Uncomfortable spotlight shone on Patti Blagojevich

Chicago Tribune ^ | December 14, 2008 | John Chase and David Kidwell

[COUNTrecount]

Her real estate deals are under federal scrutiny, and her rants, now infamous, stand out on descriptions of recordings taken from Blagojevich family home

Even before her voice was heard on covert recordings made by federal investigators, First Lady Patricia Blagojevich was neck-deep in the federal probe of her husband and his administration.

Once a residential real estate broker on the North Side, Patricia Blagojevich left that career this year amid scrutiny from the Tribune and federal agents who have for a year been examining whether clients hired her to win favor from her husband's administration.

But her decision to change careers didn't seem to slow the investigation, which sped up in recent weeks after federal agents tapped the Blagojevich's phones and caught the first lady joining her husband on calls in which he talked about how his authority to pick President-elect Barack Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate could be leveraged to help find her a seat on paid corporate boards.

Before that, though, federal agents—following years of news coverage—were probing hundreds of thousands of dollars in commissions Patricia Blagojevich earned in previous years as a real estate broker for political supporters, fundraisers and state contractors.

[TheRightGuy]

Taking less money than is owed by Obama is also considered a bribe

Usually the seller pays the commision, Obama was the buyer.

[shibumi]

"Hey, whatz the beeg deal. Patti is just trying to make a career off her husband’s name and position. And where did she learn that technique ... maybe from Hillary Klingtong?"

You got it backward. Milorad B. made his political career by marrying her.

Her maiden name is "Mel." She's the daughter of Chicago Alderman Dick Mel, one of Hizzoner Daley's most powerful allies in the City Council.

[massgopguy]

She wins the Susan MacDougal Award

[Night Hides Not]

Patti F*****g Blagojevich was the real estate broker of record in the crooked Tony Rezko deal giving Barack Hussein Obama his Chicago mansion.

Great find! How come I haven't heard that factoid mentioned on CNNCBSNBCMSNBC?

I'd like to add to this post, but I've got a million crickets chirping in my office!

[zeugma]

Patti F*****g Blagojevich was the real estate broker of record in the crooked Tony Rezko deal giving Barack Hussein Obama his Chicago mansion.

Notice the prominent lack of mention of same in the article. 

[BP2]

>> Patti F*****g Blagojevich was the real estate broker of record in the crooked Tony Rezko deal giving Barack Hussein Obama his Chicago mansion.

>>> Obama got his house for well under the asking price.

If so, Patti would have taken approx a sizable commission loss on the Obama’s 2005 real estate deal in getting the Obama’s house for $1.6M compared to $1.9M. There's surely more deals we don't know about yet.

THAT is probably part of the payback Gov Blago was trying to get back for his wife by getting her a cush federal job through Team Obama!

Now the connection back to Obama is starting to make even more sense now...

[ravingnutter]

More on that:

Follow the Money: Auchi's money, Rezko's lot, Obama's house

An excerpt:

James Bone and Dominic Kennedy reported February 25, 2008, in the The Times (UK) that on May 23, 2005—just three weeks before Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Rita Rezko, the wife of indicted political fixer Antoin "Tony" Rezko, closed on their same-day real estate deals on June 15, 2005—Fintrade Services SA, a Panamanian company related to Iraqi billionaire businessman Nadhmi Auchi, "lent" $3.5 million to Tony Rezko.

Bone and Kennedy wrote that their investigation "raises the question of whether funds from Nadhmi Auchi, one of Britain’s wealthiest men, helped Mr Obama buy his mock Georgian mansion in Chicago."

[ravingnutter]

Ping to more info at post #27. Seems Saddam's billionaire buddy Nadhmi Auchi was involved in the Obama real estate deal as well.

[BP2]

Ok, so Patti Blagojevich was the Broker for the Obama, that is, on the BUYER'S side...

Donna Schwan Jackson was the LISTING/SELLER agent for the Rezko/Obama land deal, and is listed on bottom of page 3 of THIS: 2005 Rezko/Obama Land Deal documents

This NEWS Article from the archive sheds some perspective on Donna Schwan Jackson: Rezko sought post for Obama's home-seller

Published: Feb. 22, 2008 at 5:19 PM

CHICAGO, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Indicted Illinois fundraiser Tony Rezko once sought a state post for the agent who sold a home to presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, court records showed.

Court papers filed in Rezko's corruption case indicated he asked Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration to appoint Donna Schwan Jackson, a real estate agent, to the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday.

Jackson is included in a list of people Rezko and others tried to get appointed to state boards and commissions, Blagojevich administration records obtained by federal prosecutors showed. Jackson didn't get the appointment.

Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said the revelation about Jackson doesn't change anything about the purchase of the senator's mansion on Chicago's South Side. Obama, D-Ill., was represented by a different real estate agent.

"The senator and Mrs. Obama negotiated a fair market price for their house," Burton said, "and this is as true today as it was at the time."

Rezko is scheduled to go on trial March 3 on charges he participated in a scheme to get kickbacks from companies seeking state pension business under Blagojevich.

Rezko was a major campaign fundraiser for Blagojevich and Obama.

BUT Donna Schwan Jackson is not showing up on the agent list on ARCHIVE.org for her brokerage at that time, Urban Search: Urban List Agent list ARCHIVE Feb 2005 -- no "Donna Schwan Jackson" listed

Wonder what's up with that???

[BP2]

Rezko sought state job for Obama home seller's real estate agent

Barack Obama's jailed pal, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, has a lot of tentacles.

Here from Feb 08, courtey of UPI:

Indicted Illinois fundraiser Tony Rezko once sought a state post for the agent who sold a home to presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, court records showed.

Court papers filed in Rezko's corruption case indicated he asked Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration to appoint Donna Schwan Jackson, a real estate agent, to the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday.

Jackson is included in a list of people Rezko and others tried to get appointed to state boards and commissions, Blagojevich administration records obtained by federal prosecutors showed. Jackson didn't get the appointment.

Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said the revelation about Jackson doesn't change anything about the purchase of the senator's mansion on Chicago's South Side. Obama, D-Ill., was represented by a different real estate agent.

[BP2]

Friday, February 22, 2008

RezkoTrialWatch: Rezko placed realtor on "clout list"

Tim Novak wrote February 22, 2008, at the Chicago Sun-Times that indicted political fixer Antoin "Tony" Rezko asked Gov. Rod Blagojevich to appoint real estate agent Donna Schwan Jackson to the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities, "according to the court papers" filed by Rezko's lawyers with the U.S. District Court on February 21, 2008.

Jackson, who represented the sellers, Frederic Wondisford and his wife, Sally Radovick, was the real estate agent who sold Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) his Kenwood manion and the adjacent side lot to Rita Rezko, Rezko's wife.

Jackson said she was unaware Rezko ever tried to get her the state appointment.

"They might have put my name down there because I'm a woman who takes in children with disabilities," Jackson said. "I sold Tony Rezko his first condo, when he moved to Hyde Park. I've known him for years and years. He's known about my work with disabled children.''

The Wondisfords hired Jackson's company, MetroPro Realty, to sell their mansion and the adjacent lot. Several people wanted to buy the lot without the house, but Jackson said the Wondisfords "insisted these two properties close on the same day." [snip]

Jackson, a longtime Democrat, was a political fund-raiser for former Gov. Dan Walker. Her husband served on the state lottery board under Republican Gov. James R. Thompson.

[webschooner]

Thanks for that heads up — in that case, then surely Mrs. Blago is entitled to the position. She comes from a prominent local political family, and on top of that, she has had to put up with that hubby of hers, LOL.

[fella]

a seat on paid corporate boards

Say didn't Hitlery have a number of those seats? It's kind of funny how many political relatives are on corporate boards.

[fella]

Seems Saddam's billionaire buddy Nadhmi Auchi was involved in the Obama real estate deal as well.

So the Hussains kept it in the family?

[libstripper]

FTA:

Once a residential real estate broker on the North Side, Patricia Blagojevich left that career this year amid scrutiny from the Tribune and federal agents who have for a year been examining whether clients hired her to win favor from her husband's administration.

Gee, isn't that exactly what the University of Chicago Hospitals did when they promoted Michelle Obama to PR VP and raised her salary form $100,000 to a bit over $300,000, shortly after which event the UC Hospitals got a $1,000,000 earmark, courtesy of the Red Messiah?

[hoosiermama]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=2150174%2C27

CHeck out this post. Is he the guy?