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Judge Reveals (Illinois Dem Governor) Blagojevich is (Bribe-Taking)'Public Official A'
Chicago Tribune ^ | 7-25-07 | Jeff Coen, Bob Secter and John Chase

Posted on 02/27/2008 10:27:40 AM PST by tcrlaf

Laying to rest the latest parlor game of Illinois politics, a federal judge on Monday made it crystal clear that "A" stands for Rod Blagojevich in the public corruption case against the governor's indicted fundraiser, Antoin "Tony" Rezko.

A ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Amy St. Eve dispensed with an array of pseudonyms that had cloaked the identities of several people who allegedly benefited from Rezko's financial schemes, including Blagojevich. He had previously been referred to in court documents only as Public Official A.

The nine-page ruling was heavy on political names and dealmaking, revealing for the first time what Robert Kjellander, Illinois' Republican national committeeman, allegedly did with a controversial $809,000 finder's fee he got as part of a Blagojevich administration bond deal. Prosecutors contend much of the windfall ended up with Rezko associates, according to St. Eve's ruling.

Blagojevich has repeatedly denied that he was Public Official A, but St. Eve underscored the link Monday by saying prosecutors claimed he was the intended beneficiary of an alleged attempt by Rezko to extort a $1.5 million campaign donation from Chicago financier Tom Rosenberg.

(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: blagojevich; corruption; democratparty; hope; indictkjellander; kjellander; kjisacrook; obama; publicofficiala; rezko
We'll just call this "The Corrupt Audacity OF Hope"...

This is how things work in a Democrat Utopia:

"Also in the ruling, St. Eve cited allegations by prosecutors Rezko offered to place the brother of another of his business partners, Joseph Cacciatore, on the Illinois Banking Board in exchange for a $50,000 contribution to Blagojevich's campaign. Cacciatore is the owner of a real estate firm that owned a portion of a proposed Rezko development in the South Loop.

"Rezko responded that a $50,000 contribution to Gov. Blagojevich would help his brother's chances of the board appointment," the ruling noted. Eventually, Rezko and Joseph Cacciatore allegedly agreed that Joseph Cacciatore would contribute $25,000 to the campaign and Rezko's development firm, Rezmar, would contribute the other $25,000 on behalf of Cacciatore. Rezko recommended Cacciatore's brother, Phil, for the banking board in February 2004 and Blagojevich later appointed him to the board."

1 posted on 02/27/2008 10:27:49 AM PST by tcrlaf
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To: tcrlaf

More Democrat Corruption from this story:

“Blagojevich’s former chief of staff, Lon Monk, was mentioned as signing off on Levine’s reappointments. Joseph Cari, a former finance director for the national Democratic Party, has already pleaded guilty in the case to charges that he helped siphon millions illegally from Illinois pension funds.”


2 posted on 02/27/2008 10:29:09 AM PST by tcrlaf (VOTE DEMOCRAT-You'll look great in a Burka!)
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To: tcrlaf

Corruption? In a Dem state? I'm shocked.............

3 posted on 02/27/2008 10:30:12 AM PST by Red Badger ( We don't have science, but we do have consensus.......)
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To: tcrlaf
worst kept secret in Illinois

here comes Lisa Madigan...Illinois next Gov.

4 posted on 02/27/2008 10:31:15 AM PST by stylin19a
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To: tcrlaf

Keep digging. There’s hope for Hillary yet...


5 posted on 02/27/2008 10:32:21 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (ENERGY CRISIS made in Washington D. C.)
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To: stylin19a

MORE Corruption from the story:

According to the ruling, Rezko and Levine met at a dinner party on Nov. 2, 2002—just three days before Blagojevich defeated Jim Ryan for governor. At the time, Rezko was one of Blagojevich’s biggest fundraisers and Levine, Jim Ryan’s law school classmate, was the largest single contributor to Ryan’s campaign for governor.

The party was hosted by Fortunee Massuda, a shareholder in Rezko’s pizza business, and her husband, Charles Hannon, according to the ruling.

In 2003, Blagojevich appointed Massuda to the state’s Health Facilities Planning Board, just weeks after she gave Blagojevich’s campaign $25,000.Prosecutors contend Hannon was to be the recipient of a bogus consulting fee from an investment firm awarded business by the Teachers Retirement System, on whose board Levine sat, St. Eve said in her ruling. The fee is alleged to have been arranged by Rezko and Levine.


6 posted on 02/27/2008 10:33:36 AM PST by tcrlaf (VOTE DEMOCRAT-You'll look great in a Burka!)
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To: tcrlaf

And yet, even MORE:

“St. Eve’s ruling also gave details of another alleged scheme involving Rosenberg, the principal of Capri Capital and a well-known movie producer.

Capri was in line for a $220 million deal with the teachers’ pension system, but Levine—allegedly working with Rezko—moved to block it unless Rosenberg agreed to pay Levine a multimillion dollar fee or make a $1.5 million donation to Blagojevich’s campaign.”


7 posted on 02/27/2008 10:34:33 AM PST by tcrlaf (VOTE DEMOCRAT-You'll look great in a Burka!)
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To: tcrlaf
Judge Amy


8 posted on 02/27/2008 10:36:46 AM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: tcrlaf

St. Eve, Amy J.
Born 1965 in Belleville, IL

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Nominated by George W. Bush on March 21, 2002, to a seat vacated by George W. Lindberg; Confirmed by the Senate on August 1, 2002, and received commission on August 2, 2002.

Education:
Cornell University, B.A., 1987

Cornell Law School, J.D., 1990

Professional Career:
Private practice, New York City, 1990-1994
Associate independent counsel, Whitewater Independent Counsel’s Office, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1994-1996
Assistant U.S. attorney, Northern District of Illinois, 1996-2001
Senior counsel, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois, 2001-2002

Race or Ethnicity: White

Gender: Female


9 posted on 02/27/2008 10:38:36 AM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: Lancey Howard

Can someone NOT taking bribes get elected state-wide in Illinois??


10 posted on 02/27/2008 10:38:36 AM PST by tcrlaf (VOTE DEMOCRAT-You'll look great in a Burka!)
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To: tcrlaf
Can someone NOT taking bribes get elected state-wide in Illinois??

I don't think so. The state is still controlled by Capone's Chicago, home of Barack Hussein Obama.

11 posted on 02/27/2008 10:39:59 AM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: tcrlaf
So how come the only party referenced in the story is with Republican accomplices, but the word "Democrat" isn't mentioned once?

-PJ

12 posted on 02/27/2008 10:41:29 AM PST by Political Junkie Too (Repeal the 17th amendment -- it's the "Fairness Doctrine" for Congress!)
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To: Political Junkie Too

Democrats are incapable of corruption. Didn’t you get the MSM Memo on this?


13 posted on 02/27/2008 10:45:04 AM PST by tcrlaf (VOTE DEMOCRAT-You'll look great in a Burka!)
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To: Political Junkie Too

Good catch, though. I hadn’t noticed that.


14 posted on 02/27/2008 10:45:58 AM PST by tcrlaf (VOTE DEMOCRAT-You'll look great in a Burka!)
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To: AliVeritas

Ill Gov, Rezko, and on it goes ping


15 posted on 02/27/2008 11:37:17 AM PST by SoCalPol (Don't Blame Me - I Supported Duncan Hunter)
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