Illinois Governor Arrested for Selling Senate Seat

[Jimmy Snyder]

I have nothing against the Democratic Party as long as it is based on ethical and moral standards, e.g. honesty and fairness. I do have a problem when malfeasant individuals knowingly take huge payments in selling out the public trust. Basically that is stealing as well as fraud, IMO, and it seems there was a lot of that going on over the last several decades.

 

[LowlyPion]

Geez, that must be the least desired seat in the history of the Senate. Is there any legitimate politician that would dare take an appointment to that seat, now?

There is no question in my mind that Jesse Jackson Jr. would take it in a heartbeat.

Incidentally he is rumored to be Candidate #5. Valerie Jarrod is probably Candidate #1. Appreciation is what Candidate #1 was offering. But apparently Money talks and Appreciation walks.

 

[LowlyPion]

I have nothing against the Democratic Party as long as it is based on ethical and moral standards, e.g. honesty and fairness. I do have a problem when malfeasant individuals knowingly take huge payments in selling out the public trust. Basically that is stealing as well as fraud, IMO, and it seems there was a lot of that going on over the last several decades.

Don't get in too much of a snit over it. You're talking Illinois. Apparently in relative terms this Blagofavitch is a real humanitarian ascète.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Don't get in too much of a snit over it.

Thanks, I'll try to calm my savage breast. I'm upset because I was candidate 3.

 

[BobG]

Blago may have just felt compelled to follow tradition. Four of the last eight Illinois governors:
40 Blago - Indicted
39 George Ryan - Currently in jail
36 Daniel Walker. Convicted on S&L deals in 87. Requested pardon from Clinton in '01, not granted.
33 Otto Kerner. Convicted 17 counts bribery, conspiracy, perjury.

Walker's crimes occurred a decade after he was governor. He was a crook, but not a crooked politician. (He seemed to think it was important to point that out on an interview this morning).

 

[BobG]

Evidently, there's more tapes that haven't been released to the press.

Later on December 6, BLAGOJEVICH was saying goodnight to his daughters when Daughter A asked BLAGOJEVICH to tell them a bedtime story. BLAGOJEVICH said "Sure, sweetie," but that in exchange for the bedtime story Daughter A and Daughter B would have to make their beds in the morning and spend the next two weeks canvassing neighborhoods in the South Side of Chicago for Friends of Blagojevich. The daughters agreed and BLAGOJEVICH asked them what story they would like to hear that night. Daughter B said she would like to hear the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. BLAGOJEVICH reminded his daughters that the story would have to be short because he had a phone call scheduled for later that evening with the presidents of the SEIU and Change to Win coalition. Daughter B said that would not be a problem. BLAGOJEVICH said, "Okay, so once upon a time there was a lady who was really poor." ...

Jack and Milky White were on the way to the market when they encountered "this really strange lookin' homeless guy" who offered to buy Milky White. Jack said he would sell Milky White at the price of "$1.5 million and a seat on the board" of Citigroup. The old man offered to give Jack five magic beans for Milky White. Jack said "are you f---ing kidding me?" and told the old man to "get out of my f---ing way." ...

 

[Art]

I have nothing against the Democratic Party as long as it is based on ethical and moral standards, e.g. honesty and fairness. I do have a problem when malfeasant individuals knowingly take huge payments in selling out the public trust. Basically that is stealing as well as fraud, IMO, and it seems there was a lot of that going on over the last several decades.

Using your earlier logic, are you saying you prefer the communist party then

 

[D H]

There is no question in my mind that Jesse Jackson Jr. would take it in a heartbeat. Incidentally he is rumored to be Candidate #5.

Confirmed.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/ConductUnbecoming/Story?id=6431739

Chicago Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., is the anonymous "Senate Candidate No. 5" whose emissaries Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich reportedly offered up to $1 million to name him to the U.S. Senate, his attorney confirmed today after it was reported earlier on ABCNews.com "The Blotter".​

 

[LowlyPion]

Confirmed.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/ConductUnbecoming/Story?id=6431739

Chicago Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., is the anonymous "Senate Candidate No. 5" whose emissaries Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich reportedly offered up to $1 million to name him to the U.S. Senate, his attorney confirmed today after it was reported earlier on ABCNews.com "The Blotter".​

I think the $1.5M question is if his emissary was his dad.

The hymnals will really hit the fan if that's the plot twist.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Chicago Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., is the anonymous "Senate Candidate No. 5" whose emissaries Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich reportedly offered up to $1 million to name him to the U.S. Senate, his attorney confirmed today after it was reported earlier on ABCNews.com "The Blotter".

Actually, D H didn't say this, ABC News did. The sentence doesn't parse very well. I wonder what they really meant to say.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Using your earlier logic, are you saying you prefer the communist party then

I think you just set some kind of record for twisting a person's words. It is a good example of someone reading something with a preconceived mindset, and then getting from it what they wanted to believe..

 

[BobG]

FBI agent Mark Grant talked about the possibility of Illinois being the most corrupt state in the US:

FBI Special Agent-in-Charge in Chicago Robert Grant said he was asked by reporters when he first started the investigation "whether or not Illinois is the most corrupt state in the United States."

"And I didn't answer that question, yes or no, and I can't answer that question today. I don't have 49 other states to compare it with.But I can tell you one thing: If it isn't the most corrupt state in the United States, its certainly one hell of a competitor," he said.

Actually, Illinois ranked 6th in a http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/1008-04.htm. They pulled their data from this http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/pin/docs/arpt-2006.pdf (Table III at the end of the report) and divided by the population of the state.

The BCS Corruption Rankings:
1) Louisiana (no surprise there - did anyone really think Louisiana could be beaten)
2) Mississippi
3) Kentucky
4) Alabama
5) Ohio (long tradition - one of the high marks for my old home town was when Geraldo Rivera chased Judge Barbuto's enforcer, Bobie Clark, down Main St in Akron, shouting out questions all the way. My mother-in-law was even on TV telling Geraldo the sheriff wouldn't talk to him [the sheriff was charged and eventually pleaded guilty to illegal distribution of weapons]. About half the county government was wiped out that year).

6) Illinois (may only rank 6th, but Chicago might be the most corrupt city in the US)
7) Pennsylvania
8) Florida
9) New Jersey
10) New York

Illinois isn't even close to Louisiana and Mississippi (and Mississippi isn't even close to Louisiana), but the battle for 3rd through 9th is real close.

What is it about the Gulf Coast?

Unfortunately, they don't tally the least corrupt states; just the 35 most populous states. Nebraska has a small population, but they still have to be contender for least corrupt state in the US (I knew there was a reason I always liked living there) - yearly totals of 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1. One year they got up to 4 officials convicted.

 

[Art]

I think you just set some kind of record for twisting a person's words. It is a good example of someone reading something with a preconceived mindset, and then getting from it what they wanted to believe..

Uh? Astronuc said what he didn't like about capitalism was the lack of ethics and morality so you inferred from that he supported the communist system. You on the other hand say you dislike the Democrat party because of the lack of ethics and morality so therefore by your logic it is reasonable to presume you prefer the communist party. Exactly how is this twisting your words. It simply serves to show how ridiculous your original assertion re Astronuc's comment was, which essentially translated as 'if you don't like dark blue you must like orange'.

 

[Office_Shredder]

1) Louisiana (no surprise there - did anyone really think Louisiana could be beaten)
2) Mississippi
3) Kentucky
4) Alabama
5) Ohio (long tradition - one of the high marks for my old home town was when Geraldo Rivera chased Judge Barbuto's enforcer, Bobie Clark, down Main St in Akron, shouting out questions all the way. My mother-in-law was even on TV telling Geraldo the sheriff wouldn't talk to him [the sheriff was charged and eventually pleaded guilty to illegal distribution of weapons]. About half the county government was wiped out that year).

6) Illinois (may only rank 6th, but Chicago might be the most corrupt city in the US)
7) Pennsylvania
8) Florida
9) New Jersey
10) New York

How the hell is New Jersey only 9th? The true pinnacle of corruption isn't lots of convicted politicians, but lots of politicians who should be convicted but aren't.

Besides, I saw Ice Harvest. Kansas should be top 4 at least.

 

[Art]

Unfortunately, they don't tally the least corrupt states; just the 35 most populous states. Nebraska has a small population, but they still have to be contender for least corrupt state in the US (I knew there was a reason I always liked living there) - yearly totals of 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1. One year they got up to 4 officials convicted.

But by definition wouldn't you expect the most corrupt state to have the fewest convictions??

 

[BobG]

But by definition wouldn't you expect the most corrupt state to have the fewest convictions??

Only if it's a one-party state (or one-party city like Chicago). Even in a one-party state, people develop enemies and dropping a dime on your enemy is one way to get rid of them. Turning them into the feds works best, since the feds are least influenced by local politics.

If you toss in small states, North Dakota is the most corrupt state in the US (8.15/100,000) and Montana slips into 4th at 6.34. Arkansas has 5.76, South Dakota has 5.58, and Delaware has 4.69 (you can slip them into the big states on your own). I think having 5 of the top 10 filled by the smallest 15 states made the people doing the report wonder how meaningful a ranking they were getting.

Oregon just nips out Nebraska (0.74) for least corrupt state.

Least corrupt (including small states):
1) Oregon (0.68)
2) Nebraska (0.74)
3) Iowa (0.91)
4) New Hampshire (1.07)
5) Minnesota (1.24)

6) Kansas (1.41)
7) Utah (1.41)
8) Washington (1.52)
9) Colorado (1.56)
10) Nevada (1.72) - Nevada? How did that happen?

New Mexico & South Carolina make honorable mention with 1.74

Only 2 small states make it into least corrupt.

At small numbers, I think they start to worry about the impact not prosecuting corruption could have. As the numbers get bigger, it's harder for a single house cleaning or a single locality never prosecuting corruption has less of an effect. For example, half of Montana's convictions came in 2000 & 2002. Toss those 2 years out and they drop to 3.83. Same in North Dakota - low numbers and suddenly 16 in 2003, followed by 9 more 2 years later (kind of like an earthquake followed by an aftershock).

 

[BobG]

How the hell is New Jersey only 9th? The true pinnacle of corruption isn't lots of convicted politicians, but lots of politicians who should be convicted but aren't.

Besides, I saw Ice Harvest. Kansas should be top 4 at least.

If it makes you feel any better, New Jersey was really close to finishing 3rd.

It was close battle and they put up a good fight.

I'm surprised Oregon winds up least corrupt, but everyone knows states like Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Minnesota would have little corruption, because residents of those states have character. They have lousy weather, but they have lousy weather that builds character! Of course, North Dakota and South Dakota have pretty lousy weather, too - I just don't understand it.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

If it makes you feel any better, New Jersey was really close to finishing 3rd.

NJ has alway been a clean state. 47 indictments, no convictions.

 

[turbo]

NJ has alway been a clean state. 47 indictments, no convictions.

And LOTS of very wealthy Federal prosecutors, we assume?

(Or lots of very fearful prosecutors who don't dare leave their homes.)

 

[mheslep]

FBI agent Mark Grant talked about the possibility of Illinois being the most corrupt state in the US:
Actually, Illinois ranked 6th in a http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/1008-04.htm. They pulled their data from this http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/pin/docs/arpt-2006.pdf (Table III at the end of the report) and divided by the population of the state.

The BCS Corruption Rankings:
1) Louisiana (no surprise there - did anyone really think Louisiana could be beaten)
2) Mississippi
3) Kentucky
4) Alabama
5) Ohio (long tradition - one of the high marks for my old home town was when Geraldo Rivera chased Judge Barbuto's enforcer, Bobie Clark, down Main St in Akron, shouting out questions all the way. My mother-in-law was even on TV telling Geraldo the sheriff wouldn't talk to him [the sheriff was charged and eventually pleaded guilty to illegal distribution of weapons]. About half the county government was wiped out that year).

6) Illinois (may only rank 6th, but Chicago might be the most corrupt city in the US)
7) Pennsylvania
8) Florida
9) New Jersey
10) New York

Illinois isn't even close to Louisiana and Mississippi (and Mississippi isn't even close to Louisiana), but the battle for 3rd through 9th is real close.

What is it about the Gulf Coast?

Unfortunately, they don't tally the least corrupt states; just the 35 most populous states. Nebraska has a small population, but they still have to be contender for least corrupt state in the US (I knew there was a reason I always liked living there) - yearly totals of 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1. One year they got up to 4 officials convicted.

Not so fast. I don't see much relevance in the population qualification: there's only one governor, one big city mayor, and so on. Looking at table III for raw numbers of federal corruption investigations over 10 years and across all regions in a state we have
1 - NY: 762
2 - Fla: 684
3- Ill: 544

La: 329
Miss: 194
Which is more what I would have expected. Louisiana is not that high.

 

[LowlyPion]

It's Sarah Palin. I want to thank you for replacing me as the country's most embarrassing Governor

.

#1 message on Dave's list.

 

[LowlyPion]

Rahm Emanuel apparently had a couple of discussions with Blogofabitch about the Obama senate successor. Obama team may even have provided a list of people acceptable to Obama. No money was mentioned.

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/p...n=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

I'm still waiting to hear if Jesse Jackson maybe was negotiating for Jr. I'm pulling for that firecracker plot twist.

 

[Astronuc]

Ill. governor's chief of staff resigns
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081212/ap_on_re_us/illinois_governor_chief_resigns

A Blagojevich spokesman said Friday that John Harris had resigned. That should put more pressure on Blagojevich.

 

[BobG]

Rahm Emanuel apparently had a couple of discussions with Blogofabitch about the Obama senate successor. Obama team may even have provided a list of people acceptable to Obama. No money was mentioned.

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/p...n=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

I'm still waiting to hear if Jesse Jackson maybe was negotiating for Jr. I'm pulling for that firecracker plot twist.

Somehow, the vision of Emanuel and the Blagojeviches having a conversation just makes me laugh.

To figure out what they're really saying to each other, you have to know morse code.

 

[Astronuc]

Somehow, the vision of Emanuel and the Blagojeviches having a conversation just makes me laugh.

To figure out what they're really saying to each other, you have to know morse code.

I think it would be more of swearing competition.

 

[BobG]

Somehow, the vision of Emanuel and the Blagojeviches having a conversation just makes me laugh.

To figure out what they're really saying to each other, you have to know morse code.

I think it would be more of swearing competition.

Yes, but some of them are 10 letter swear words and some of them are 4 letter swear words.

 

[Astronuc]

Blagojevich may quit on Monday: Illinois official
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081214/pl_nm/us_blagojevich_madigan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Scandal-plagued Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich could announce on Monday that he will leave office, the state's top legal officer said on Sunday.

Blagojevich was arrested last week on charges of swapping political favors for cash, including an attempt to sell the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama following his November presidential election victory.

"We have heard that there is a possibility that tomorrow he will make an announcement where he will step aside," Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan told NBC's "Meet the Press."

"I don't know if that means he will resign or take another option that is provided under the Illinois constitution where he can voluntarily recognize that there is a serious impediment to his ability to carry out his duties, and therefore temporarily remove himself," she said.

. . . .

Later on CBS's "Face the Nation" she cited media reports that Blagojevich was poised to step down, which left unclear whether she had independent indications that he planned such a move, or was repeating what she had heard in the press.

The charges against Blagojevich come after years of investigation detailed by court-approved wiretaps but the governor has not been indicted and remains governor with full powers including being the only person who can name a replacement for Obama in the Senate.
. . . .

Not soon enough.

Apparently if Blagojevich steeps aside, he can stay on the payroll - while he defends himself on corruption charges.

 

[mgb_phys]

Yes, but some of them are 10 letter swear words

10 letter swear words - and they complain about falling educational standards!

 

[LowlyPion]

He's No quitter. (Apparently he needs the job.)

Blagojevich Doesn’t Plan to Resign, Spokesman Says (Update2)

By Joe Carroll and Andrew Harris

Dec. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich doesn’t plan to resign tomorrow, a spokesman said, contradicting speculation by the state’s attorney general that the governor might quit in response to federal corruption charges.

“Not true -- the Gov has no plans of resigning tomorrow,” Lucio Guerrero, a spokesman for Democrat Blagojevich, said today in an e-mailed statement.

Blagojevich, 52, has ignored calls to resign since his Dec. 9 arrest at his Chicago home for what U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald called “a political corruption crime spree.” The governor and his former chief of staff, John Harris, 46, were accused of attempting to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat, soliciting bribes and trying to pressure the Chicago Tribune to halt critical editorials.

The scandal means Illinois, the fifth most-populous state, may have to wait several months to bring its Senate contingent to full strength if lawmakers succeed with plans to strip Blagojevich of authority to fill Obama’s seat, said Charlie Wheeler, an associate professor at the University of Illinois- Springfield. Every U.S. state is entitled to two Senate seats.

“The damage Rod Blagojevich has done to this state is going to last very long,” Judy Baar Topinka, a Republican who unsuccessfully challenged Blagojevich for the governor’s job in 2006, said today in an interview with WMAQ-TV in Chicago.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan earlier today on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program said Blagojevich may announce tomorrow that he’s resigning or taking a temporary leave from office.

‘Financial Circumstances’

A temporary leave would allow Blagojevich to keep getting his state paycheck, because “one of his main concerns is his financial circumstances right now,” she said.

When asked if Blagojevich plans to step down at any point in the near future, Guerrero said in an e-mail, “Not that I know of.”

On Dec. 12, Madigan asked the state’s highest court to declare Blagojevich unfit to govern and temporarily remove him from office.

Blagojevich, a former prosecutor in the county that includes Chicago who was elected to the state legislature and the U.S. House before becoming governor in 2003, was unpopular among many fellow Democrats even before the conspiracy to sell Obama’s vacancy was revealed last week, said Wheeler, who’s been following Illinois politics for four decades.

Legislature Convenes

The Illinois House of Representatives is scheduled to convene tomorrow to consider a plan to relieve Blagojevich of his authority to fill Obama’s vacant Senate seat. The proposal would let voters pick Obama’s successor in a special election.

“Illinois is entitled to full representation in the United States Senate,” Lieutenant Governor Patrick Quinn told WMAQ. “We shouldn’t be shorthanded.”

Quinn is a Chicago Democrat and former state treasurer who would succeed Blagojevich in the event of his resignation or removal.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHUjUKSANgM0

 

[LowlyPion]

It's Impeachment time in Illinois.

Illinois House Begins Impeachment Process

By LIZ ROBBINS
Published: December 15, 2008

Illinois legislators took the first steps on Monday toward impeaching Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, six days after his arrest on charges of corruption and soliciting bribes that included trying to sell the vacated Senate seat of President-elect Barack Obama.

As Mr. Blagojevich kept working in his Chicago office with no signs of resigning, the Obama transition team announced that an internal review found that the president-elect’s advisers had not been “not involved in inappropriate discussions” with the governor or his staff. At a news conference in Chicago to announce the latest members of his cabinet, Mr. Obama reiterated the statement, saying he would adhere to a request by federal prosecutors to withhold the release of the review until next week.

In Springfield, the state capital, the House unanimously approved a bill establishing an impeachment committee. Tom Madigan, the Democratic House speaker who sponsored the bill with Tom Cross, a Republican, had announced earlier in the day that there would be 12 Democrats on the committee — all of whom will have served for at least six terms — and nine Republicans.

"We’re going to proceed with all due speed," Mr. Madigan said at a noon news conference, "but we’re going to make sure that what we do is done correctly."

He did not call for Mr. Blagojevich’s resignation and was adamant that the governor would have his full constitutional rights in this process.

During its special session, the House also considered different bills on how to fill the Senate seat. Rep. Jack D. Franks, a Democrat, introduced one bill that would prohibit Mr. Blagojevich from filling the vacancy and called for the seat to be filled in a later election.Mr. Madigan said the impeachment committee, which he called “a very significant governmental action of the gravest consideration,” would work on its own track. The committee members would work every day but Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to come to a resolution to recommend to the House, when the legislature convenes Jan. 15.

Mr. Madigan said at the news conference that the House had “been reviewing grounds for impeachment for a year.”

He added: “We never came to a judgment that impeachment was appropriate until the events of six days ago.”

Impeachment, if the special committee recommended it to the full Illinois House of Representatives, could take between four to six months, said David Yellen, Dean of the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

“Impeachment is designed not to be an easy thing to do,” Mr. Yellen said in a telephone interview. Referring to the House Speaker’s forming the committee, Mr. Yellen added: “He is starting the wheels moving on what is a traditional impeachment process. He wants them to do it thoroughly and appropriately. It would be a matter of couple of months at least, before they got to the point of hearings.”

On Friday, Lisa Madigan, the Illinois Attorney General, and also the House Speaker’s daughter, requested that the state Supreme Court deem Mr. Blagojevich as unfit to govern.

The process in the Illinois Supreme Court could take less time, Mr. Yellen said, if only because a judicial hearing would not be weighing the evidence of Mr. Blagojevich’s arrest, only if he were able to govern because of it.

Mr. Yellen was not surprised that Mr. Blagojevich had not yet resigned, despite calls from President-elect Obama on down.

“A resignation can be taken as an admission of doing something wrong,” Mr. Yellen said. “If he is engaged in any plea discussions, being the sitting governor gives him some added leverage that could help him work out a plea agreement.”

Earlier in the day, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn said he supported a special election in which Illinois voters would be the ones to choose a replacement for Mr. Obama’s Senate seat.

“We need to have that to clear the air," Mr. Quinn said after a news conference.

Because a special election would take time to approve and organize, Mr. Quinn said someone should be appointed to fill the seat in the meantime, so that Illinois does not lack full representation in the Senate during these tumultuous times.

"There are going to be decisions made in the United States Senate that will affect us for the rest of our lives," Mr. Quinn said. "Momentous decisions about war and peace and the economy."

Ideally, Mr. Quinn said, Governor Blagojevich would step aside or resign, Mr. Quinn would appoint someone temporarily (not himself, he assured reporters), and a special election would ensue. “If the governor does not step aside, he will get impeached,” Mr. Quinn said. “The governor has to understand, there is a freight train headed his way.”

The veteran Chicago defense attorney Edward Genson confirmed today that he will represent Gov. Rod Blagojevich in his criminal case. Mr. Genson has represented other high-profile clients, including R. Kelly and the media baron Conrad Black.

Monday afternoon in Chicago, Mr. Blagojevich was in his office, signing a bill offering tax breaks to filmmakers working in Illinois.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/us/politics/16illinois.html?ref=politics

 

[LowlyPion]

Apparently it was the Chicago Tribune that triggered the arrests with their reporting.

December 14, 2008, 7:06 pm
The Real Story Behind the Rushed Blagojevich Bust: How the Feds Are Frustrated by Losing (Maybe) Half of Their Case

Cam Simpson reports on the Rod Blagojevich case in Chicago.

Conventional wisdom holds that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald ordered the FBI to arrest Rod Blagojevich before sunrise Tuesday in order to stop a crime from being committed. That would have been the sale of the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

But the opposite is true: Members of Fitzgerald’s team are livid the scheme didn’t advance, at least for a little longer, according to some people close to Fitzgerald’s office. Why? Because had the plot unfolded, they might have had an opportunity most feds can only dream of: A chance to catch the sale of a Senate seat on tape, including the sellers and the buyers.

The precise timing of Tuesday’s dramatic, pre-dawn arrest was not dictated by Fitzgerald, nor was it dictated by the pace of Blagojevich’s alleged “crime spree.” It was dictated by the Chicago Tribune, according to people close to the investigation and a careful reading of the FBI’s affidavit in the case.

At Fitzgerald’s request, the paper had been holding back a story since October detailing how a confidante of Blagojevich was cooperating with his office.

Gerould Kern, the Tribune’s editor, said in a statement last week that these requests are granted in what he called isolated instances. “In each case, we strive to make the right decision as reporters and as citizens,” he said.

But editors decided to publish the story on Friday, Dec. 5, ending the Tribune’s own cooperation deal with the prosecutor.

Consider what had been dangling in front of FBI agents and federal prosecutors one day earlier.

Since at least late October, agents had been listening through their headphones to Blagojevich allegedly dream and scheme about a host of potential prizes he could win for the Senate seat, including everything from an ambassadorship to a corporate board slot for his wife. But on Thursday, Dec. 4, he was talking about cash. And a politician talking about trading an official act for cash is a very welcome sound to the ears of an eavesdropping fed. In addition, the Dec. 4 conversation appears to have been the first substantive chat about allegedly selling the seat since Nov. 13.

But on Dec. 4, according to the feds, here’s what they heard: Blagojevich told an adviser he was giving “greater consideration” to one pick for the Senate seat, named “Senate Candidate 5″ by the feds, because of that politician’s willingness to raise money. That man has since been identified as U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., the Chicago Democrat affectionately known in his hometown as Triple J.

Jackson has denied any involvement in such schemes and says he never authorized anyone to deal in such a manner on his behalf. He also said Fitzgerald’s office informed him that he’s not a target in the investigation.

Perhaps even more encouraging to the feds listening in on Dec. 4 was what they knew about the first time such a deal was discussed. About a month earlier, Blagojevich was caught on tape describing an approach by an alleged associate of Jackson. Blagojevich’s now-infamous quote about that meeting had been tantalizing. “We were approached ‘pay to play.’ That, you know, he’d raise me 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a Senator.”

On Dec. 4, with the feds listening in, Blagojevich was allegedly putting this deal back into play.

The conversation resumed later that same day, as Blagojevich allegedly told his brother, a man identified in the affidavit as “Fundraiser A,” that he was “elevating” Mr. Jackson on the list of candidates, because the governor might be able to get something “tangible up front” for the pick.

He told his brother to meet with someone (unidentified by the feds) whom the pair believed to be close to Jackson. He urged his brother to tell this alleged supporter of Jackson that “some of this stuffs got to start happening now… right now…and we got to see it. You understand?” He was talking about campaign cash, the feds allege.

Then he allegedly offered his brother one final proviso: “I would do it in person. I would not do it on the phone.”

The next morning, on Friday, Dec. 5, it all came crashing down for the FBI agents underneath the headphones.

The Tribune’s front page screamed: “Feds taped Blagojevich; TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE: Adviser cooperated with corruption probe, sources say.”

Blagojevich read the same headline. “Undo” that “thing,” the governor allegedly told his brother, according to the FBI. And just like that, the meeting was off, only one day after it had been put back into play.

There appear to have been fears in Fitzgerald’s office that those caught on tape might now seek to “undo” other “things.” Hours were logged over the weekend. Paperwork was pounded out. And before sunrise Tuesday, Blagojevich and his chief of staff were arrested simultaneously. At that same moment, FBI agents also knocked on the doors of witnesses. These were just a few of the people agents wanted to interview before cellphones started ringing across the city and others who had been caught on tape had a chance to get their stories straight.

Had it not been for the Tribune’s Dec. 5 story, the meeting Blagojevich’s brother was arranging might have proceeded. Mr. Blagojevich is quoted as citing the story, in the affidavit, then calling off the meeting. At a minimum, the FBI’s recorders would have been rolling when he reported back. The feds also probably would have tried to bug the session live, or at least to tail the participants and secretly film or photograph them. That’s what feds do. Jurors love video.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/...by-losing-maybe-half-of-their-case/trackback/

 

[Proton Soup]

Apparently it was the Chicago Tribune that triggered the arrests with their reporting.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/...by-losing-maybe-half-of-their-case/trackback/

heh, so all they've got him with is rewarding loyalty, which is exactly what Bush has always done. i don't think any of this fundraising stuff is illegal.

 

[LowlyPion]

In Blagojevich Case, Is It a Crime, or Just Talk?

By DAVID JOHNSTON
Published: December 15, 2008

WASHINGTON — When Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the United States attorney in Chicago, announced the arrest of the Illinois governor, Rod R. Blagojevich, Mr. Fitzgerald said he had acted to halt a political crime spree that included what he called an “appalling” effort to sell off the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

But now some lawyers are beginning to suggest that the juiciest part of the case against Mr. Blagojevich, the part involving the Senate seat, may be less than airtight. There is no evidence, at least none that has been disclosed, that the governor actually received anything of value — and the Senate appointment has yet to be made.

Ever since the country’s founding, prosecutors, defense lawyers and juries have been trying to define the difference between criminality and political deal-making. They have never established a clear-cut line between the offensive and the illegal, and the hours of wiretapped conversations involving Mr. Blagojevich, filled with crass, profane talk about benefiting from the Senate vacancy, may fall into a legal gray area.

Robert S. Bennett, one of Washington’s best-known white-collar criminal defense lawyers, said Mr. Blagojevich faced nearly insurmountable legal problems in a case that includes a raft of corruption accusations unrelated to Mr. Obama’s Senate seat. But Mr. Bennett said the case raised some potentially thorny issues about political corruption.

“This town is full of people who call themselves ambassadors, and all they did was pay $200,000 or $300,000 to the Republican or Democratic Party,” said Mr. Bennett, referring to a passage in the criminal complaint filed against the governor suggesting that Mr. Blagojevich was interested in an ambassadorial appointment in return for the Senate seat. “You have to wonder, How much of this guy’s problem was his language, rather than what he really did?”

In presenting his case, Mr. Fitzgerald said Mr. Blagojevich had crossed the line from deal-making to criminality, citing an example in the complaint in which the governor discussed with an aide obtaining a $300,000-a-year job from the Service Employees International Union in return for naming a candidate to the seat.

“We’re not trying to criminalize people making political horse trades on policies or that sort of thing,” Mr. Fitzgerald said. “But it is criminal when people are doing it for their personal enrichment. And they’re doing it in a way that is, in this case, clearly criminal.”

But politicians routinely receive political contributions in return for their decisions, whether they involve making appointments or taking a stand on legislation. Lawmakers vote in favor of bills and steer appropriations backed by their donors without fear that prosecutors will bug their offices and homes.

And while prosecutors have brought increasing numbers of political corruption cases in recent years, they have done so using laws that make it a crime for an official to deprive the public of “honest services.” The cases are based on statutes that never define exactly what conduct might be illegal and do not require proof of a bribe or a quid pro quo to establish criminal wrongdoing.

What those statutes do require is evidence that an official at least tried to seek something of value in return for an official action.

In the case of Mr. Blagojevich, it would be legal for the governor to accept a campaign contribution from someone he appointed to the Senate seat. What would create legal problems for him is if he was tape-recorded specifically offering a seat in exchange for the contribution. What would make the case even easier to prosecute is if he was recorded offering the seat in exchange for a personal favor, like cash, a job or a job for a family member.

Indeed the government has claimed the wiretaps show that Mr. Blagojevich told his aides that he wanted to offer the seat in exchange for contributions and for personal favors, including jobs for himself and his wife.

But talk is not enough. Any case will ultimately turn on the strength of the tapes, and whether the governor made it clear to any of the candidates for the Senate seat that he would give it only in exchange for something of value.

Several lawyers cautioned that the complaint presented last week was a snapshot of the evidence that Mr. Fitzgerald had amassed so far, in an investigation that is continuing.

In moving to arrest Mr. Blagojevich on Dec. 9, Mr. Fitzgerald acted without having presented his case before a grand jury. He is now likely to use such a panel to obtain additional witness testimony exploring whether anyone, including anyone in the Obama camp, had specific discussions with the governor’s office about filling the vacancy.

Mr. Fitzgerald’s decision to bypass a grand jury initially could signal a belief on his part that he did not yet have a fully prosecutable case on his hand, though it appears to have been prompted at least in part by the publication in The Chicago Tribune on Dec. 5 of an article that tipped off Mr. Blagojevich that investigators were listening in on his conversations.

Mr. Fitzgerald has also said he had been worried that if he did not intervene, Mr. Blagojevich might go ahead with some of his schemes, including appointing a successor to Mr. Obama.

In the wiretaps cited in the complaint, Mr. Blagojevich talked about what he said was an urgent need for political contributions and favors, but it was not clear whether he took concerted action to actually obtain anything in return for the seat. Several lawyers said Mr. Fitzgerald might need more evidence to prosecute Mr. Blagojevich over the issue.

“It’s a very difficult case for a number of reasons; not the least is the nebulous nature of the charges and the inherently difficult issues when you’re talking about a person executing his First Amendment right to promote a particular politician,” said Michael D. Monico, a former federal prosecutor who is now a criminal defense lawyer in Chicago.

“Merely thinking about something is not a crime,” said Mr. Monico, a lawyer for Christopher Kelly, a former Blagojevich fund-raiser who was indicted last year on tax charges “Just talking about something is not a crime. You need another action for someone to commit a crime.”

Christopher Drew contributed reporting from Chicago.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/u...bl&ex=1229576400&en=9d5b8715e8bcd55a&ei=5087

 

[LowlyPion]

If the Feds don't get him the legislature looks like they have him lined up in their sights.

Impeachment panel reached out to Fitzgerald

Posted by Rick Pearson at 9:30 a.m.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan disclosed today that as part of a special impeachment panel inquiry into Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the panel’s chairwoman has already reached out to U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald.

Madigan, speaking to WGN-TV’s morning news, said Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) spoke to Fitzgerald on Monday about the committee’s desire to get information involving the criminal complaint against Blagojevich that resulted in the governor’s arrest a week ago at his North Side home. Currie is a top Madigan lieutenant in the House Democratic leadership.

“Majority Leader Currie spoke with U.S. Atty. Fitzgerald yesterday and she gave him our request for information. He told us to submit that in writing and told us that he would review that on a point by point basis and respond to us in due time,” Madigan said.

House lawmakers, who voted 113-0 Monday to form the impeachment panel, aren’t optimistic on getting a lot of help from Fitzgerald’s office because the federal investigation is still continuing. Instead, lawmakers are figuring much of their inquiry will have to deal with so-called abuse of power issues, such as Blagojevich’s decision to expand state-sponsored health care coverage without legislative approval.

The committee convening today is likely to launch its work with plenty of rhetoric. Each of the 21 members on the panel—a dozen Democrats and nine Republicans—get to make opening statements. Then the panel will delve into the mundane work of setting up rules and procedures for such things as subpoenas and compelling witnesses to testify.

But if anyone believes that there’s a spirit of unity among Democrats and Republicans as the legislature moves toward impeachment of Blagojevich, they’re mistaken. Madigan, who once co-chaired Blagojevich’s re-election campaign but was the governor’s biggest foe in recent years, said Republicans have been too cozy with the two-term Democratic chief executive.

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2008/12/impeachment-pan.html

 

[mgb_phys]

So the secret is in the language?
"Oh, a seat on the board of your defence/telecoms/oil company now I have left office, because of my unique knowledge of your industry - why thank you I would be delighted"
vs.
"I want $200,000 in used notes and a job for my brother-in-law"

It's like the difference between taxes and a protection racket.