Yeah, about that Rezko case....... by AURaptor

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Yeah, about that Rezko case.......

POSTED BY: AURAPTOR
UPDATED: Friday, December 12, 2008 06:05
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Thursday, December 11, 2008 4:49 PM

America loves a winner!

Case Confirms Rezko Is Talking With Prosecutors

By Joe Stephens and Carrie Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, December 11, 2008;

A footnote to the 76-page criminal complaint and affidavit charging Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) with soliciting bribes confirms what has long been rumored -- that a former longtime friend and fundraiser for President-elect Barack Obama is talking to federal prosecutors in hopes of a reduced sentence.

Antoin "Tony" Rezko's offer to provide authorities with evidence of others' wrongdoing is "not complete," and prosecutors are working to corroborate the claims he has made so far, the footnote said.

Rezko, a 53-year-old developer, was convicted in June of 16 criminal counts, including fraud, money laundering and abetting bribery. He is in custody awaiting sentencing.

Prosecutors depicted Rezko at trial as a fixer for Blagojevich and the man to see to secure a high-level appointment with the governor's administration. Rezko had been a longtime fundraiser for Blagojevich and other Illinois politicians, including Obama.

Obama was not implicated in the months-long trial, and he has said that Rezko sought no favors from him. At a news conference on Tuesday, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, went out of his way to dampen speculation about Obama.

"I should make clear, the complaint makes no allegations about the president-elect whatsoever," Fitzgerald said. "We make no allegations that he's aware of anything, and that's as simply as I can put it. . . .

"There's no reference in the complaint to any conversations involving the president-elect or indicating that the president-elect was aware of it. And that's all I can say."

Legal experts said it was unusual for a prosecutor to make such a blanket statement while an investigation was continuing.

"That carries a great deal of weight," said Jan Witold Baran, a Washington lawyer who represents politicians on ethical complaints and campaign finance matters. "It is really unusual for a U.S. attorney to say someone is not implicated.

"Could evidence pop up in the future to the contrary? Sure, it's possible. Is it likely? I think that, based on what he said yesterday, the answer is no," Baran added.

The ongoing investigation is sure to present political complications for the Obama Justice Department, because advisers close to the president-elect are referenced in the criminal complaint and will be interviewed by federal prosecutors, legal analysts said. A lawyer for the Obama transition team did not return calls or e-mails yesterday.

Fitzgerald was appointed U.S. attorney by President Bush, but he is a political independent. Obama could retain Fitzgerald, lending an element of continuity to the Blagojevich case and insulating himself somewhat from accusations that he is seeking to remove a dogged prosecutor from a case targeting Illinois Democrats.

Rezko's reappearance in the headlines in recent years has been of continuing use to Obama's political opponents -- including Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), both of whose presidential campaigns pointed out that Obama shared a long history with the Chicago developer.

Over Obama's political career, Rezko raised contributions for him and introduced him to powerful aldermen. Rezko even offered real estate advice when Obama bought an expensive house on Chicago's South Side.

The two met in the early 1990s. Obama has said he was finishing his studies at Harvard Law School when Rezko and his business associates first contacted him about a job possibility in development. Obama declined a job offer from Rezko, instead accepting a position at a small Chicago law firm that would later represent Rezko's company and whose senior partner would in time go into business with Rezko.

A few years later, Obama entered politics. Records list three checks arriving on his first day of fundraising for the Illinois Senate. Two of them, totaling $2,000, came from companies associated with Rezko. Over time, the businessman and Obama began meeting regularly for lunch and dinner, occasionally with their wives.

After he joined the U.S. Senate in 2005, Obama took Rezko on a tour of a six-bedroom house in an upscale Chicago neighborhood. Rezko recommended that Obama buy the home and, on the day Obama closed the deal, Rezko's wife closed on an adjoining lot. The Rezkos resold a portion of their lot to Obama to expand his yard.

Lawyers in the Blagojevich case said information provided by Rezko and others who testified at Rezko's trial could form the backbone of several additional charges against the governor. Blagojevich's wife, Patricia, had worked on real estate deals with Rezko.

Nearly half of the criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday deals with allegations that members of the Blagojevich administration offered access to jobs and state contracts in exchange for campaign cash. Neither Blagojevich nor his chief of staff, John Harris, was immediately charged with involvement in those alleged schemes. Several of the fundraisers testified at Rezko's criminal trial this year.

Fitzgerald said authorities did not "rely upon" information from Rezko in the complaint. Joseph Duffy, a defense attorney for Rezko, did not return calls yesterday.

It is not those who use the term "Islamo-Fascism" who are sullying the name of Islam; it is the Islamo-Fascists. - Dennis Prager

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 4:59 PM

CHRISISALL

Bush's dad hung with Saddam.

Quote:
Colonel Russell Bowen served the U.S. Army with distinction for
over 20 years before he retired. One of his most memorable assignments was as the
U.S. Army\'s special attache to CIA Director George H. Bush. He wrote about his
duties in a shocking and explosive book that suggests the Bush family did oil
business with the Saddam Hussein family to the tune of hudreds of millions of
dollars. He even says the now defunct Texaco Oil Company was involved but had to get
it\'s bankruptcy court records sealed by the U.S. Supreme Court when a U.S.
Congressman caught wind of things and opened an investigation.

http://express-press-release.net/31/Did%20George%20Bush%20Sr%20Make%20
Millions%20With%20Saddam%20Hussein.php

OOoops, I guess Bush Jr. is dirty by family association.

Sucks to B Uisall

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 4:59 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

http://www.fireflyfans.net/replymsg.asp?q=y&b=18&t=35950&m=660545

I think you're just a little bit late.

And, you didn't read the article.

Quote:
Originally posted by rue:
Just more information:

Prosecutors depicted Rezko at trial as a fixer for Blagojevich and the man to see to secure a high-level appointment with the governor's administration. Rezko had been a longtime fundraiser for Blagojevich and other Illinois politicians, including Obama.

Obama was not implicated in the months-long trial (of Rezko), and he has said that Rezko sought no favors from him. At a news conference on Tuesday, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, went out of his way to dampen speculation about Obama.

"I should make clear, the complaint makes no allegations about the president-elect whatsoever," Fitzgerald said. "We make no allegations that he's aware of anything, and that's as simply as I can put it. . . .

"There's no reference in the complaint to any conversations involving the president-elect or indicating that the president-elect was aware of it. And that's all I can say."

Legal experts said it was unusual for a prosecutor to make such a blanket statement while an investigation was continuing.

"That carries a great deal of weight," said Jan Witold Baran, a Washington lawyer who represents politicians on ethical complaints and campaign finance matters. "It is really unusual for a U.S. attorney to say someone is not implicated."

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 5:15 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Bush never had dinner w/ Saddam. You nuts have really rounded the bend.

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 5:18 PM

FUTUREMRSFILLION

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:
Bush never had dinner w/ Saddam. You nuts have really rounded the bend.

It is not those who use the term "Islamo-Fascism" who are sullying the name of Islam; it is the Islamo-Fascists. - Dennis Prager

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

never ever? never ever ever?

I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

FORSAKEN original

Trolls Against McCain

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Mahatma Gandhi

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 5:18 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

It's an ongoing investigation. Fitzpatrick can say what he wants, or not say, as he feels is best for his case.

LONG TIME FUNDRAISER FOR OBAMA.

Promise you'll remember that, ok ?

Thanks.

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 5:43 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Quote:
Originally posted by FutureMrsFIllion:
Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:

Bush never had dinner w/ Saddam. You nuts have really rounded the bend.

"

never ever? never ever ever?

A few years later, Obama entered politics. Records list three checks arriving on his first day of fundraising for the Illinois Senate. Two of them, totaling $2,000, came from companies associated with Rezko. Over time, the businessman and Obama began meeting regularly for lunch and dinner, occasionally with their wives.

After he joined the U.S. Senate in 2005, Obama took Rezko on a tour of a six-bedroom house in an upscale Chicago neighborhood. Rezko recommended that Obama buy the home and, on the day Obama closed the deal, Rezko's wife closed on an adjoining lot. The Rezkos resold a portion of their lot to Obama to expand his yard.

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 5:46 PM

FUTUREMRSFILLION

yes but what about that dinner with what's his name and Bush?

I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

FORSAKEN original

Trolls Against McCain

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Mahatma Gandhi

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 5:56 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Quote:
Originally posted by FutureMrsFIllion:

yes but what about that dinner with what's his name and Bush?

You'll post anything to avoid dealing w/ the facts.

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 6:00 PM

FUTUREMRSFILLION

umm Pot calling the kettle black? No?

I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

FORSAKEN original

Trolls Against McCain

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Mahatma Gandhi

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 6:00 PM

DREAMTROVE

Au,

don't waste time saying things that are absurd.

GHWB was head of the CIA, Hussein was a top CIA contact, if he didn't have dinner with him, he was a terrible CIA chief. Bush probably had dinner with Pinochet. A number of people have had dinner with Kim Jong Il. Christopher Hill and Condi Rice. This doesn't make them evil.

Cheney and Rumsfeld signed a deal to give Hussein WMDs, this is well known, it's not even speculation. GHWB was almost certainly a part of that deal, and the goal was the same as today. To destabilize the region and displace the govt. of Iran.

The Rezko story is total nonsense. I just wish my fellow conservatives weren't so f%^&ing dumb. It's like the Monica Lewinsky story. Come on. Bill Clinton had secret torture prisons in eastern europe, just like W, he had domestic warrantless wiretapping just like bush, he and hillary ran an international drug smuggling operation, there were tainted money transaction with a cash and blood trail all over arkansas and texas, they were mickey and mallory for president, and once in office they not only deliberately slaughtered american citizens, they sold off state secrets, weapons systems, ports, military bases, etc., way on the level of high treason, not to mention starting five wars, funding and aiding the mujahideen, the militant arm that is that actual terrorist network that the knuckleheads think al qaeda is, deliberately, and let me say that again, deliberately attacking civilian targets across europe, the middle east, and africa, not to mention invading Haiti, Somalia, Kosovo and Iraq, which is not even a drop in the bucket to their real crime:

The Clinton Administration was not just complicit to but played a deliberate and active roll in the extermination of an entire race of people, killing over 8 million people, over 80% of all blood related tutsi/watusi related tribes in the world, a more efficient job of extermination of more than 30% of the world's jews.

And we tried to nail Clinton to the cross for cheating on his wife? The man is evil, hard core evil, godwin be damned, he's Hitler level of evil. More so than Saddam Hussein, who is only "Pretty f%^&ing evil." And the GOP has him on boinking the secretary. Please. The internal treason charges alone should have had the man hanged on the capitol steps.

Barack Obama, a mild mannered professor from Hyde Park with a lovely wife and a couple of adorable kids, who wants to play with the big boys over at the CFR and the FED, so he can be president, nah, he doesn't scare me. And trying to gnab him on a corrupt real estate deal? That's just moronic.

The people who engineered the disgrace and disaster of the Clinton administration AND added to that, the people who engineered the disgrace and disaster of the George W. Bush administration filling the halls of the cabinet and ringing the phone off the hook in the white house designing our future? Now that's pretty damn scary.

Obama's friends are full of people who should already face a firing squad for high treason, and probably a great deal more. This is all very worrisom. Are we going to wait for him to nuke someone before someone says "Hey, something is wrong here?" I mean Hillary R. Clinton, a woman who currently has outstanding felony charges against her which remain to this day unsettled for embezzlement and murder 1 (those were mistrials, not acquittals!) is now going to be secretary of state? This isn't poor judgment, it's insane!

And when I here people nitpick the Tony Rezko case I think god damn, here we go again. Conservatives grasping at straws when they have a crime file that would make Al Capone puke sitting right on their desks.

Stop trying to open fire at the squeaky clean front man for this band and take a look around you. We're going to hell in a bucket, and this ain't no partisan game. Someone wake up and smell the blood before we find ourselves at war with Pakistan. Because that, people, is the tipping point. Neither Russia nor China is going to stand by and let us take the Middle East. And either one of them, and I know some soldiers, and it's not their fault, certainly not saying so, but virtually everyone in the pentagon is saying so: Either Russia or China could crush us militarily. Both of them, together, we don't stand a chance.

Anyone catch the whole S. Ossetia scene. You know what the point of that was? That was Russia saying to America: Hey, this is how it is done. If we wanted to, we could squash a country like a bug, what's taking you guys so long?

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Thursday, December 11, 2008 6:50 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

Quote:
Bush never had dinner w/ Saddam.

Of course, I could also make the claim that Obama never sold weapons to Rezko...

Mike

"It is complete now; the hands of time are neatly tied."

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Friday, December 12, 2008 6:02 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
Quote:
Bush never had dinner w/ Saddam.

Of course, I could also make the claim that Obama never sold weapons to Rezko...

Mike

Oh man Mike, not only will that fly over AU's head faster than Iron Man, he couldn't properly respond even if he DID get it..it would be limited to "Now you're being silly" or "That has nothing to do with it" or some such lameness.

Great point though.

The responsive Chrisisall

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Friday, December 12, 2008 6:05 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by dreamtrove:
Au,

don't waste time saying things that are absurd.

GHWB was head of the CIA, Hussein was a top CIA contact, if he didn't have dinner with him, he was a terrible CIA chief.

DT, my favourite Conservative! You know the score on most issues, my friend.

The closet-conservative Chrisisall

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