Posted on 10/03/2008 5:22:01 PM PDT by Libloather
FBI investigates Obama's friend
Andrea Billups (Contact)
Friday, October 3, 2008
(Editor's note: The original version of this article has been corrected. The office of Larry D. Walsh was not raided.)
The FBI is investigating a former Illinois state senator who is a poker-playing buddy of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.
According to Chicago authorities, the FBI visited the offices in Joliet, Ill., of a Will County auditor to ask questions about Larry Walsh, a longtime friend of Mr. Obama's, and his chief of staff Matt Ryan.
**SNIP**
Will County auditor Steve Weber confirmed that his office had been asked by the FBI to assist in an investigation, but he did not elaborate on the specifics.
**SNIP**
According to sources, the Walsh investigation may be tied to lobbying firm Smith Dawson and Andrews, which was hired in 2006 for $10,000 per month to help Will County acquire federal grants.
The firm, which is registered with the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, assists clients with communications and legislative strategies that better their public policy agendas, according to its Web site. Last month, Mr. Walsh announced that Will County was the recipient of a $750,000 federal government grant that would allow law enforcement and prosecutors to fight against domestic violence.
**SNIP**
A corn farmer from Joliet, Mr. Walsh has supported his friend's presidential bid, and campaigned for him in rural and farming areas of the state. They are seen hugging each other in photos before Mr. Obama's announcement that he was running for president.
**SNIP**
Mr. Walsh denied any knowledge of any investigation.
"I don't have a clue what you are talking about," Mr. Walsh said in reports published Thursday in the Chicago Sun-Times.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
This is what you call a diversion. Make it appear that you’re looking into nefarious connections to BHO and let them walk clean thus discrediting accusers. What happened to the kid who hacked Palin’s email and his dad.....nothing.
Paranoid? Maybe, but can you believe the level of ‘looking the other way’ that BHO is receiving?
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