First Karl Rove and now Dennis Hastert. And now we know who the second witness is and the connection of Rezko/Rove/Gov. Blago saga:
CHICAGO (AP) ― A government witness testified Monday that political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko told him three years ago that Chicago's chief federal prosecutor was to be fired and replaced by someone chosen by then-U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
Restaurant owner Elie Maloof quoted Rezko as saying the new U.S. attorney in Chicago, whom Rezko said would be chosen by Hastert, would then kill a federal investigation into corruption under Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
"The federal prosecutor would no longer be the federal prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald would be eliminated," Maloof told Rezko's fraud trial.
Prosecutors said last week that former Illinois Finance Authority executive director Ali Ata, who is to take the witness stand later in the trial, would testify that Rezko told him of a plan to replace Fitzgerald.
Prosecutors told U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve that Ata would say he had a talk with Rezko about such efforts on the part of Springfield lobbyist Robert Kjellander and former presidential adviser Karl Rove.
Kjellander denied he had ever discussed such a thing and Rove's lawyer, Robert Luskin, said his client had no memory of such discussions.
Maloof's testimony Monday was the first time Hastert's name had come up in testimony.
"The conversation was that Mr. Hastert would name a new U.S. attorney," Maloof said.
"What would be the effect of having a new U.S. attorney on the investigation?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Niewoehner asked.
"They would order the prosecutor to drop the investigation," said Maloof, who was not asked to elaborate on who "they" were.
A message seeking comment was left Monday at Hastert's office.
Rezko, 52, is charged with scheming to split a $1.5 million bribe from a contractor who wanted state permission to build a hospital in the McHenry County suburb of Crystal Lake and pressure kickbacks out of money management firms seeking to do business with a state pension fund.
Prosecutors say Rezko's fundraising for Blagojevich made him highly influential in the administration and as a result he could manipulate the state boards that decide on hospital construction and allocate money from the pension fund to investment firms.
U.S. attorneys are nominated by the president but traditionally are chosen by the senior senator of the president's party.
Fitzgerald was the candidate of Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, R-Ill., no relation, who said openly that he wanted someone from out of state who would be independent and attack the corruption long plaguing Illinois.
Since taking over as U.S. attorney in September 2001, Patrick Fitzgerald has launched a vigorous attack on corruption, sending former Gov. George Ryan and a number of other political insiders to federal prison.
Peter Fitzgerald and Hastert, while both Republicans, often were at odds with each other. It would not be unusual to allow a senior congressman to suggest a candidate for U.S. attorney if there were no senator of the president's party from the state.
Maloof, a former employee of a Rezko pizza business, testified under a grant of immunity from prosecution for anything he might say on the stand.
Among other things, he testified that Rezko told him to say as little as possible when called before a federal grand jury investigating corruption in the Blagojevich administration.
And he said Rezko told him anything he might say about Rezko himself would "tie back to Blagojevich."
CHICAGO (AP) ― A government witness testified Monday that political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko told him three years ago that Chicago's chief federal prosecutor was to be fired and replaced by someone chosen by then-U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
Restaurant owner Elie Maloof quoted Rezko as saying the new U.S. attorney in Chicago, whom Rezko said would be chosen by Hastert, would then kill a federal investigation into corruption under Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
"The federal prosecutor would no longer be the federal prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald would be eliminated," Maloof told Rezko's fraud trial.
Prosecutors said last week that former Illinois Finance Authority executive director Ali Ata, who is to take the witness stand later in the trial, would testify that Rezko told him of a plan to replace Fitzgerald.
Prosecutors told U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve that Ata would say he had a talk with Rezko about such efforts on the part of Springfield lobbyist Robert Kjellander and former presidential adviser Karl Rove.
Kjellander denied he had ever discussed such a thing and Rove's lawyer, Robert Luskin, said his client had no memory of such discussions.
Maloof's testimony Monday was the first time Hastert's name had come up in testimony.
"The conversation was that Mr. Hastert would name a new U.S. attorney," Maloof said.
"What would be the effect of having a new U.S. attorney on the investigation?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Niewoehner asked.
"They would order the prosecutor to drop the investigation," said Maloof, who was not asked to elaborate on who "they" were.
A message seeking comment was left Monday at Hastert's office.
Rezko, 52, is charged with scheming to split a $1.5 million bribe from a contractor who wanted state permission to build a hospital in the McHenry County suburb of Crystal Lake and pressure kickbacks out of money management firms seeking to do business with a state pension fund.
Prosecutors say Rezko's fundraising for Blagojevich made him highly influential in the administration and as a result he could manipulate the state boards that decide on hospital construction and allocate money from the pension fund to investment firms.
U.S. attorneys are nominated by the president but traditionally are chosen by the senior senator of the president's party.
Fitzgerald was the candidate of Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, R-Ill., no relation, who said openly that he wanted someone from out of state who would be independent and attack the corruption long plaguing Illinois.
Since taking over as U.S. attorney in September 2001, Patrick Fitzgerald has launched a vigorous attack on corruption, sending former Gov. George Ryan and a number of other political insiders to federal prison.
Peter Fitzgerald and Hastert, while both Republicans, often were at odds with each other. It would not be unusual to allow a senior congressman to suggest a candidate for U.S. attorney if there were no senator of the president's party from the state.
Maloof, a former employee of a Rezko pizza business, testified under a grant of immunity from prosecution for anything he might say on the stand.
Among other things, he testified that Rezko told him to say as little as possible when called before a federal grand jury investigating corruption in the Blagojevich administration.
And he said Rezko told him anything he might say about Rezko himself would "tie back to Blagojevich."
3 comments:
The fat boy has big problems that even his stolen money might not get him out of now. Now who would have thought that it would be this case to open the door to the illegal political attorney firings. Now to bad the plan wasn't done fast enough to stop Rove from going to the Grand Jury. Will Denny Hastert get Executive Privilege from our Dictator. Who will save Karl Christian Rove this time? A 5 year old would have known Fitz was as good as he is, but these idiots didn't. Musk Rat much be hoping all this goes away because he just took the job of AG for the pay check and kick backs. Now it's time for the Deputy Dough Boy to step up and protect the criminal GOP. The House of cards are falling and Bush is just drinking Jack Daniels and smoking weed while dancing to African music.
Today's installment of Illinois Rumors 101:
The cat thinks that would have been payback for the Rugby Man going after Orange Jumpsuit Ryan and payback at Former Senator Peter Fitzgerald, who was a very honest man who picked the Rugby Man. (Too bad the former senator was decades behind on his track record on women--Mama never voted for him because of that).
The investigation on Baloneybitch would have been just collateral damage. I cannot imagine the formerly fat boy having any luv for the Baloneybitch or wanting to protect him from investigation. Republicans in this state revile the Baloneybitch with a passion, as do Democrats who have a soul and a conscious. The other speculative possibility is the formerly fat boy knew he was no saint and didn't want the Rugby Man around in his neighborhood.
The cat also suspects that the formerly fat man got gastric bypass while he had his gall bladder worked on and just didn't tell anyone he got it.
Yes, it was a payback from certain powerful lawmakers that wanted the Rugby Man out as the USA. The power of beings saw that the Rugby Man couldn't be brought and he values the justice system. They tried to oust him as USA as well as Special Prosecutor [which saved Fitz]. But, who would have thought that the Rezko trial connection would put another nail in Rove's crimes.
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