Rezko pleads guilty in restaurant sale scheme ("ready and willing" to testify at Blago retrial)

Chicago Tribune ^ | 8:59 p.m. CDT, October 1, 2010 | Andy Grimm

[maggief]

A onetime top fundraiser for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich who was already convicted of taking kickbacks from state contractors pleaded guilty Friday in a separate scheme involving the bogus sale of his pizza restaurants.

After the plea by Antoin "Tony" Rezko, his lawyer touted his client as "ready and willing" to be a "formidable witness" at Blagojevich's retrial, though prosecutors didn't put him on the stand for the former governor's trial this summer.

Rezko pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud in connection with $10 million in fraudulent loans he arranged for business partners to buy a chain of pizza restaurants he owned in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan

[maggief]

Rezko pleaded guilty without a plea deal with prosecutors. U.S. District Judge James Zagel set sentencing for Dec. 19. Rezko has been in custody since a jury in 2008 convicted him of extorting millions of dollars from firms seeking state business or regulatory approval, even though he hasn't yet been sentenced for that conviction.

[SeaHawkFan]

Rezko isn’t going to testify in the next Blago trial. If he does, it opens up a can or worms about Rexko’s relarionship to Obama - including Rezko’s sale of a partial lot to Obama at a heavily discounted price that made the rest of Rezko’s lot unbuidable.

Blago’s attorney will also claim that Rezko is now changing his testimony in order to get a reduced sentence.

[hoosiermama]

Sentence: Where, how long will be done AFTER the testimony? Where is the appropriate (or Inappropriate) “you scratch my back, I scratch yours.”

[yldstrk]

here comes the falling of the bam bam house of cards

[yldstrk]

rezko will testify

[maggief]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/2766018,CST-NWS-rezko02.article

Rezko appeared before U.S. District Judge James Zagel in an olive jail uniform with his ankles shackled. Courthouse observers said he has lost significant weight since his June 2008 conviction.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-10-01/news/ct-talk-jarrett-sighting-1003-20101001_1_cabinet-appointment-or-ambassadorship-chicago-federal-building-obama-friend

Jarrett spotted at Chicago federal building
Turns out White House adviser was just there to visit her daughter

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/metro/valerie-jarett-dirksen-blagojevich-rahm-emanuel-20101001

Her appearance at the courthouse set off speculation that she could possibly be there to meet with the FBI and be interviewed again, possibly with more questions, or she could be a potential witness for the next Blagojevich trial, or that she could have been testifying in front of a grand jury.

Jarrett’s appearance at the Dirksen building explained why she was not at the White House for Friday’s other big development — the resignation of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

[chainsaw]

It's not the witness, it's the prosecutor.

[MinuteGal]

I've been posting here for weeks that Rahm Emanuel will NEVER be Da Mare of Chicago, that he won't even be a candidate unless he's kamikaze, that he didn't RESIGN as Obama's aide to run for mayor because Obama FIRED him, that something's coming down in Chicago causing Rahm to be thrown under the bus by Obama, that Rezko WILL testify because at his age he can't take much more of Club Fed, that Obama and Rahm will be Rezko's primary target with Blago an incidental third......

......and I'll go even further that Blago will get off completely or lightly in his second trial because the stench of the Obama White House/Chicago connection will overwhelm the news and make the rather nebulous charges against Blago look clouded and insignificant by comparison, that Blago is holding some hole cards, too, plus most insular Chicagoans are rooting for Blago against Fitz and the D.C. Federales......and the jury will undoubtedly again give him another slap on the wrist.

Whew~

Leni

[hoosiermama]

Hmmm going out to lunch with daughter would make a great cover story if one didn't want others to know she was testifying.....just saying.

Let's play "Let's Make a Deal" or "What's my Lyin'"

[maggief]

That 0 'birthday celebration' without MO seemed fishy, IMO.

AP

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://blog.nj.com/njv_publicblog/2010/10/is_the_tony_rezko-alexi_gianno.html

IS THE TONY REZKO-ALEXI GIANNOULIAS I.R.S. FRAUD CASE IN CHICAGO ABOUT TO COME BACK TO HAUNT OBAMA??

[hoosiermama]

Makes sense, Leni...Why didn’t VJ meet her daughter at a restaurant or just pick her up out in front....Most people would do that. Also want to know what information her daughter is privy to! What is she passing along to her mom and friends.?

[maggief]

JJJ’s dead fish?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/elections/ct-met-rahm-rod-20101002,0,1319932.story?page=2

“I’m not on any tapes, but he is,” Jackson said of Emanuel in a recent radio interview. Several days later, Jackson’s hopes of running for mayor were further damaged by news that one of the fundraisers implicated him in the scheme and disclosed Jackson had a female “social acquaintance” in Washington.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Same link, implicating the Ax?

“Emanuel told investigators he called Harris and suggested Madigan after meeting with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Obama adviser David Axelrod, who agreed she would be a good pick.”

[hoosiermama]

All they have to do for a “cover” is release a news blurb. All TV, MSM pick it up, swallow it hook, line sinker and dead fish.....and then ignore them for the week-end. So they have a dinner somewhere...What were they doing in the remaining hours. Would like to know why MO was really upset, and why JJJ headed in her direction (to calm her down?)

I’m betting on Rahm to write the first expose-all book.

[MinuteGal]

You're on to something here, Hoosiermama.

Why on earth would Jarrett sweep into the federal building maelstrom surrounded by 5 (FIVE) SS security guys to "meet her daughter for lunch".

I doubt if they'd eat in the crummy cafeteria in the building.

Stories (lies) aren't even on the same page because some D.C. spokesman gave the excuse in explanation why Valerie wasn't at Rahm's Meet-Me-Under-the-Bus-Going-Away Party was that she was visiting an ill friend in Chicago.

....and the dog ate my homework.

Leni

[hoosiermama]

And why go to CHicago to celebrate your birthday with Jerrett and Rahm when the same could be done at the WH. Fly in the friends from not just CHicago, but all over.

...unless there were drugs or gifts that they wanted to keep quiet....or visits with FBI agents....SURPRISE!

[hoosiermama]

...surrounded by 5 (FIVE) SS security guys ... DOes VJ usually have guards? How many? Were they SS? Was she escorted by US marshalls? Why so many for a lunch date? Did they eat too? Did they escort her to the restaurant? Home from the restaurant?

Sure sound to me like the marshalls had asked her to drop by.....Wonder why! And now she has a sick friend....Send her a card!

[maggief]

“Also want to know what information her daughter is privy to! What is she passing along to her mom and friends.?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“daughter, Laura, a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer”

http://judgepedia.org/index.php/Rebecca_Pallmeyer

Rebecca Pallmeyer was known for her role in the case involving former Illinois Governor George Ryan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Wonder how close VJ and Chicago assistant United States Attorney Sharon Fairley Rogers are?)

[hoosiermama]

Just hit me...Federal building are some of the most secure places....They have securty check at all entrances....Fed Officers on duty. FBI agents, court LEO etc. Hell she doesn’t need security in a federal facility, and certainly not five agents....They were taking her somewhere she had not willingly complied to.