Alexi Giannoulias: Not so transparent (Obama’s IL buddy)
Marathon Pundit ^ | 3-31-09
FROM:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2219378/posts?page=2
Just like that window from the Giannoulias family’s Broadway Bank on Chicago’s North Side, sometimes what you think is transparent is in fact not something you can easily see through.
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, 32, is strongly considering a run for the Senate seat currently held by fellow Democrat Roland Burris.
Giannoulias, who prior to his election was a senior loan officer at the bank, had never voted in an election until his name was on the ballot, announced yesterday that he won’t be accepting campaign donations from corporate political action committees or federal lobbyists.
Big deal. Will Giannoulias forgo donations from union PACs? Or money from his family members, you know, the ones who own Broadway Bank?
About that bank: Almost half of the $7 million Giannoulias raised for his 2006 race came from “the Broadway family.”
And this is not just any bank: Broadway loaned millions to convicted mobster Michael “Jaws” Giorango
More at site:
Blagojevich, his brother, top aides indicted..and lots more dots to connect....
(thanks for the info and links)
FROM:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2221025/posts
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, his brother Rob and Christopher Kelly, a former top fundraiser for Blagojevich, were all indicted today on corruption charges, the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago announced.
Also charged in the indictment were Lon Monk, a lobbyist and former Blagojevich chief of staff; John Harris, also a former chief of staff to Blagojevich; and William Cellini, a Springfield insider for decades.
The indictment comes four months after Blagojevich was arrested and charged with engaging in pay-to-play politics in a sweeping federal complaint that accused him of trading state jobs, contracts and regulatory favors for campaign contributions.
...snip
Also charged as co-defendants in the same indictment are:
John Harris, 47, of Chicago, Blagojevich’s chief of staff from late 2005 until last December after he was arrested along with Blagojevich. Through his attorney, Harris, who is charged with a single count of wire fraud, has authorized the Government to disclose that he has agreed to cooperate with the United States Attorney’s Office in the prosecution of this case;
Alonzo Monk, 50, of Park Ridge, a lobbyist doing business as AM3 Consulting, Ltd., and a long-time Blagojevich associate who served as his general counsel when Blagojevich represented Illinois’ Fifth Congressional District, and later managed his 2002 and 2006 gubernatorial campaigns, was his first gubernatorial chief of staff from 2003 through 2005, and later chairman of his campaign fund;
Robert Blagojevich, 53, of Nashville, Tenn., Blagojevich’s brother, who became chairman of his campaign fund in August 2008;
Christopher Kelly, 50, of Burr Ridge, a businessman and a principal campaign fundraiser who also served as chairman of Blagojevich’s campaign fund from early 2004 until August 2005. The indictment alleges that with Blagojevich’s knowledge and permission, Kelly at times exercised substantial influence over certain activities of the governor’s office; and
William F. Cellini, Sr., 74, of Springfield, a businessman who also raised significant funds for Blagojevich, in part through his role as the executive director of the Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association. Cellini had longstanding relationships and influence with trustees and staff members of the Teachers Retirement System of Illinois (TRS), and he was associated with Commonwealth Realty Advisors, a real estate asset management firm that invested hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of TRS, the indictment alleges.
http://cbs2chicago.com/governor/rod.blagojevich.indicted.2.974448.html
7 posted on 04/02/2009 3:07:49 PM PDT by kcvl
...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
36 posted on 04/02/2009 3:47:53 PM PDT by maggief
Case against Blago looks overwhelming
The Chicago Sun-Times ^ | April 8, 2009 | MARK BROWN
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2224800/posts
Given some of the other evidence in this case, I wouldn’t have figured Blagojevich to have had that much patience about receiving his reward. But it would help explain why there isn’t more money leading directly to his own pocket, settling mostly for campaign donations.
Prosecutors also seem to have addressed that weakness with accusations that Rezko paid fees to Patti Blagojevich, the governor’s wife, for work as a real estate broker — they say she didn’t do enough to justify the payments.