Posted on 06/11/2009 5:54:47 PM PDT by callisto
SPRINGFIELD -- A key figure in the perjury investigation of U.S. Sen. Roland Burris died in an automobile accident Monday, authorities in far west-suburban Kendall County confirmed Tuesday.
John Ruff, of Sandwich, Ill., was killed shortly before 3 p.m. when his 2001 BMW convertible crossed an oncoming lane of traffic and collided with a tree while he was driving eastbound on Rogers Road near Oak Brook Road in unincorporated Plano, said Kendall County Sheriff's Deputy Richard Pearson.
John Ruff, a key figure in the perjury investigation of U.S. Sen. Roland Burris was killed in an automobile accident Monday in Kendall County. He was 42-years-old. (Jean Lachat/Sun-Times)
Police have ruled out alcohol as a cause of the crash, but toxicology results won't be known until a coroner's inquest in mid July.
Pearson said there were no witnesses to the crash nor was there evidence of any other vehicles involved. There were no skid marks on the road.
"We have absolutely no idea what caused Mr. Ruff's vehicle to veer off the roadway," Pearson said.
Deputy Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Marcellis told the Sun-Times that Ruff died of blunt head and chest trauma. No autopsy is planned.
Marcellis said that a friend of Ruff’s indicated to her that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, though it was unclear whether that had any bearing on the crash.
“Obviously, one of the effects of a brain tumor is you have seizures. It could have been an issue for him,” she said.
Ruff, 42, was the subject of a March 6 front-page story in the Sun-Times in which he issued an apology for being a co-plaintiff with Burris in a lawsuit seeking to force Secretary of State Jesse White to certify Burris’ controversial late-December appointment by impeached ex-Gov. Blagojevich.
Ruff, a health-care and political consultant, raised the prospect of a possible quid pro quo between Blagojevich and Burris, recounting a telephone conversation with Burris’ business partner Fred Lebed, who allegedly told Ruff on the date of Burris' appointment, "We'll have to do some things for the governor."
Ruff also said he recalled Lebed telling him he'd had discussions about Burris' interest in the Senate appointment with Blagojevich representatives -- lobbyist John Wyma, now-indicted chief of staff John Harris and former chief of staff Lon Monk -- as early as October.
That information contradicted Burris' claim in a Jan. 5 affidavit in which the senator said neither he nor his representatives spoke with Blagojevich or his representatives before Dec. 26. Lawyers representing Harris and Wyma denied their clients spoke with Lebed about Burris’ interest in the seat.
Lebed accused Ruff at the time of being on a “witch-hunt” and fabricating that story after not being hired for Burris’ senatorial communications staff in Washington, D.C.
But Ruff insisted that the only way to determine whether Burris lied about the circumstances of his appointment when appearing before an Illinois House impeachment panel was for prosecutors in Sangamon County and investigators overseeing a U.S. Senate ethics probe to zero in on Lebed.
"There is more to be discovered," Ruff told the Sun-Times. "I know the key to finding the information out is through Fred. That's the main point I wish to get across.”
Both Ruff and Lebed have been interviewed by Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Schmidt as part of his still-ongoing perjury investigation.
Burris’ office declined comment when informed of Ruff’s death.
“John was honest yet irreverent,” said Eileen Wixted, a consultant and longtime friend of Ruff’s. “He believed no one was above the truth, period. The combination of his boldness and his uncanny ability to distill complicated matters is rare and refreshing. John will certainly be missed for his sense of humor and strategic mind.”
Visitation for Ruff, a father of four children, will be from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Friday at the Corman Funeral Home, 108 Washington St., Avon, Ill. A funeral is at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home.
No autopsy is planned. Body count will be a risen.
I have a suspicion that Blago has his own set of tapes. He will get a pass or worse.
PING!!
Bush’s Fault!
You guys are getting slack.
43 posts in? We are getting slack.
No Witnesses.
Your witnesses are belong to us.
Hmmmmmm.
How convenient or should I say Chicago convenient?
"We told him he coulda have some brake failures, but he didn't listen."
What? That can't be right. A 42 year-old man crosses the center line, goes off road and strikes a tree in broad daylight with no indication of alcohol involved, and there's no autopsy?
This reeks.
Committed suicide: shot himself in the back six times.
It’s the Chicago way....
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/burris/1463765,CST-NWS-burris06.article
New questions raised on possible quid pro quo between Burris, Blago
March 6, 2009
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/burris/1492205,CST-NWS-burris24.article
Former Burris aide questioned in probe
PERJURY INVESTIGATION | He raised concerns about quid pro quo
March 24, 2009
I thought another witness had already withdrawn from testifying.
Wouldn't ya know it, the car burst into flames when it hit the tree.....nothing to see here, vehicle and driver already made into a cube of scrap metal and sent to Fix It Agin Tony to make license plate frames out've.
Prayers for the deceased and those threatened to be deceased by the dirty hands of Gangster Motors & The Fixs'in Shoppe.
ALA Mayor Washington. No wonder bHo has a food taster.
Why use the word killed, why not say he died shortly before 3?
I was trying to square the ‘no autopsy’ with the coroner’s inquest scheduled for July .. but you KNOW there will be a cremation. Funny how that works.
Regardless of the political ramifications, Ruff was a single father of four, 3 of whom are very young and the other not yet an adult. Very sad for them.
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