Keepin it all together ...sort of...
FROM:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2543150/posts?page
Judge James Zagel denies a defense request to gain access to the FBI report summarizing then President-Elect Obama’s 2008 interview with federal investigators.
Defense lawyers argued in a filing last week that the government minimized Obama’s knowledge of the then-Governor’s attempts to horsetrade for the Senate seat appointment.
They said that testimony by government witness John Harris contradicted that portrayal by federal prosecutors.
Harris testified last week that Blagojevich believed Obama knew about the then-governor’s request for a presidential cabinet appointment in exchange for appointing Valerie Jarrett to the Senate seat.
Zagel said there was nothing relevant concerning Harris’s testimony that would allow the defense access to Obama’s interview.
..snip..
One wonders if Ald. Ed Burke’s omniscient political power also extends to federal judges and prosecutors, in this city of SOP massive corrupt political tentacles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Real Mayor of Chicago
Excerpt:
But, Alderman Burke’s control of Chicago’s financial purse strings isn’t his only lever of power.
Cook County has the largest unified court system in America. In heavily Democratic Cook County, 100% of all of the judges are Democrats. The Chairman of the Democratic Party Judicial Slating Committee is none other than Alderman Burke.
The Chicago Reader astutely observed Burke’s “Seat on the Democratic Party judicial slate-making committee ensures that Cook County judges owe him their jobs.” Alderman Burke’s influence goes beyond the Cook County level:
his wife Anne is a justice on the Illinois Supreme Court.
Along with all of Alderman Burke’s power to control Chicago’s tax code and Cook County’s judicial system comes campaign contributions. Alderman Burke doesn’t represent a wealthy ward, nor has he ever faced a serious political opponent, but he still has amassed an eye popping campaign fund. The Chicago Tribune explains:
~~~
“But the state’s richest political family was Ald. Edward Burke (14th) and his wife, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke. Together, their political committees held $8.3 million in cash.
The Tribune reported Monday that Anne Burke’s campaign was returning a large portion of her cash to donors because she is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Mayor Richard M. Daley, who traditionally ceases fundraising after elections, raised just $43,000 in the last six months, but had $3.1 million in cash on hand.”
~~~
In terms of cash at the very least, Burke is already more potent not only than Daley but has more in his coffers than Daley and all 49 Aldermen combined.
But, the ever active Alderman Burke is also a businessman, not surprisingly a rather successful one.
The state of Illinois has rather lax ethics laws, and since being an Alderman is a “part time” job, Alderman Burke has outside employment. Burke runs a successful property tax appeals business.
Burke’s latest ethics form filed with the city of Chicago shows his impressive list of clients. Such big corporations as AT&T, American Airlines, Bank of America, Northern Trust, Harris Bank, T Mobile and many others have done at least $5000 in legal business with Alderman Burke’s law firm in the last year.
They also – I am sure readers will be shocked – do business with the city of Chicago. WBBM, the local CBS affiliate, even has Alderman Burke handle some of its legal business.
Occasionally, Alderman Burke’s conflicts get reported on.
When Obama ally and Blagojevich influence peddler Tony Rezko was looking to get his taxes cut on a big land deal the Chicago Sun-Times explained:
~~~
“Why did Ald. Edward M. Burke vote to approve Tony Rezko’s plans to develop the South Loop’s biggest piece of vacant land even as he was working for Rezko on that same deal?
Burke says: I forgot to abstain.”
~~~
When Rod Blagojevich first decided to run for Governor in 2001, he got important backing from Burke. Blago’s father-in-law, by the way, is Alderman Dick Mell, a colleague of Alderman Burke’s who got the ball rolling.
The Daily Herald unearthed this revealing statement from Alderman Burke in 2001 concerning Blago:
~~~ “I am with Rod 100% because he has what it takes to win – money, message and an army of supporters,” said Burke, referring to a rousing announcement speech given by Blagojevich to a reported throng of 10,000 people on August 12. Burke also mentioned filings with election officials that show Blagojevich with over $3 million in his campaign fund, double the amount of cash on hand of all of his potential Democratic opponents combined.”
~~~
In the coming years, as Chicago style politics seeps into America’s mainstream, remember Alderman Burke.
Thirty of Burke’s colleagues on Chicago’s City Council went on to become convicted felons since 1970. But Alderman Burke is still standing, and still dominating in the shadows, atop much of what happens in the Windy City.
..snip...
The Cost of Corruption in Illinois: $500 Million a Year
***
Excerpt:
People in Illinois pay over $500 million a year because of government corruption. That’s according to a new study from the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Political Science Department.
Professor Dick Simpson is a co-author. He says Illinois lawmakers might be ready to enact some of the reforms needed to curb that corruption.
SIMPSON: I think this is our best opportunity because of all the excitement that’s been created by the Blagojevich scandals. They’ve really focused the attention of the world, and in addition, in a time of recession, we see how important it is to make those savings.
Simpson says lawmakers should start by implementing anti-corruption measures outlined by the Illinois Reform Commission.
http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=34204
__________________________________________________________
Friday, December 12, 2008
Why is Illinois So Corrupt?
###
Watch the videos on this site:
http://www.crimefilenews.com/2008/12/chicago-corruption-fighter-and-author.html
Robert Cooley is a former mafia lawyer who worked with corrupt Illinois officials and judges. He turned state’s witness and he explains how the Chicago “Machine” still run by Alderman Ed Burke who “picks” the judges and controls the Chicago City Finance Committee and his wife, corrupt Illinois Supreme Court Justice Ann Burke, still are up to their ears in corrupt politics as usual. He talks how this cabal of corruption:
1- controls the media,
2-pays off the U S Attorney (former and probably still pays off his middle men, hired during this super corrupt era, who hide stuff from present US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald so the only people prosecuted are fall guys like Blagojevich so as to take the heat off the real top dog crooks like:
A- Jim Thompson (former Gov X 16 years, Director of CIA oversight committee under 1st President Bush and member of 911 Commission under W)
B-Madigans (Speaker of the House Michael and his daughter Attorney General Lisa, who launder all the bribery money kicked back from State, County and City contracts through their political fund “friends of Madigan”),
C-the Burkes, and
D-the Daleys(Richard - Chicago Mayor and partner of John
Burge [the torturer to get murder confessions] while he was
state’s attorney, John - Cook Co. Commissioner who
controlled Co. Board President John Stroger Sr and his Son
Todd who replaced him, and William former Commerce Sec under Clinton and now wants to be Gov of IL and therefore needs to discredit Blagojevich and Lisa Madigan).
A summary of the “system” running Illinois in my view is as follows:
Illinois for too long has been under the control of the:
1- Kingdom of former Gov. Jim (Prince John) Thompson and
2-his Lords, Chicago Mayor Richard M. and Cook Co. Commissioner John Daley (sons of former Mayor Richard J.), County Board Pres. John Stroger Jr. (son of former County Board Pres. John Stroger),
3-House Speaker Michael and his daughter Atty Gen. Lisa Madigan,
4-Alderman Ed (buddy of Fast Ed[dy] now convict Vrydoliak - both of them were leaders against African American Mayor Washington in the “counsel wars” 20 years ago) and IL. Supreme Court Justice Ann Burke,
5-former Sheriff (of Nottingham) Sheahan, and
6-State’s Attorney Richard (Gisbourne) Divine, as well as
7-other Lords such as former Sen. President Emil Jones and now his son Emil Jones Jr.
Political office is inherited in Illinois, elected by political patronage paid for by bribery (10% of all contracts SHALL be donated (kicked-back) to political funds such as “Friends of Madigan” and “Friends of Blagojevich”), and decided in closed back room “deals” (bribes, tit-for-tat, nothing to do with competency or experience, etc.).
It’s time we have a truth commission in Illinois to give clemency to low level players so that we can reveal the true extent of the corruption, encourage witnesses to come out of the woodwork and reveal their evidence, as well as start anew with a high level of transparency.
We desperately need new blood in Illinois and help from the U.S. Attorney in breaking the cycle of corruption, bribery, kick-backs, patronage, and nepotism.
A UIC professor said:
Patronage breeds corruption like garbage breeds flies. SOOO true in Illinois.
Other examples of inherited office in Illinois include US Representative Lipinsky and his son who replaced him in Washington DC, and Illinois Senate President Emil Jones and his son who has replaced him in the Senate.
Kim Long who authored a book about government corruption talks how corruption started in the colonial days and has continued with pockets of intense corruption in Illinois, Louisiana, and New Jersey.
For the early days of the “Chicago Machine” and corruption see:
http://hickeysite.blogspot.com/2008/12/theres-sucker-born-every-minute-michael.html
__________________________________________________
Curing Corruption in Illinois:
Anti-Corruption Report Number 1
February 3, 2009
Authored By:
Thomas J. Gradel
Dick Simpson
And
Andris Zimelis
With
Kirsten Byers
Chris Olson
University of Illinois at Chicago
Department of Political Science
*****
Excerpt:
Public corruption has been an unfortunate aspect of Illinois politics for a century and a half.
Even before Governor Blagojevich tried to sell the vacant senate seat to the highest bidder, the people of the state were exposed continuously to outrageous corruption scandals.
The state history of political corruption features Paul Powell, a former secretary of state, who died leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars hoarded in shoeboxes in his closet, 13 judges nabbed in Operation Greylord for fixing court cases, and a state auditor who embezzled more than $1.5 million in state funds and bought two planes, four cars, and two homes with the money.
Since 1972 there have been three governors before Governor Blagojevich, state legislators, two congressmen, 19 Cook County judges, 30 Aldermen, and other statewide officials convicted of corruption.1
Altogether there have been 1,000 public officials and businessmen convicted of public corruption since 1970.
The history of public corruption in Illinois goes as far back as 1860s when the state’s largest city, Chicago, was growing rapidly and with much disorder which provided ample opportunities for corruption.
This time period is characterized by several corruption cases in the city including a city council ring of aldermen on the take known as McCauley’s Nineteen, and county commissioners involved in a City Hall painting contract scandal.
Of the 14 aldermen and public official indicted in that scandal four were convicted and several others lost their reelection bids in the elections of 1871.
At the same time, a gambling kingpin, Michael Cassius McDonald, created Chicago’s political machine.
Public officials were handing out contracts, jobs and social services in exchange for political support. McDonald is credited with “electing aldermen who lorded it in the city council and county commissioners who stole everything in sight and for providing contracts for public works that had thievery written between the lines.” 2
Machine politics and corruption have been directly linked ever since the late 1860s following the civil war and the Great Chicago Fire.
The possibility for corruption and its persistence can also be explained by the Chicago’s large immigrant population which made it easier for a political machine to grow in power.
Millions of Irish, German, Jewish, and Slavic immigrants settled in the cities of America and these ethnic groups had difficulties getting jobs. The immigrants would come to local officials for housing and work, thus turning public office into the market for jobs, contracts, and a place to reward “friends”.2
By responding to citizen demands and requesting political support in return, political machines continued to expand a system based on the politics of personal obligation. Businessmen also found this system useful so they paid bribes in order to receive lucrative contracts from the city and avoid troublesome city inspectors.
Patronage politics and corruption dominated Chicago and its suburbs regardless of political party in charge. After “reform” Republicans began controlling the city council in the late 1890s, they became as corrupt as the ousted Democrats. Through both periods, a notorious group of Chicago aldermen known as the “Gray Wolves” sold municipal
contracts and franchises to enrich themselves.
They even awarded the city’s gas business to a fictional company they had created, and forced the real gas company to buy it from them.4
Other examples of brazen corruption include two aldermen who ruled Chicago’s first ward from the late 19th century until 1940s.
Hinky Dink Mike Kenna was first elected in 1897 and Bathhouse John Coughlin first won election in 1892. They controlled police, zoning, prostitution and gambling in the central city Levee District for decades employing extortion, personal favors, and voting fraud to stay in power and to enrich themselves and their allies.
In 1896, businessman Charles Yerkes offered Aldermen Coughlin and Kenna a $150,000 bribe (worth more than a million dollars today) to support a fifty year extension of his streetcar franchise. They turned him down, but not for moral reasons.
Bathhouse told Mayor Carter Harrison II: “Mr. Maar, I was talkin’ a while back with Senator Billy Mason and he told me, ‘Keep clear of th’ big stuff, John, it’s dangerous. You and Mike stick to th’ small stuff; there’s little risk and in the long run it pays a damned sight more.’ Mr. Maae, we’re with you. And we’ll do what we can to swing some of the other boys over.”
With their backing the mayor defeated Yerkes’ ordinance by a vote of 32-31 in the then seventy member city council.5
Then there is William “Big Bill” Thompson, who served as the Republican mayor of Chicago from 1915 to 1923 and from 1927 to 1931.
He was a demagogue who had ties to the infamous criminal Al Capone. The Capone mob is said to have provided Mayor Thompson with hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions.6
http://www.uic.edu/depts/pols/ChicagoPolitics/Anti-corruptionReport.pdf
...snip...
ALmost impossible to keep it all together. THere is just SO MUCH!
FROM:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2543020/posts
Flashback for the thread: (Allison S. Davis was Obama’s ex boss and Rezko partner)
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/353797,CST-NWS-rezdavis23.article
(snip)
“When Barack Obama took a job at a small Chicago law firm in 1993, the first name on the door of the firm was Allison S. Davis.
Five years later, having left his Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland firm, Davis invested in Antoin “Tony’’ Rezko’s final government-subsidized, low-income housing project, state records show, in a deal handled by Davis’ former law firm.”
...snip...
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/353797,CST-NWS-rezdavis23.article
Obama ‘s ex-boss a Rezko partner - Lawyer consulted on final Rezmar redevelopment
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Monday, April 23, 2007
Author: Tim Novak, The Chicago Sun-Times
EXCERPT
While Davis was running the law firm, he was also a board member of the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corp., a not-for-profit company that hooked up with Rezko’s Rezmar Corp. on tax-supported projects to rehabilitate apartments for low-income tenants. Davis ‘ firm handled the legal work on those housing deals.
Davis has long been an influential member of the Woodlawn community just south of the University of Chicago. His father was the university’s first African-American professor. Since 1991, Davis has been a member of the Chicago Plan Commission, appointed by Mayor Daley, a friend.
Four years ago, Blagojevich appointed Davis to the Illinois State Board of Investment, which controls state pension funds — one of a series of appointments the governor made at Rezko’s request.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/watchdogs/672314,CST-NWS-watchdog29.article
Obama helped ex-boss get $1 mil. from charity - Senator’s spokesman: ‘Not a conflict to do what’s right’
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Thursday, November 29, 2007
//
(no link)
Double-Duty Davis - Rezko pal pushed pension deal — and months later, the pension firm hired him
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Thursday, June 26, 2008
Author: Chris Fusco, Dave Mckinney and Tim Novak, The Chicago Sun-Times
In July 2004, state pension board member Allison S. Davis voted to turn over as much as $100 million in state workers’ retirement cash to an investment management firm.
Months after it won the lucrative deal at Davis ‘ urging, that investment firm hired Davis .
RREEF America REIT II Inc. agreed to pay the Chicago developer $30,000 a year to take a part-time post on its board of directors, even as Davis continued to serve on the Illinois State Board of Investment.
There were questions about the legality of the dual roles. According to Illinois law, “No member of the board shall have any interest in any brokerage fee, commission or other profit or gain arising out of any investment made by the board.”
But the state board got a legal opinion that Davis could hold both posts as long as he didn’t vote on any future state deals for RREEF, a real estate investment trust.
It’s an unusual situation. Davis — who was appointed to the state pension board by Gov. Blagojevich at the behest of since-convicted gubernatorial adviser Tony Rezko — is the only member of the state’s two main pension boards to also serve as a paid board member of a firm that handles state employees’ retirement money.
(snip)
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/644511,CST-NWS-davis11.article
How reform-minded City Hall critic became a cozy insider - Foe of Daley I, now ally of Daley II — caught in glare of unwanted spotlight
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Sunday, November 11, 2007
Author: Tim Novak, The Chicago Sun-Times
As a young lawyer, Allison S. Davis was a City Hall outsider.
He criticized Mayor Richard J. Daley over the 1968 riots. He worked to integrate Chicago neighborhoods. And he fought to elect judges based on legal ability, not political connections.
Today, Davis is a consummate City Hall insider.
He’s a loyal ally of Mayor Richard M. Daley, who appointed Davis to Chicago’s prestigious Plan Commission. Davis has gotten deal after deal from the mayor, helping to make Davis one of the city’s top developers. And Davis has forged strong ties to the Daley family, doing deals with one of the mayor’s nephews and giving legal business to Daley & George, mayoral brother Michael Daley’s law firm.
Now, Davis finds himself in the glare of an unwanted spotlight.
One of his business partners, William Moorehead, recently began serving a four-year prison sentence for stealing more than $600,000 from at least 13 federally funded housing projects he managed — including two buildings that he and Davis co-own. During the period Moorehead has admitted he was stealing the money, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned, he lent Davis $100,000 — a loan that has drawn scrutiny from federal investigators, though Davis hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing.
(snip)
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/570056,CST-NWS-vanecko23.article
Mayor’s Nephew Cashing In - Bob Vanecko wants to revive Chicago’s struggling neighborhoods with $68 million in city-linked pension funds. He has his eye on areas near his uncle’s proposed Olympic stadium.
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Sunday, September 23, 2007
Author: Tim Novak, The Chicago Sun-Times
A nephew of Mayor Daley stands to make millions of dollars from city-connected pension funds.
In winning business from pension funds for city workers, cops, teachers and CTA employees, Robert G. Vanecko said he never told anyone he’s Daley’s nephew.
But officials with those funds knew who he was, interviews and documents show.
Vanecko and his partner, Allison S. Davis , a top mayoral ally, also asked pension funds outside Chicago to invest with DV Urban Realty Partners, a company they formed two years ago. None did.
It’s a risky venture, Vanecko and Davis warned potential investors.
Still, the city-related pensions opened their checkbooks, giving DV Urban $68 million. They did so even as they face growing financial worries, according to a recent state study.
(snip)
http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/1496799,CST-NWS-refuse26.article
Pension funds may not cooperate on subpoena
March 26, 2009
BY FRANK MAIN, FRAN SPIELMAN AND TIM NOVAK Staff Reporters
Trustees for at least two city pension funds are considering stonewalling Chicago’s inspector general over a subpoena for records involving their investments with a company co-owned by one of Mayor Daley’s nephews.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/rezko/1407352,CST-NWS-davis01.stng
Insiders’ housing projects targeted - Subpoena probes deals by Obama ex-boss and Daley pal Davis , plus Rezko, Cellini
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Sunday, February 1, 2009
Author: Tim Novak, The Chicago Sun-Times
A federal grand jury has subpoenaed records on dozens of low-income housing projects built over the last 30 years by indicted businessman William F. Cellini, convicted political fund-raiser Tony Rezko and City Hall insider Allison S. Davis .
(snip)
Davis , 69, and Vanecko, 43, are partners in a start-up real investment company, DV Urban Realty Partners. Five city pension funds have invested $63 million with the Davis and Vanecko company.
THE OTHERS
A federal grand jury also has demanded that the Illinois Housing Development Authority turn over records on a dozen other people:
- Nicholas Hurtgen, a former investment banker awaiting trial on corruption charges.
- Brian Hynes, a lobbyist who once represented the state agency.
- Chris Kelly, a close friend and adviser of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
- Mark Kirincich, president of Commonwealth Realty Advisors, a company started by William Cellini.
- Robert Kjellander, a lobbyist, Republican Party heavyweight and close Cellini pal.
- Milan Petrovic, a lobbyist and Blagojevich buddy.
- Paul Rosenfeld, an IHDA lobbyist and Blagojevich insider.
- Marvin Traylor, a lobbyist and Cellini associate.
- John Wyma, a lobbyist and longtime Blagojevich associate.
- Kelly King Dibble, former IHDA executive director and relative of President Obama’s adviser Valerie Jarrett .
- Darren Collier, an ex-IHDA staffer.
- Michael Todd, an ex-IHDA staffer.
//
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/rezko/1407352,CST-NWS-davis01.stng
Insiders’ housing projects targeted - Subpoena probes deals by Obama ex-boss and Daley pal Davis , plus Rezko, Cellini
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Sunday, February 1, 2009
Author: Tim Novak, The Chicago Sun-Times
(snip)
- Kelly King Dibble, former IHDA executive director and relative of President Obama’s adviser Valerie Jarrett .
//
Dr. Orly, Obama Trust House Research Needed
A Natural Born Citizen...Orly? ^ | Jan 19, 2009 | me
Posted on Monday, January 19, 2009 9:22:28 AM by urtax$@work
Saturday, January 3, 2009 More help in research needed Obama’s house is sitting in a trust: Northern Trust Co, attorney Kelly Dibble. I got info that there are other properties sitting in that trust. Does anybody have addresses of these properties, legal descriptions, any info on these properties? What type of a trust is it: Charitable trust? Revocable? Irrevocable? Who are the beneficiaries? Who is listed as a trustor? Can smbd check microfish in county recorders office and get certified copies of tax payments? Orly Posted by Orly Taitz, DDS Esq. at 6:45 AM
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-bloggers/2167360/posts