Take it for what it’s worth, only one source so far, but can’t say I would be surprised if true.
A federal source of mine with ties to Chicago says that FBI agents had enough to prosecute corrupt, helmet-haired Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich back in June, when he was already engaged in some of the blackmail and extortion alleged by the FBI affidavit and other documents associated with his arrest and prosecution.
The source says that the FBI was suddenly ordered by the U.S. Attorney’s Office–and I believe that order came from the top, ie., U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and Justice Department officials in Washington–to hold off on doing anything until after the election, so as not to hurt Obama’s White House bid. Here’s what my inside source says.
I know for a fact FBI Chicago had enough to indict Blagojevich in June. They were 2 weeks from indictment in June based on cooperation and testimony at the Stu Levine trial. Levine was Tony Rezko’s bud, fund raiser for Blago, and our President-Elect.
I wonder what took them so long? My guess is when it started to look like a lock for Obama’s nomination by the Dems, someone at the U.S. Attorney’s Office put it all on hold, so as not to spoil “The Annointed One’s” shot.
Don’t forget how Fitzgerald treated Lewis “Scooter” Libby in going after him (the guy who wasn’t even the source of the leak, and the liberal source of the leak, Richard Armitage wasn’t even scratched). Compare that with this kid gloves treatment of Obamessiah.
What was it the racist pastor said?
“The chickens coming home to roost!”
I’m guessing that the one’s past dealings with criminals, terrorists, and corrupt politicians will provide much fodder for the blogosphere over the next four years. Hell, he hasn’t even been sworn in and look at what we have seen so far!
See author page
This is why I called for a special prosecutor to investigate every aspect of this case.
The idea of having a Chicago prosecutor whose job is on the line in a new Administration investigate Chicago politicians, some of whom are about to move to Washington and into the White House raises red flags.
If Fitzgerald felt it was important to wait to see what new corruption Blago might get up to after the election of Obama why was it so important to cut off the investigation before Blago actually committed the crime of doing the deal?
There are just too many unanswered questions about this matter and the only way to be sure there is no funny business is for it to be investigated by someone who is indepdendent.
IIRC, there was a similiar situation when George Ryan ran for governor. There were stories of the Feds having enough info the indict him, but made announcement that Ryan was not the subject of an investigation. After Ryan was elected, it turned out they did have the dope.
I think that there should be a special proscecutor to investigate ALL cases where an indictment may have been held off because of an election.
if Bush’s prosecutor had moved right before the election – assuming that Debbie Schlussel knows what she’s talking about (and that’s a MAJOR assumption) – it would’ve smelled terribly of politics. Of course, had Fitz moved earlier, Obama’s name would not have even been mentioned, being that there would be no seat to replace and no profanity laced telephone recordings.
BTW – You’ll never get a special prosecutor for this – when Bush went 8 years trashing the constitution without even a whimper from the left – give it up…
I think that big indictments like this should be held up until after major elections. An indictment is just that: an indictment. It is not a conviction. If there is not enough time to prosecute and try the case before the election, then all the rampant speculation can and will surely (and unfairly) taint the election.
This obviously goes for both Republican indictments and Democratic indictments. To have indicted Scooter Libby 4 months before the 2004 Presidential election would have been a travesty. Libby’s grand jury was empaneled in October, 2003, and his indictment was October, 2005. Had Libby been indicted in the summer of 2004, the Democrats would have had a powerful hammer against President Bush. It is right and proper to delay such indictments until after major elections.
– Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach, CA
No Larry, you are wrong. Libby had nothing to do with Bush. But Blago and Obama are clearly involve in that corruption. I can see that you are still protecting the ONE, no matter what. You wouldn’t mind to have a corrupt POTUS, after all he is THE ONE and only one for you.
Where have you been the past 8 years, Ms. Warp’edpublican? Evidently not reading any MSM headlines… the same that have quoted Congressional members trashing Bush for everything from perceived Constitutional violations to calling him Hitler.
…”not even a whimper”…. give it up.
Hey wardouche, you should go back on your clozapine.
You forgot all the screams for impeachment of Bush and the few attempts in Congress to make it so. You deliberately ignore how they went after Bush admin officials over the U.S. attorney firings on bogus claims. You ignore how they screamed enough troops weren’t sent to Iraq. Then when he sent more they attacked him for doing so. How about Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11? You are truly mentally ill.
politics is a big game and there is alot of cheating. this does stink of game playing to get the desired results. i think we need a special prosecutor and to have an indipendent review of all of obama, rahm, blago, all of them and their corrupt ties to one another.
I saw a quote attributed to Rush Limbaugh:
“When it’s a Republican scandal, the press become prosecutors. When there’s a Democrat scandal, the press become defense lawyers.”
He absolutely nailed it.
Reading in my local paper I noticed that the charges Fitz brought only nets 30 years max for Blago. Ryan got 6 1/2 years, people died as a result of what he did. If convicted, Blago’s sentence could be pretty enemic. Hopefully Fitzgerald has more charges to come, after seeing this I’m wondering.
Being an Illinois resident, hoping that some day someone will clean this mess up, I was encouraged when the third team of FBI investigators was added. Thought they would get to the bottom of the scourge in this state and clean it up. Rigt now I’m thinking that the Chicago machine is just playing with them, hope I’m wrong.
Larry: If it’s the right thing to hold the criminal complaint (the grand jury has yet to indict) until after the election then why not wait until after Blagojevich actually committed the crime of selling the senate seat to make the case stronger?
As it is now that aspect of the case is likely to go no where. How convenient!
But of course if we had waited another week we might actually have gotten the goods on Rahm Emanuel or one of his buddies.
And we wouldn’t want that now would we?
Much better to let them take this corruption express all the way to the White House and give us all a taste of the Chicago Way!
I don’t know about your news… but every channel is talking about this 24/7 (oh sans the part about finding the skull of that missing kid). It is nauseating already.
Mike, I heard that a particular media outlet broke the story of the investigation prematurely. The govt. had asked them to wait, and they did for a week or two then contacted Blago! They actually asked him about the investigation! At that point they were allegedly forced to act.
This comes from a local radio station so take it with a grain of salt.
Have to agree, blast. The tunnel vision, and inability of our media to multitask on news is seriously depressing. I turn to the internet, and even that is filled with the same…. like there’s nothing else happening in the world? Chicago corrupt politician discovered… ho hum. Yup. Big surprise. Gee… what’s in the WH?
Mata, the internet is nearly the same as to numerous stories, except not all of the senses are assaulted at the same time. The great thing about the internet is you can shop for more information on a larger swath of topics, oh, and plus there is “mataharley” for me to enjoy.
oh: H&C on Fox had breaking news for the first several minutes about the little body found in FL of the little girl Anthony… the breaking news was the grandparents were taking their Yorkshire terriers from their home and going to a hotel. (just in case you wanted to know where they and their dogs would be tonight).
OT: The Grandparents wanted to believe their daughter was innocent. Now proof to the contrary has appeared to surface. So they bail. Can you blame them?
To tell the truth, I’ld like to just see the politics dropped out of the process of assigning special prosecutors altogether. I think it should be taken out of the executive & legislative branch hands period so they can’t corrupt it. And have it passed over to the judicial branch to assign a qualified, yet impartial individual.
Victoria Toensing takes Fitzgerald to task for another unethical dog and pony show.
excerpts:
Fitzgerald Should Keep His Opinions to Himself
As in the Libby case, his behavior is ‘appalling.
By VICTORIA TOENSING
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s “conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave,” according to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
Throughout the press conference about Gov. Blagojevich, Mr. Fitzgerald talked beyond the four corners of the complaint. He repeatedly characterized the conduct as “appalling.” He opined that the governor “has taken us to a new low,” while going on a “political corruption crime spree.”
Additionally, Mr. Fitzgerald violated another ethical mandate under Justice guidelines for prosecutors: He is supposed to “exercise reasonable care to prevent” law enforcement — in this case the FBI Agent — from making the same type of extrajudicial statements. Mr. Fitzgerald exercised no care.
Special Agent Rob Grant volunteered that when he arrived in Illinois four years ago, he was asked by the media whether Illinois is the “most corrupt state in the United States.” He then answered that four-year-old question claiming, “[I]t’s one hell of a competitor.” Mr. Grant did not stop there. He revealed that the FBI agents who participated in the case were “thoroughly disgusted and revolted by what they heard.”
Well, weren’t we all? Even though the governer’s maneuvering to sell the Senate seat most likely had not yet crossed the line to become criminal behavior, it was base, sordid conduct. But those thoughts and words are for the rest of us to express before the trial. It is unethical for those who are government prosecutors to do so.
Ms. Toensing, a former Justice Department official, is a lawyer in Washington.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122913032247103429.html?mod=rss_opinion_main
@Hard Right: H.R. I’m not buying that explanation. It hasn’t been a secret that there has been an ongoing investigation of Blago for YEARS. The story that broke last week was in regard to the taped phone calls and conversations but even then, it was hardly unexpected.
O.K. That’s a valid point. It’s also a point in favor of your position (with which I agree) that a special prosecutor would be in order.
I still stand by the position that the idea of federal prosecutors issuing indictments right before major elections is something which could lead to electoral manipulation. A lot of indictments seem like big deals, only to be revealed as small potatoes after all the evidence has been sifted and exposed during the trial.
I think you’d agree that the big deal here is the solicitation of a bribe in return for a Senate appointment. Had Fitzgerald not waited until the election was over, I’ll wager that all he’d have had is a bunch of parochial local Chicago stuff, uninteresting to the rest of the country and having a minimal effect at the level of the Presidential election, getting lost in the general background of the William Ayers, Reverend Wright, Rezko claptrap; none of which resonated with the electorate, beyond the GOP base.
– Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach, CA
RockyB: “I think it should be taken out of the executive & legislative branch hands period so they can’t corrupt it. And have it passed over to the judicial branch to assign a qualified, yet impartial individual.” And you think the judiciary HASN’T been corrupted?
My biggest concern is that the overthrow of this country is about to happen with huge numbers of people in place at the highest and most widespread levels. When it’s time to pull the switch I’m afraid we will have nowhere to turn. Little Black Sambo doesn’t bother me nearly as much as the 47,000 people pulling his strings. The Communist Party USA CHEERED when he was elected. His (not so) veiled references to a “civilian” authority as well funded as the military. His marxist philosphy and the pending stealth Constitutional Convention are all gateways to absolute and complete takeover. There are far too many people in government, in the media and in the education system who would LOVE to see the demise of the Republic. A few patriots may actually fight, but I’m afraid it would be crushed as quickly and surely as Tiananman Square or Georgia.
Andy Martin slams Barack Obama and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in Illinois Supreme Court filing, for mendacity in “Blagogate/Obamagate”
http://www.contrariancommentary.com/community/Home/tabid/36/mid/363/newsid363/332/Default.aspx
Excerpt:
“Attorney General Lisa Madigan(“the AG”) and President-elect Barack Obama are attempting to stage a political coup against the people of this state by using this Court as a political instrument to accomplish their goals.”