candidate A was a suggested candidate viewed as one of the four “right” candidates “by the Obama transition team.”
5. Rahm Emanuel allegedly floated Cheryl Jackson's name for the Senate seat
Redacted portion: President’s Chief of Staff told the FBI that he had a conversation discussing the Senate seat with Obama on December 7, 2008 in Obama’s car. President’s Chief of Staff told the FBI “Obama expressed concern about Senate Candidate D being appointed as Senator.
[President’s Chief of Staff] suggested they might need an expanded list to possibly include names of African Americans that came out of the business world. [President’s Chief of Staff] thought he suggested Senate Candidate E who was the head of the Urban League and with President’s Chief of Staff’s suggestion.
6. Obama had a secret phone call with Blagojevich
Redacted portion: President-elect Obama also spoke to Governor Blagojevich on December 1, 2008 in Philadelphia. On Harris Cell Phone Call # 139, John Harris and Governor’s legal counsel discuss a conversation Blagojevich had with President-elect Obama. The government claims a conspiracy existed from October 22, 2008 continuing through December 9, 2008.6 That conversation is relevant to the defense of the government’s theory of an ongoing conspiracy. Only Rod Blagojevich and President Obama can testify to the contents of that conversation. The defense is allowed to present evidence that corroborates the defendant’s testimony.
I hope Blago takes him down.
They’ve got ‘Bammy dead in their sights....his own will eat him before November....
NBC aka GE? This has the stench of Xlinton era preemption.
@@@@@
I am thinking the same thing.
“Nothing to see here.”
“Just some private conversations.”
“Everybody does it.”
“Politics as usual.”
I am not an expert, but even if there is incriminating and damning evidence in the un-redacted files, I don’t think any of it would hold up in court would it? Wouldn’t it be inadmissible as evidence?
bttt
Pretty good, actually. See How to properly redact PDF files from Adobe, and/or Acrobat for Legal Professionals: Redacting PDFs, also from Adobe, and/or Redaction of Confidential Information in a Document from NASA for a sampling of articles on the difference between "covering up" and "removing" the data.
Ping for later
... and Carville spitting on MSNBC “It’s just sex!”
Where in the world is Tony Rezko? thread
--Why is Antoin “Tony” Rezko under lock and key at an undisclosed location, like some sort of CIA-renditioned al Qaeda operative? And why hasn’t he been sentenced yet?
--As the June 3 corruption trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich for allegedly trying to sell Obama’s former Illinois Senate seat approaches, the whereabouts of the former Blago and Obama fundraiser is literally a state secret.
--The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Rezko was moved from Chicago’s downtown Metropolitan Correctional Center on December 16th, even though it’s right across the street from the federal courthouse where Blago will be tried. .
Blago better have good protection. He’s gonna need it.
If he has tapes of Obama saying any of this stuff, the One is toast.
Well, the grand jury would be the U.S. House of Representatives, and the jury would be the U.S. Senate.
As far as I have seen lately, they do whatever they wish, so anything is possible.
WOW!!!!
Now don’t go getting all wee-wee’d up Obama.
Blago might be found some morning to have hung himself. It’s the Chicago way.
I think it was KFOR that did a lot of serious investigative reporting into the Oklahoma City bombing, and was ignored by the rest of the media. They are an NBC affiliate, too.
Isnt this great news? Better yet, it’s a democrat doing it to O not a republican. No Judge Starr or Newt to demonize this time. Cheer up sad puppies :)
I doubt it. If there was the intent for it to come out, it would have been leaked via a more dubious route. Lawyers and law firms are notoriously unsavvy tech-wise (for a great many, it was fear of things technical that drove them into law in the first place), and they don’t usually hire the brightest bulbs of the IT bunch, either.
Love it! :)
I SO wish I could draw... I’ve got a great idea for a cartoon at this moment. :)
Just a note on that... Journalists are regularly recruited straight from Chicago to NY. The “local” Chicago affiliate is no small potatoes station in comparison to OKC (sorry, no offense meant). Also, the journalist at KFOR who was investigating the story was canned there — she later wrote the book “The Third Terrorist”. That AWESOME reporter’s name? Jayna Davis.
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