Showing posts with label Blagojevich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blagojevich. Show all posts
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Supreme Court Considers Federal Corruption Law
Supreme Court Considers Federal Corruption Law
Posted:
12/7/09
This week the Supreme Court will consider three challenges to a federal corruption law that has been used to prosecute a number of fraud cases, including those of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, former Illinois governor George Ryan and some Enron executives.
Critics claim the language of the law is too vague, but many prosecutors say they depend on it when going after crooked politicians and business executives, The Washington Post reported. The government is currently using the provision in its case against Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois governor accused of trying to sell President Obama's former Senate seat.
The controversy focuses on a phrase that says it is illegal for public or private employees to "deprive another of the intangible right of honest services." That ambiguous language has recently caused cases to get caught up in lower courts, bringing criticism from federal judges.
Justice Antonin Scalia has pushed for a review of the law, according to the Post. Scalia wrote it "invites abuse by headline-grabbing prosecutors in pursuit of local officials, state legislators and corporate C.E.O.'s who engage in any manner of unappealing or ethically questionable conduct."
After refusing to consider the law last term, the court has now agreed to review it starting Tuesday.
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Source: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/12/07/supreme-court-considers-federal-corruption-law/
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Ex-Illinois Governor Is Indicted on Corruption Charges
M. Spencer Green/Associated PressFormer Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich at a news conference in Chicago in December.
By MONICA DAVEY
Published: April 2, 2009
Published: April 2, 2009
CHICAGO — Rod R. Blagojevich, this state’s ousted governor, was charged on Thursday with 16 felony counts, among them racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud and extortion conspiracy in a wide-ranging scheme to deprive residents of “honest government,” prosecutors said, including trying to leverage his authority to pick someone to fill President Obama’s former Senate seat.
Five of his closest advisers, including his brother, Robert, a top fundraiser, and two former chiefs of staff, were also charged in the 19-count indictment.
Prosecutors said Mr. Blagojevich used numerous elements of his state work — including appointing people to state boards, investing state money and signing legislation — as a way to seek money, campaign contributions and jobs for himself and others.
On Thursday, Mr. Blagojevich and his family were believed to be in Florida at a resort near Walt Disney World. (A tourist spotted the governor there and sent cellphone snapshots to a local television station here.) His publicist said only that the former governor was out of town on spring break with his children.
The long-anticipated indictment in essence replaced charges made against Mr. Blagojevich when he was arrested last December in what turned out to be the start of the rapid coming apart of his political career. The indictment comes at an awkward time for a city that is desperately trying to shed its reputation for political corruption, and that on Thursday was receiving international officials weighing Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 summer Olympics.
Mr. Blagojevich, a Democrat then in his second term as governor, was arrested on Dec. 9 on two counts — conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery — in a criminal complaint.
Among the accusations against him, prosecutors said Mr. Blagojevich tried to benefit financially from his role in selecting a replacement to fill President Obama’s former United States Senate seat. The prosecutors described salty, jarringly brazen telephone conversations they had secretly intercepted between Mr. Blagojevich and close advisers in which, the prosecutors said, Mr. Blagojevich spoke of collecting cash contributions, a high-paying job, a cabinet-level post or even an ambassadorship in exchange for the Senate seat Mr. Obama had held since 2005, and only weeks earlier, resigned.
“I’ve got this thing,” Mr. Blagojevich said on one recording, according to an affidavit, “and it’s [expletive] golden. And I’m not just giving it up for [expletive] nothing. I’m not going to do it. And I can always use it. I can parachute me there.”
Since then, Mr. Blagojevich has denied all wrongdoing and said he would fight his case to whatever legal lengths he could.
In the criminal complaint, prosecutors portrayed Mr. Blagojevich as taking part in a broad scheme to raise money for himself in exchange for his official decisions as governor.
They accused Mr. Blagojevich of trying to force the firing of an editorial writer from The Chicago Tribune by threatening to withhold state assistance in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field, owned by the Tribune Company. They said he threatened to withhold $8 million in state money from a children’s hospital if its top executive did not give him a $50,000 contribution. They said he tied state money for a highway project to whether a contractor provided him $500,000 in contributions.
In December, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the United States attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said he had gone forward with a criminal complaint — not a formal indictment after review of the case by a grand jury — because the intercepted telephone calls had forced the authorities to move quickly to stop what he described as a crime spree in progress.
But at the time, some legal experts suggested that choice might signal that Mr. Fitzgerald did not yet have a prosecutable case in hand, and some raised broader questions about the strength of his case and the difficult legal distinction between illegal acts and simply unseemly political talk. In the nearly four months since, the federal authorities continued their investigation.
Long before his arrest, Mr. Blagojevich, 52 and a former state legislator and member of the United States House, was a widely unpopular governor whose political start had come thanks in large part to the political operation of a powerful Chicago alderman, Dick Mell, who also happened to be Mr. Blagojevich’s father-in-law.
Much has changed for Mr. Blagojevich of late. In January, he was impeached and ousted over his very vocal objections — to nearly any national media outlet that would listen — that he was being railroaded by legislators who had never liked him in the first place. Indeed, Mr. Blagojevich had long ago alienated himself from leaders in Springfield, even though both chambers of the Legislature there were dominated by fellow Democrats who, with Mr. Blagojevich’s election in 2002, controlled the governorship for the first time in 30 years.
Before his impeachment but after his arrest, Mr. Blagojevich ignored the advice of nearly every political leader here and appointed a replacement to fill Mr. Obama’s Senate seat — the very seat for which he had already been accused of seeking payment.
Mr. Blagojevich chose Roland W. Burris, a former attorney general and the state’s first black elected to statewide office. That selection created controversy weeks later, when Mr. Burris, by then an official member of the Senate, acknowledged that he had tried, and failed, to raise money for Mr. Blagojevich at the same time that he had conveyed his interest in the Senate seat. That matter is under investigation by a state prosecutor in downstate Illinois and by the Senate Ethics Committee, which is conducting a preliminary inquiry.
Lately, Mr. Blagojevich has taken on an odd, ubiquitous but peripheral, reality-TV-style celebrity here. His former political life has become the topic of a musical (“Rod Blagojevich Superstar!”) at The Second City, Chicago’s long-standing improvisational comedy theater. He has been offered a minor league baseball contract in Joliet. He was host of a local radio talk show. He announced a six-figure deal for a book, in which he promises to tell all.
Mr. Blagojevich’s indictment — and his return to center stage — came as gloomy news to some Democrats here, who, with elections for governor and the United States Senate approaching in 2010, do not wish to have the public reminded, once more, of his tenure. Here, many Democrats who clashed with Mr. Blagojevich are chafing as Republicans have already begun issuing news releases denouncing the latest acts of the “Blagojevich Democrats.”
The indictment comes just as this state’s government insists that it is now intent in overhauling itself after years of political corruption, deal-making and indictments. Only earlier this week, a “reform commission” created by Patrick J. Quinn, the former lieutenant governor who became governor when Mr. Blagojevich was ousted, announced proposals to cap campaign contributions, bar lobbyists from giving to campaigns and make more information available to the public.
.
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Monday, March 09, 2009
Bailouts, Stimulus Packages or Redistribution of Assets? Part Two of Two
- by Deanna Spingola, 24 February, 2009
Unconstrained, the bankers have financed all of the profit-producing, declared and undeclared wars. The U.S. government alleged that the Second World War was caused by obstacles to free trade, exacerbated by the financial events of 1929 manifested in Nazi fascism and responsible for the tensions that led to the Second World War. As a consequence of their questionable theory, the conditions of receiving American economic aid included the implementation of a free trade policy. Free trade policies, like central banks, only assist the bankers and the corporations who exploit cheap labor in third world countries.
World War II ended the depression. There was plenty of money. People had jobs. Women were encouraged to work - more money to service the interest payments to the Federal Reserve. Shuffling women into the workplace was really never about equal rights and opportunities, despite the rhetoric. Bankers serve on corporate boards and control corporate decisions. They depress or increase corporate stock by leveraging loans. When stock prices are depressed, bankers' agents purchase large blocks of the company's stock. The bank may then approve a multi-million dollar loan to the company which increases the stock which can be sold at a profit. Billions are accrued, enabling the purchase of additional stock. The Federal Reserve Board manipulates the market by increasing or decreasing their discount rates. Stocks soar or crash at their whim, sustained by economic experts who manipulate public opinion.
The Fed can also coerce corporations to borrow huge sums so that earnings can be siphoned off to pay the interest to the banks, reducing actual profits. Banks may collect billions in interest through corporate loans even with depressed stock prices. The bankers benefit while individual stockholders suffer. New money or credit carries debt, keeping most citizens in a never-ending cycle of debt. Dumping more money into the system, which bailouts and stimulus packages do, devalues the money already in circulation which escalates the prices of basic commodities, usually without comparable wage increases. Compound interest on mortgages and other items produces massive profits for the banks. Over the term of a mortgage, a house ultimately costs as much as three homes. With numerous taxes attached to products and services, plundered Americans are drowning in debt. If you think you are off the hook because you have paid off your mortgage, just fail to pay property taxes and see how fast the government seizes your house. We have been transformed from a debt-free nation into a debt-ridden nation.
Since 1935, the one dollar Federal Reserve Note has had the Illuminati all-seeing eye within the Great Seal. At the base of the pyramid is Roman numerals 1776, the year the Illuminati was founded. One dollar bills were printed as Federal Reserve Notes beginning in 1963. The phrase "In God We Trust" was added in 1957. Considering the enslaving amount of usury that we pay, totally eschewed by Jesus, the Fed's use of that statement on their notes appears to be an ironic hoax on the Christian citizens of this country. The Power Elite enjoy concealing their nefarious agenda in plain sight. Under the pyramid are the Latin words - "Novus Ordo Seclorum" which means "a new order of the ages" or "new order of the centuries." The words "Annuit Coeptis" are above the eye which means "he looks upon your endeavors favorably." Who would that be? Some suggest that it represents Osiris, Egypt's pagan god.1
In 1958, Chase Manhattan Bank introduced the Chase Manhattan Charge Plan, the first bank in the nation to offer customers a convenient, immediate gratification interest-bearing credit card. Consumer credit, encouraged by constant tantalizing media advertising, has sky-rocketed. Recently, big pharma started advertising their consistently inadequately tested, questionably-safe products. If your doctor fails to prescribe their latest miracle cure or vaccines for every minor malady, just ask for the product or injection and hope that the side effects don't permanently harm or kill you.
On June 4, 1963, President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order 11110 which directed the U.S. Treasury to issue $4,292,893,815 in interest-free U.S. Notes. On October 2, 1963, he issued NSAM 263, an order for the immediate withdrawal of 1,000 U.S. military advisors from Vietnam and a timetable for the withdrawal of all CIA operatives and U.S. personnel. This would have ended the steady stream of profits to the banks. He was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas.
Government bailouts started in 1970 with the bailout of Penn Central which had 96,000 employees and had borrowed from most of the major banks. Additionally, those same banks held stock in the railroad and seats on their board of directors. They made many of the management decisions and were privy to insider financial information. The banks loaned the railroad more money - millions that were used to artificially inflate the stock market price and pay dividends. A month before the railroad failed and before the public was notified, Chase Manhattan's trust department dumped 262,000 shares. The bevy of bankers who held the loans had received dividends on the worthless stock, earned interest on the loans and unloaded a total of 1.8 million share of stock after they collected the dividends.2
Lockheed was near bankruptcy in 1970. Bank of America had loaned them $400 million. Lockheed's managers and employees approached congress with pleas - 31,000 jobs would be lost, national security would be at risk, sub contractors and suppliers would be hurt. Banks, due to Lockheed's dire financial straits, would not make any further loans. Allegedly, to protect the economy, Treasury Secretary John B. Connally finagled a bailout plan guaranteed by the government (taxpayer). Once the government stepped in, the banks freely loaned Lockheed money. Ultimately, the government awarded hundreds of no-bid contracts to Lockheed which has become one of the nation's biggest war contractors. Other similar companies who operated more efficiently lost contracts to Lockheed.3
Connally, a former big oil lawyer turned Texas governor, was riding in John F. Kennedy's limousine in the motorcade and witnessed the president's assassination. Connally encouraged Johnson to be aggressive in accelerating and executing the war in Vietnam. When Connally was Treasury Secretary under Nixon, he oversaw a $50 billion increase in the debt limit. Additionally, he endorsed a $40 billion budget deficit referred to as a "fiscal stimulus." At the time, five million Americans were unemployed. Secretary Connally announced Nixon's program to increase gold prices and officially devalue the dollar. During Nixon's administration, the U.S. was taken off the gold standard completely, a process started by Roosevelt.
Then there was the bailout of New York City, a city overflowing with corruption and a burgeoning bureaucracy. In 1975, New York, a huge welfare state, was unable to get additional credit. New York City employees, otherwise known as friends and relatives, were paid huge salaries for lower-paying comparable jobs in private industry. The city managed to get a loan from the Treasury for $2.3 billion, approved by Congress. It was enough to continue paying interest on their previous bank loans. The taxpayers suffered the consequences through massive inflation. But the banks collected their interest, a huge source of income. New York was supposed to make changes and reduce spending. That didn't happen.4 Chicago, with their glut of relative and friend employees, is in similar circumstances. But Mayor Daley manages to stealthily sell public property. Recently, it was the city's parking meters. Now, in addition to inflation, citizens pay outrageous fees to park in the city which affects business. Before that, it was the famous Skyway.
Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor was arrested December 9, 2008, the day after he publicly declared that the state of Illinois would suspend all business dealings with the Bank of America, the recipient of a $25 million bailout, until it restored a credit line to Republic Windows & Doors which, without credit, was forced to close and lay off their 240 employees. The governor apparently forgot who really runs everything. His indiscretions, attributable to every other professional politician, went unnoticed until he challenged the banks. Goldman Sachs, another bailout recipient, used $6.5 billion of our taxpayer dollars to give bonuses to their financial staff.
Banks create money with a computer keystroke. The money changers can print a $5 bill or a $100 bill for a few cents each. The Federal Reserve prints money to pay the obligations of the metastasizing government. Congress authorizes the Treasury Department to print U.S. bonds, held by the Federal Reserve which the government agrees to pay it back, plus interest, by plundering the labor of the taxpayers. The Fed now considers those bonds as assets, reserves to create more credit to lend to states, municipalities, individuals and businesses. Currently, banks give credit for home purchases, cars and other commodities that people used to save for. U.S. citizens depend on consumer and business credit. When that credit is arbitrarily withheld or withdrawn, industry and spending comes to a halt.
The Federal Reserve is the power behind the recently inaugurated, smooth-talking, charismatic Barack Obama who is overly-anxious to impose government control and dispense bailouts through the Stimulus Package. Through wealth transference and suppressive legislation designed to decrease liberty, each consecutive administration moves America closer to economic collapse and one world governance. Bush coerced passage of the PATRIOT Act (written long before 9/11 and unread by Congress), facilitated the Department of Homeland Security, increased the number of FEMA detention centers, allowed unrestrained illegal invasion to drain state economies (especially California), and incited invasive economy-destroying war against two countries which do not have central banks with debt-based money under the control of the international bankers. Arabs do not believe in charging or paying usury (interest on loans). By the end of 2008, the U.S. had spent $3 trillion on the Iraq War, borrowed from the Fed with interest.
With Obama, citizens will likely be disarmed, in direct violation of the 2nd Amendment, created for citizens to protect themselves against a tyrannical government. We will finally get Hillary Clinton's universal health care. Big pharma, run in concert with big banks and insurance companies, the main benefactors. The government will make all health decisions - who lives, who dies, how many children one may bare, etc. Natural solutions for health care may be outlawed. Warfare will continue as demonstrated by the very recent deployment of 17,000 troops to Afghanistan. This, despite those campaign promises about reducing the troops. Warfare, a huge drain on our economy and a financial boon for the Fed, will continue. Troop numbers are being augmented by waiving criminal histories of those who enlist simply because they are unable to find work. The economy will ultimately bleed-out resulting in riots, food shortages and eventually martial law and perhaps mass detention.
The recent bailouts and the current stimulus package, disguised as assistance to the populace, is a huge transference of wealth - from the taxpayer's pockets into the banker's pockets. Any promised infrastructure enhancements may consist of such things as the completion of the unpublicized NAFTA super highway to connect Canada, the United States and Mexico. While in Denver signing the Stimulus Package, Obama said: "We will build on the work that's being done in places like Boulder, Colorado - a community that is on pace to be the world's first Smart Grid city."5 This appears to refer to an Agenda 21 program being initiated in Boulder by Xcel Energy.
Senators disregarded the taxpayer's pleas to reject the socialist Stimulus Package. The taxpayers, stuck with the tab, are outraged. Democratic senators, including the newly-installed Roland Burris, voted for the stimulus. Burris is now under criminal investigation for his duplicitous involvement with Rod Blagojevich's brother regarding questionable fundraising. This issue was concealed until after his guaranteed vote. Concealment of significant facts seems common with the incoming administration and its appointments. Apologies that follow embarrassing exposures somehow seem insincere.
The outrageous, squealing, pork-filled stimulus plan was designed to benefit the bankers and bleed America dry. The 1000+ page package was certainly written months ago. Pelosi, who recently claimed that America was losing 500 million jobs a month, lacks the intelligence to devise anything more that a one page yes-memo to the bankers that finance her repetitive campaigns. Congress, with few exceptions, have not represented the voters for decades. They are agents for the banks and corporations while paying lip service to their constituents during election campaigns. They profess concern for the voter's essential needs and pass measures that appear to address those needs which in reality expand the coffers of big business and the banks. Meanwhile, members of congress collect generous salaries with regular self-approved pay increases, lobbyist perks, private health plans, and look forward to a life-long, non-Social-Security pension.
Ayn Rand (1905-1982) said in her book Atlas Shrugged: "When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion - when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed."
Banks and corporations run a centralized, metastasizing entity, disguised as the federal government. Their objectives are promoting war while financing both sides, confiscating people's money and resources, and propagandizing the naïve masses to maintain and perpetuate their power. Our two main political parties are their servants, government departments are the spending agencies, and the Internal Revenue Service, a private offshore corporation is the collection agency.
Thomas Jefferson said: "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."
World War II ended the depression. There was plenty of money. People had jobs. Women were encouraged to work - more money to service the interest payments to the Federal Reserve. Shuffling women into the workplace was really never about equal rights and opportunities, despite the rhetoric. Bankers serve on corporate boards and control corporate decisions. They depress or increase corporate stock by leveraging loans. When stock prices are depressed, bankers' agents purchase large blocks of the company's stock. The bank may then approve a multi-million dollar loan to the company which increases the stock which can be sold at a profit. Billions are accrued, enabling the purchase of additional stock. The Federal Reserve Board manipulates the market by increasing or decreasing their discount rates. Stocks soar or crash at their whim, sustained by economic experts who manipulate public opinion.
The Fed can also coerce corporations to borrow huge sums so that earnings can be siphoned off to pay the interest to the banks, reducing actual profits. Banks may collect billions in interest through corporate loans even with depressed stock prices. The bankers benefit while individual stockholders suffer. New money or credit carries debt, keeping most citizens in a never-ending cycle of debt. Dumping more money into the system, which bailouts and stimulus packages do, devalues the money already in circulation which escalates the prices of basic commodities, usually without comparable wage increases. Compound interest on mortgages and other items produces massive profits for the banks. Over the term of a mortgage, a house ultimately costs as much as three homes. With numerous taxes attached to products and services, plundered Americans are drowning in debt. If you think you are off the hook because you have paid off your mortgage, just fail to pay property taxes and see how fast the government seizes your house. We have been transformed from a debt-free nation into a debt-ridden nation.
Since 1935, the one dollar Federal Reserve Note has had the Illuminati all-seeing eye within the Great Seal. At the base of the pyramid is Roman numerals 1776, the year the Illuminati was founded. One dollar bills were printed as Federal Reserve Notes beginning in 1963. The phrase "In God We Trust" was added in 1957. Considering the enslaving amount of usury that we pay, totally eschewed by Jesus, the Fed's use of that statement on their notes appears to be an ironic hoax on the Christian citizens of this country. The Power Elite enjoy concealing their nefarious agenda in plain sight. Under the pyramid are the Latin words - "Novus Ordo Seclorum" which means "a new order of the ages" or "new order of the centuries." The words "Annuit Coeptis" are above the eye which means "he looks upon your endeavors favorably." Who would that be? Some suggest that it represents Osiris, Egypt's pagan god.1
In 1958, Chase Manhattan Bank introduced the Chase Manhattan Charge Plan, the first bank in the nation to offer customers a convenient, immediate gratification interest-bearing credit card. Consumer credit, encouraged by constant tantalizing media advertising, has sky-rocketed. Recently, big pharma started advertising their consistently inadequately tested, questionably-safe products. If your doctor fails to prescribe their latest miracle cure or vaccines for every minor malady, just ask for the product or injection and hope that the side effects don't permanently harm or kill you.
On June 4, 1963, President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order 11110 which directed the U.S. Treasury to issue $4,292,893,815 in interest-free U.S. Notes. On October 2, 1963, he issued NSAM 263, an order for the immediate withdrawal of 1,000 U.S. military advisors from Vietnam and a timetable for the withdrawal of all CIA operatives and U.S. personnel. This would have ended the steady stream of profits to the banks. He was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas.
Government bailouts started in 1970 with the bailout of Penn Central which had 96,000 employees and had borrowed from most of the major banks. Additionally, those same banks held stock in the railroad and seats on their board of directors. They made many of the management decisions and were privy to insider financial information. The banks loaned the railroad more money - millions that were used to artificially inflate the stock market price and pay dividends. A month before the railroad failed and before the public was notified, Chase Manhattan's trust department dumped 262,000 shares. The bevy of bankers who held the loans had received dividends on the worthless stock, earned interest on the loans and unloaded a total of 1.8 million share of stock after they collected the dividends.2
Lockheed was near bankruptcy in 1970. Bank of America had loaned them $400 million. Lockheed's managers and employees approached congress with pleas - 31,000 jobs would be lost, national security would be at risk, sub contractors and suppliers would be hurt. Banks, due to Lockheed's dire financial straits, would not make any further loans. Allegedly, to protect the economy, Treasury Secretary John B. Connally finagled a bailout plan guaranteed by the government (taxpayer). Once the government stepped in, the banks freely loaned Lockheed money. Ultimately, the government awarded hundreds of no-bid contracts to Lockheed which has become one of the nation's biggest war contractors. Other similar companies who operated more efficiently lost contracts to Lockheed.3
Connally, a former big oil lawyer turned Texas governor, was riding in John F. Kennedy's limousine in the motorcade and witnessed the president's assassination. Connally encouraged Johnson to be aggressive in accelerating and executing the war in Vietnam. When Connally was Treasury Secretary under Nixon, he oversaw a $50 billion increase in the debt limit. Additionally, he endorsed a $40 billion budget deficit referred to as a "fiscal stimulus." At the time, five million Americans were unemployed. Secretary Connally announced Nixon's program to increase gold prices and officially devalue the dollar. During Nixon's administration, the U.S. was taken off the gold standard completely, a process started by Roosevelt.
Then there was the bailout of New York City, a city overflowing with corruption and a burgeoning bureaucracy. In 1975, New York, a huge welfare state, was unable to get additional credit. New York City employees, otherwise known as friends and relatives, were paid huge salaries for lower-paying comparable jobs in private industry. The city managed to get a loan from the Treasury for $2.3 billion, approved by Congress. It was enough to continue paying interest on their previous bank loans. The taxpayers suffered the consequences through massive inflation. But the banks collected their interest, a huge source of income. New York was supposed to make changes and reduce spending. That didn't happen.4 Chicago, with their glut of relative and friend employees, is in similar circumstances. But Mayor Daley manages to stealthily sell public property. Recently, it was the city's parking meters. Now, in addition to inflation, citizens pay outrageous fees to park in the city which affects business. Before that, it was the famous Skyway.
Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor was arrested December 9, 2008, the day after he publicly declared that the state of Illinois would suspend all business dealings with the Bank of America, the recipient of a $25 million bailout, until it restored a credit line to Republic Windows & Doors which, without credit, was forced to close and lay off their 240 employees. The governor apparently forgot who really runs everything. His indiscretions, attributable to every other professional politician, went unnoticed until he challenged the banks. Goldman Sachs, another bailout recipient, used $6.5 billion of our taxpayer dollars to give bonuses to their financial staff.
Banks create money with a computer keystroke. The money changers can print a $5 bill or a $100 bill for a few cents each. The Federal Reserve prints money to pay the obligations of the metastasizing government. Congress authorizes the Treasury Department to print U.S. bonds, held by the Federal Reserve which the government agrees to pay it back, plus interest, by plundering the labor of the taxpayers. The Fed now considers those bonds as assets, reserves to create more credit to lend to states, municipalities, individuals and businesses. Currently, banks give credit for home purchases, cars and other commodities that people used to save for. U.S. citizens depend on consumer and business credit. When that credit is arbitrarily withheld or withdrawn, industry and spending comes to a halt.
The Federal Reserve is the power behind the recently inaugurated, smooth-talking, charismatic Barack Obama who is overly-anxious to impose government control and dispense bailouts through the Stimulus Package. Through wealth transference and suppressive legislation designed to decrease liberty, each consecutive administration moves America closer to economic collapse and one world governance. Bush coerced passage of the PATRIOT Act (written long before 9/11 and unread by Congress), facilitated the Department of Homeland Security, increased the number of FEMA detention centers, allowed unrestrained illegal invasion to drain state economies (especially California), and incited invasive economy-destroying war against two countries which do not have central banks with debt-based money under the control of the international bankers. Arabs do not believe in charging or paying usury (interest on loans). By the end of 2008, the U.S. had spent $3 trillion on the Iraq War, borrowed from the Fed with interest.
With Obama, citizens will likely be disarmed, in direct violation of the 2nd Amendment, created for citizens to protect themselves against a tyrannical government. We will finally get Hillary Clinton's universal health care. Big pharma, run in concert with big banks and insurance companies, the main benefactors. The government will make all health decisions - who lives, who dies, how many children one may bare, etc. Natural solutions for health care may be outlawed. Warfare will continue as demonstrated by the very recent deployment of 17,000 troops to Afghanistan. This, despite those campaign promises about reducing the troops. Warfare, a huge drain on our economy and a financial boon for the Fed, will continue. Troop numbers are being augmented by waiving criminal histories of those who enlist simply because they are unable to find work. The economy will ultimately bleed-out resulting in riots, food shortages and eventually martial law and perhaps mass detention.
The recent bailouts and the current stimulus package, disguised as assistance to the populace, is a huge transference of wealth - from the taxpayer's pockets into the banker's pockets. Any promised infrastructure enhancements may consist of such things as the completion of the unpublicized NAFTA super highway to connect Canada, the United States and Mexico. While in Denver signing the Stimulus Package, Obama said: "We will build on the work that's being done in places like Boulder, Colorado - a community that is on pace to be the world's first Smart Grid city."5 This appears to refer to an Agenda 21 program being initiated in Boulder by Xcel Energy.
Senators disregarded the taxpayer's pleas to reject the socialist Stimulus Package. The taxpayers, stuck with the tab, are outraged. Democratic senators, including the newly-installed Roland Burris, voted for the stimulus. Burris is now under criminal investigation for his duplicitous involvement with Rod Blagojevich's brother regarding questionable fundraising. This issue was concealed until after his guaranteed vote. Concealment of significant facts seems common with the incoming administration and its appointments. Apologies that follow embarrassing exposures somehow seem insincere.
The outrageous, squealing, pork-filled stimulus plan was designed to benefit the bankers and bleed America dry. The 1000+ page package was certainly written months ago. Pelosi, who recently claimed that America was losing 500 million jobs a month, lacks the intelligence to devise anything more that a one page yes-memo to the bankers that finance her repetitive campaigns. Congress, with few exceptions, have not represented the voters for decades. They are agents for the banks and corporations while paying lip service to their constituents during election campaigns. They profess concern for the voter's essential needs and pass measures that appear to address those needs which in reality expand the coffers of big business and the banks. Meanwhile, members of congress collect generous salaries with regular self-approved pay increases, lobbyist perks, private health plans, and look forward to a life-long, non-Social-Security pension.
Ayn Rand (1905-1982) said in her book Atlas Shrugged: "When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion - when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed."
Banks and corporations run a centralized, metastasizing entity, disguised as the federal government. Their objectives are promoting war while financing both sides, confiscating people's money and resources, and propagandizing the naïve masses to maintain and perpetuate their power. Our two main political parties are their servants, government departments are the spending agencies, and the Internal Revenue Service, a private offshore corporation is the collection agency.
Thomas Jefferson said: "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."
Endnotes
1.^ Pat Riott, The Greatest Story Never Told, Winston Churchill and the Crash of 1929, 1994, Nanoman Press, pg 28.
2.^ G. Edward Griffin, The Creature From Jekyll Island, American Media, 2002, pp. 41-48
3.^ Ibid
4.^ Ibid
5.^ Obama's Remarks at Stimulus Signing, New York Times, February 17, 2009, p. 2
.1.^ Pat Riott, The Greatest Story Never Told, Winston Churchill and the Crash of 1929, 1994, Nanoman Press, pg 28.
2.^ G. Edward Griffin, The Creature From Jekyll Island, American Media, 2002, pp. 41-48
3.^ Ibid
4.^ Ibid
5.^ Obama's Remarks at Stimulus Signing, New York Times, February 17, 2009, p. 2
.
Note: Bolds and Highlights added for emphasis.
Arsenio.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Blagojevich Fundraiser Added to Obama, Biden, Jackson War Chests
Raghuveer Nayak MS, RPh,owner/operator of MRI centers and a clinical laboratory, former owner of chain drug stores, and an architect of the proposed "Cook County Prescription Assistance Coverage for the Elderly" program.
Blagojevich Fundraiser Added to Obama, Biden, Jackson War Chests
Published by Lindsay Renick Mayer
on January 26, 2009 5:54 PM
Although it's unclear to what extent businessman Raghuveer Nayak was involved in Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's alleged scheme to sell President Obama's Senate seat, what is clear is Nayak's commitment to funding the campaigns of the governor, the new president, the new vice president and others in Congress and the administration. Investigators are reportedly probing whether Blagojevich tried to get $500,000 from Nayak to secure the seat for Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., whose brother was a business partner of Nayak's. In total, Nayak has given $220,300 to federal lawmakers and committees, 93 percent of which has gone to Democrats, the Center for Responsive Politics has found.
Jackson has received more money from Nayak at the federal level than any other lawmaker since 1989, at $22,600. Nayak was a seemingly close associate of Jesse Jackson Sr., according to the Washington Post, and joined him in civil rights causes, sat on the board of one of his organizations and accompanied him on a trip to New Delhi in 2007. Although Nayak only gave Blagojevich $500 during the governor's time in Congress, he has been one of Blagojevich's top fundraisers for state office, the Post reported. Nayak has been a pervasive donor, especially to Illinois lawmakers, which now gives him a connection to some of the top politicians in the country. He and his wife, Anita, have given Obama $19,800 since the 2004 election cycle, more than any other recipient but Jackson. They also gave $2,500 to former Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who is now White House Chief of Staff.
By spreading his money between a number of presidential candidates in the last election cycle, Nayak ensured that he had a pretty good chance of supporting the eventual winner. Since the 2006 election cycle, he's given $6,600 to both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Republican Sen. John McCain, who were 2008 presidential candidates. Since the 2004 election cycle, he's also contributed $8,900 to Vice President Joe Biden, who originally ran for president in the last election cycle, and $4,600 to Republican Mitt Romney's unsuccessful campaign. In 2004, he also covered his bases, giving $2,000 to former president George W. Bush and $8,000 to Bush's Democratic opponent, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (the $8,000 includes contributions to his compliance fund).
The following is a list of all recipients of federal campaign contributions from Raghuveer Nayak and his wife (totals include donations to leadership PACs and candidate committees):
Name.......Grand Total
Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill)
$22,600
Barack Obama (D-Ill)
$19,800
Gery J. Chico (D-Ill)
$12,800
Evan Bayh (D-Ind)
$12,700
Melissa Bean (D-Ill)
$12,500
Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill)
$10,200
Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill)
$9,450
Daniel W. Hynes (D-Ill)
$9,250
Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del)
$8,900
John Kerry (D-Mass)
$8,000
Danny K. Davis (D-Ill)
$7,150
Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
$6,600
John McCain (R-Ariz)
$6,600
Joyce W. Washington (D-Ill)
$6,000
Bill Foster (D-Ill)
$5,600
Dick Durbin (D-Ill)
$5,100
Ashwin Madia (D-Minn)
$4,600
Mitt Romney (R-Mass)
$4,600
John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich)
$4,200
Charles B. Rangel (D-NY)
$4,200
Melvin L. Watt (D-NC)
$4,200
Howard Dean (D-Vt)
$4,000
Richard Gephardt (D-Mo)
$4,000
Jill Morgenthaler (D-Ill)
$2,800
Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill)
$2,500
John Lewis (D-Ga)
$2,300
Roberto Maldonado (D-Ill)
$2,300
Dan Seals (D-Ill)
$2,300
Thomas J. Vilsack (D-Iowa)
$2,300
George W. Bush (R-Texas)
$2,000
Democratic Congressional Campaign Cmte
$2,000
Ed Royce (R-Calif)
$2,000
Keith Ellison (D-Minn)
$1,000
Scott Harper (D-Ill)
$1,000
Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill)
$1,000
Pat Quinn (D-Ill)
$1,000
Harry Reid (D-Nev)
$1,000
Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill)
$500
Mike Honda (D-Calif)
$500
Tom Lantos (D-Calif)
$500
Alan J. Dixon (D-Ill)
$250
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Emanuel, Blagojevich Talk Senate 21 Times
Wed, 12/17/2008 - 12:33 —Judicial Watch Blog
Barack Obama’s chief of staff was recorded discussing Illinois’ vacant Senate seat with the state’s indicted governor 21 times, even though the president elect assures his staff did nothing wrong in the bribery scandal that has rocked the nation.
To prove it, Obama conducted a thorough internal review which, for unknown reasons, can’t be released until Christmas week when few pay attention to the news. Not surprisingly, the Camp Obama probe concluded that no one in the administration had“inappropriate discussions” with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich concerning the search for Obama’s Senate replacement.
Perhaps the mysterious report will explain why Obama’s new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, had so many discussions with Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy. Close friends and political allies, Emanuel and Blagojevich were recorded on FBI wiretaps having 21 different conversations about Obama’s Senate replacement.
Days after the November 4 presidential election Emanuel began pushing for Obama’s successor, strongly urging the corrupt governor—charged with trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat and for years the influence of his office— to appoint Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett.
Jarrett eventually dropped out of the running to become Obama’s senior advisor, but Emanuel continued pushing for candidates that his new boss obviously endorsed. He even gave the governor a list of candidates suitable to the Obama team.
Emanuel, a veteran legislator who usually basks in the media limelight, has been suspiciously elusive and tight-lipped regarding his repeated contact with Blagojevich. The entire Obama team has tried desperately to distance itself from Blagojevich, even though the soon-to-be commander-in-chief and the Illinois governor are close pals and longtime allies who have endorsed each other’s political careers and shared a major (convicted felon Antoin Rezko) donor.
In fact, Obama’s top advisor (David Axelrod) innocently revealed during a television interview last month that his boss had spoken to Blagojevich about his Senate replacement. When the massive Blagojevich indictment became public however, Axelrod issued a statement saying that he was mistaken, claiming that Obama and Blagojevich“did not then or at any time discuss the subject.”
To prove it, Obama conducted a thorough internal review which, for unknown reasons, can’t be released until Christmas week when few pay attention to the news. Not surprisingly, the Camp Obama probe concluded that no one in the administration had“inappropriate discussions” with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich concerning the search for Obama’s Senate replacement.
Perhaps the mysterious report will explain why Obama’s new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, had so many discussions with Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy. Close friends and political allies, Emanuel and Blagojevich were recorded on FBI wiretaps having 21 different conversations about Obama’s Senate replacement.
Days after the November 4 presidential election Emanuel began pushing for Obama’s successor, strongly urging the corrupt governor—charged with trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat and for years the influence of his office— to appoint Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett.
Jarrett eventually dropped out of the running to become Obama’s senior advisor, but Emanuel continued pushing for candidates that his new boss obviously endorsed. He even gave the governor a list of candidates suitable to the Obama team.
Emanuel, a veteran legislator who usually basks in the media limelight, has been suspiciously elusive and tight-lipped regarding his repeated contact with Blagojevich. The entire Obama team has tried desperately to distance itself from Blagojevich, even though the soon-to-be commander-in-chief and the Illinois governor are close pals and longtime allies who have endorsed each other’s political careers and shared a major (convicted felon Antoin Rezko) donor.
In fact, Obama’s top advisor (David Axelrod) innocently revealed during a television interview last month that his boss had spoken to Blagojevich about his Senate replacement. When the massive Blagojevich indictment became public however, Axelrod issued a statement saying that he was mistaken, claiming that Obama and Blagojevich“did not then or at any time discuss the subject.”
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Commentary: Obama should be more open to reporters
Story Highlights
Brown: Obama shouldn't brush off reporters asking about Blagojevich
Reporter asks question about Senate seat and Illinois governor
Obama campaigned on directness and openness, Brown says
That means he doesn't get to dismiss any question he doesn't like, she says
'The media is annoying' 2:34
CNN's Campbell Brown believes it is the media's job to hold President-elect Obama accountable.
• Show Pages - Campbell Brown - CNN.com
• Show Pages - Campbell Brown - CNN.com
Source: CNN Added December 17, 2008
The story
It goes without saying, the media is annoying. It is the media's job to be annoying. Especially those members of the media assigned to cover the president. Or in this case the president-elect.
Their role is not to support President-elect Barack Obama, but to challenge him, to do their best to hold him accountable.
This week the media is no doubt annoying Obama with daily questions about Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich allegedly trying to sell Obama's Senate seat and the role of certain members of Obama's team. Here was the exchange he had Tuesday with a reporter from the Chicago Tribune:
John McCormick: You told us at your first press conference after the election that you were going to take a very hands-off approach to filling that spot. Over the weekend, The Tribune reported that Rahm Emanuel, your incoming chief of staff, had presented a list of potential names. Watch Campbell Brown's commentary
Obama: John, let me just cut you off, because I don't want you to waste your question. As I indicated yesterday, we've done a full review of this. The facts are going to be released next week. It would be inappropriate for me to comment, because the -- for example, the story that you just talked about in your own paper, I haven't confirmed that it was accurate, and I don't want to get into the details at this point. So do you have another question?
All About Rod Blagojevich
Source:
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
President-elect Obama announces more key White House staff
President-elect Obama announces more key White House staff
(Friday, December 5, 2008)
WASHINGTON – Today, President-elect Barack Obama announced that Christina M. Tchen will serve as White House Director of Public Liaison and Michael Strautmanis will serve as Chief of Staff to the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison.
President-elect Obama said, "I am pleased to announce that these two distinguished individuals will be joining my administration, as we seek to meet the big challenges of our time. They not only bring impressive resumes but also a deep commitment to public service -- and I know the American people will be served well by them."
The White House Staff Announcements are below:
Christina M. Tchen, Director of Public Liaison
Tchen has broad litigation experience at all levels of the state and federal courts. She has represented companies, officers and directors in shareholder class and derivative actions, and she has also handled a wide range of commercial, intellectual property, and employment-related litigation. Tchen also has represented public agencies in state and federal class actions, including the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Illinois Department of Public Aid and the Chicago Housing Authority. She serves on the board of the Chicago Bar Foundation; she is also Chair of the Board of Field Foundation of Illinois and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Chicago Public Library and the Board of the Chinese American Service League. She has served on the Judicial Nominations Commission for the Northern District of Illinois and she has been appointed to several leadership positions with the American Bar Association Section of Litigation.
Tchen is the recipient of many awards, including the Leadership Award from the Women's Bar Association of Illinois (1999); "Women of Achievement" award from the Anti-Defamation League (1996); and Chicago Lawyer "Person of the Year" (1994). She was selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2008 and The Best Lawyers in America 2009. She also was selected as one of the top three women business lawyers in Illinois by the Leading Lawyers Network 2007.
Michael Strautmanis, Chief of Staff to the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison
A native of Chicago, Strautmanis first came to know the Obamas when he worked as a paralegal at the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin for Mrs. Michelle Obama. After law school, Strautmanis practiced complex litigation and employment law in Chicago, before joining the Clinton Administration at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Strautmanis also served as Legislative Director and Counsel to then Rep. Rod Blagojevich, aiding Governor Blagojevich in his successful 2002 Illinois gubernatorial campaign, and serving as Counsel for Legislation for the American Association of Justice.
Strautmanis served as Chief Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff to Obama in the United States Senate. He then served as Senior Counsel for Obama for America where he played a leading role in political outreach as a member of the Congressional Relations team. Strautmanis received a B.S. from the University of Illinois, and a J.D. from the University Of Illinois College Of Law. He and his wife Damona are the proud parents of three.
Source:
Note: Bolds, Highlights, and Italics added for emphasis....................Blogman.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrested, charged
Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn today called on Blagojevich to step aside, at least temporarily, because he is "seriously impeded from carrying out his oath of office."
Tribune staff reports
1:08 PM CST, December 9, 2008
Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrives at the Tribune Tower on Monday for an interview at CNN's Chicago office. (Tribune photo by Nancy Stone / December 8, 2008)
U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald said today that federal authorities arrested Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich this morning because the governor went on "a political corruption crime spree" that needed to be stopped.
Related links
Rod Blagojevich: His years in public office Photos
Video: Governor Blagojevich arrested
Statement from Gerould Kern, editor of the Chicago Tribune
Fed probe widens to Senate vacancy
Trouble in office
U.S. Attorney's Press Release
Criminal Complaint
Timeline of the Blagojevich investigation
Quotes from Gov. Rod Blagojevich
Patrick Fitzgerald profile (March 2007)
From Hamas to Scooter Libby: Major cases handled by U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald
'Mr. Un-Popularity': Chicago Magazine profile of Gov. Blagojevich (February 2008)
Blagojevich coverage
Fitzgerald said secret tape recordings showed Blagojevich was attempting "to sell the U.S. Senate seat" that President-elect Barack Obama recently vacated. Fitzgerald said, "We make no allegations" that Obama was aware of any alleged scheming by Blagojevich.
The governor has the sole power to pick Obama's replacement under the state constitution.
"The conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave," Fitzgerald said, quoting Blagojevich as saying the Senate seat is "a bleeping valuable thing. You just don't give it away. ... I've got this thing and it's bleeping golden."
Fitzgerald called the corruption charges against Blagojevich "a truly new low."
Blagojevich wasn't against the corrupt deal for the Senate seat, he was against "being stiffed in the corrupt deal," Fitzgerald said.
The remarks came at a news conference to discuss charges against Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris. Blagojevich and Harris are scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan.
Robert Grant, FBI special agent in charge of the Chicago office, characterized Illinois' place in the pantheon of political corruption.
"If it isn't the most corrupt state in the United States, it's certainly one hell of a competitor," Grant said. "Even the most cynical agents in our office were shocked."
Grant said he called Blagojevich about 6 a.m. and told the governor two FBI agents were outside his door and that they had a warrant for his arrest.
After initially asking, "Is this a joke?" Grant said, Blagojevich was "very cooperative."
Grant said the arrest of Blagojevich should serve as notice that "business as usual will no longer be tolerated. That selling your office for personal gain is a thing of the past."
Fitzgerald said the investigation into Blagojevich continues, but authorities acted today to avoid further harm taking place.
"I was not going to wait until March or April or May to get it all nice and tidy" and bring charges, he said. "I think that would be irresponsible."
Fitzgerald thanked the Chicago Tribune, which had been reporting on the investigation, for honoring a rare request about eight weeks ago not to report on certain aspects of the investigation that he said could have been jeopardized.
Tribune Editor Gerould Kern said today that the newspaper delayed publishing some stories at the request of the U.S. attorney's office during the course of reporting on the accelerating investigation of Blagojevich.
"On occasion, prosecutors asked us to delay publication of stories, asserting that disclosure would jeopardize the criminal investigation," Kern said. "In isolated instances, we granted the requests, but other requests were refused."
In the criminal complaint, authorities allege that Blagojevich and Harris sought to pressure the Tribune to fire editorial writers who were critical of his administration. Tribune Co. had been negotiating with the Illinois Finance Authority to purchase Wrigley Field as part of the company's efforts to sell the Cubs baseball team.
Kern said today he never experienced any pressure over the Tribune editorials.
"There was never an instance where I was contacted or called, where any influence at all was placed against me. There were no instances of that."
Kern said he became editor July 18 and since then there's "never been any hint of that. I was as surprised as everyone else when I saw that."
Kern said nobody from the Blagojevich administration ever contacted him about the editorials.
"I never got a complaint. I never got any contact whatsoever from Blagojevich, no complaint--nothing from inside Tribune Co."
Kern pointed out there were no staff reductions in the editorial board. "The facts are what they are."
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Related topic galleries: John Harris, Police, Tony Rezko, Values, George Ryan, Corruption, Executive Branch
All topicsMake a difference for the area's neediest: Give to Chicago Tribune Charities
Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rod-blagojevich-illinois-governor-7,0,5113440.story
Tribune staff reports
1:08 PM CST, December 9, 2008
Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrives at the Tribune Tower on Monday for an interview at CNN's Chicago office. (Tribune photo by Nancy Stone / December 8, 2008)
U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald said today that federal authorities arrested Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich this morning because the governor went on "a political corruption crime spree" that needed to be stopped.
Related links
Rod Blagojevich: His years in public office Photos
Video: Governor Blagojevich arrested
Statement from Gerould Kern, editor of the Chicago Tribune
Fed probe widens to Senate vacancy
Trouble in office
U.S. Attorney's Press Release
Criminal Complaint
Timeline of the Blagojevich investigation
Quotes from Gov. Rod Blagojevich
Patrick Fitzgerald profile (March 2007)
From Hamas to Scooter Libby: Major cases handled by U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald
'Mr. Un-Popularity': Chicago Magazine profile of Gov. Blagojevich (February 2008)
Blagojevich coverage
Fitzgerald said secret tape recordings showed Blagojevich was attempting "to sell the U.S. Senate seat" that President-elect Barack Obama recently vacated. Fitzgerald said, "We make no allegations" that Obama was aware of any alleged scheming by Blagojevich.
The governor has the sole power to pick Obama's replacement under the state constitution.
"The conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave," Fitzgerald said, quoting Blagojevich as saying the Senate seat is "a bleeping valuable thing. You just don't give it away. ... I've got this thing and it's bleeping golden."
Fitzgerald called the corruption charges against Blagojevich "a truly new low."
Blagojevich wasn't against the corrupt deal for the Senate seat, he was against "being stiffed in the corrupt deal," Fitzgerald said.
The remarks came at a news conference to discuss charges against Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris. Blagojevich and Harris are scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan.
Robert Grant, FBI special agent in charge of the Chicago office, characterized Illinois' place in the pantheon of political corruption.
"If it isn't the most corrupt state in the United States, it's certainly one hell of a competitor," Grant said. "Even the most cynical agents in our office were shocked."
Grant said he called Blagojevich about 6 a.m. and told the governor two FBI agents were outside his door and that they had a warrant for his arrest.
After initially asking, "Is this a joke?" Grant said, Blagojevich was "very cooperative."
Grant said the arrest of Blagojevich should serve as notice that "business as usual will no longer be tolerated. That selling your office for personal gain is a thing of the past."
Fitzgerald said the investigation into Blagojevich continues, but authorities acted today to avoid further harm taking place.
"I was not going to wait until March or April or May to get it all nice and tidy" and bring charges, he said. "I think that would be irresponsible."
Fitzgerald thanked the Chicago Tribune, which had been reporting on the investigation, for honoring a rare request about eight weeks ago not to report on certain aspects of the investigation that he said could have been jeopardized.
Tribune Editor Gerould Kern said today that the newspaper delayed publishing some stories at the request of the U.S. attorney's office during the course of reporting on the accelerating investigation of Blagojevich.
"On occasion, prosecutors asked us to delay publication of stories, asserting that disclosure would jeopardize the criminal investigation," Kern said. "In isolated instances, we granted the requests, but other requests were refused."
In the criminal complaint, authorities allege that Blagojevich and Harris sought to pressure the Tribune to fire editorial writers who were critical of his administration. Tribune Co. had been negotiating with the Illinois Finance Authority to purchase Wrigley Field as part of the company's efforts to sell the Cubs baseball team.
Kern said today he never experienced any pressure over the Tribune editorials.
"There was never an instance where I was contacted or called, where any influence at all was placed against me. There were no instances of that."
Kern said he became editor July 18 and since then there's "never been any hint of that. I was as surprised as everyone else when I saw that."
Kern said nobody from the Blagojevich administration ever contacted him about the editorials.
"I never got a complaint. I never got any contact whatsoever from Blagojevich, no complaint--nothing from inside Tribune Co."
Kern pointed out there were no staff reductions in the editorial board. "The facts are what they are."
E-mailShare Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Fark Google Reddit Buzz up!Mixx it! PrintReprint
Related topic galleries: John Harris, Police, Tony Rezko, Values, George Ryan, Corruption, Executive Branch
All topicsMake a difference for the area's neediest: Give to Chicago Tribune Charities
Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rod-blagojevich-illinois-governor-7,0,5113440.story
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