FBI tapes reveal Blagojevich tried to force contractors to raise money
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been accused of getting his dirty hands on just about anything he could reach, and the Illinois Tollway appears to not be immune to his corrupt touch.
According to FBI accounts, Blagojevich expected a major contractor involved with the $1.8 billion tollway construction program to raise $500,000 for his campaign fund. Tollway directors gave the green light to the program back in November, and the private firm still plans to go ahead with the upgrades, which include $1.4 billion worth of work on two major interchanges.
According to the Chicago Tribune, critics said they believe Blagojevich was trying to squeeze as much out of pay-to-play endeavors before tougher rules on fundraising went into effect. The FBI singled out two conversations Blagojevich had involving the Illinois Tollway work. During one, the Illinois governor told a fundraiser, I could have made a larger announcement but wanted to see how they [road contractors] perform by the end of the year. If they dont perform, [bleep] them.
Blagojevich then discussed raising money with a highway contractor before the rule on campaign contributions changed.
The Illinois Tollway project also includes a $400 million plan to add congestion-relief green lanes, but truckers, who would have to pay more in tolls starting in seven years, were urging officials not to pass the measure.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/15/2008 19:27 ||
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Geez, the Tollway has been dirty since the beginning.
A federal grand jury is investigating how a company that advised Jefferson County, Alabama, on bond deals that threaten to cause the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, did similar work in New Mexico after making contributions to Governor Bill Richardson's political action committees.
The grand jury in Albuquerque is looking into Beverly Hills, California-based CDR Financial Products Inc., which received almost $1.5 million in fees from the New Mexico Finance Authority in 2004 after donating $100,000 to Richardson's efforts to register Hispanic and American Indian voters and pay for expenses at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, people familiar with the matter said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation asked current and former officials from the state agency if any staff members in the governor's office influenced CDR's hiring, said the people, who declined to be identified because the proceedings are secret. Richardson, who is President-elect Barack Obama's designate for Commerce Secretary, has a staff of at least 30 people.
"They're looking at everything related to CDR," William Sisneros, the finance agency's chief executive officer, said of the FBI probe. "They're just trying to evaluate all the relationships to see what CDR was doing for the money."
The investigation reflects another front in nationwide efforts by U.S. prosecutors to investigate so-called pay- to-play in the municipal bond market. The term refers to banks and advisers who make political contributions or personal gifts to public officials in return for fee-paying financing assignments.
On Dec. 1, Birmingham, Alabama's mayor, Larry Langford, was charged by federal prosecutors with soliciting $235,000 in loans, expensive clothes and jewelry from Montgomery, Alabama-based bond underwriter Blount Parrish & Co. Langford, the former president of the Jefferson County Commission, included the firm on bond and derivative deals that netted it about $7.1 million. CDR, which wasn't named in that indictment, advised Jefferson County on the derivatives.
The New Mexico probe comes two years after the FBI searched CDR's offices as part of a nationwide investigation into whether banks and advisers conspired to overcharge local governments on financing deals. That probe by the New York office of the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division is ongoing, and CDR says it is cooperating.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/15/2008 08:51 ||
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Businesspeople rushed to deliver expensive jewelry and cardboard boxes stuffed with cash to the tree-canopied mansion of Taiwan's top leader to secure valuable political favors. Top-flight chefs prepared exotic dishes to tempt the palate -- and win the allegiance -- of his wife.
Those are some of the allegations emerging from a months-long corruption probe into the activities of former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian, who was indicted Friday on embezzlement and money laundering and granted conditional release from jail Saturday.
Chen's wife, along with 13 other family members and close associates, was also indicted in the case.
The depth of the charges against Chen stunned ordinary Taiwanese, who believed their rapidly evolving democracy had finally put an end to decades of endemic political corruption.
It's taken us 200 years plus and we still have the likes of Dodd and Blago ...
The 100-page indictment catalogued a litany of alleged offenses and shed new light on Chen's apparent taste for the high life. The son of a poor farmer from southern Taiwan, he was first elected president in 2000, riding to victory on the coattails of his clean-cut image and insistent pledges to clean up Taiwan's politics.
Appearing in court late Friday, Chen reaffirmed his innocence, claiming the $21 million his wife wired to their son's Swiss bank accounts came from leftover campaign donations. Taiwanese law permits such donations to be kept by political candidates. But that account failed to convince prosecutors, who accused Chen of "showing no remorse after committing severe crimes."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/15/2008 00:00 ||
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The entire justice system in Taiwan is flawed, and the current government doesn't seem to wanting to do anything about it. Case in point, Chen was released without having to pay bail money. Zero, zip, nada ..... How is that fair? A petite thief would still need to pay a small amount of money to make bail, but not a dirty politician that stole $18 million (in US dollar)?
Caroline Kennedy continued to contact New York politicians last week - presumably to test the waters about a Senate bid - even as Hillary Clinton allies piled on in fierce opposition. Kennedy reached out to state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, The Post has learned, while a trio of Clinton loyalists publicly argued against putting JFK's daughter in Clinton's Senate seat.
Gonna save the seat for Chelsea ...
Posted by: Fred ||
12/15/2008 00:00 ||
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Caroline Kennedy continued to contact New York politicians last week - presumably to test the waters
#6
And if her name was Caroline Kannady, would she still be qualified? I thought not. This bullshit of reserving gov't jobs for the children of lesser men is so tiring and preictable. What happened to Patches? Did he finish rehab?
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/15/2008 21:17 Comments ||
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Al Franken's Senate campaign announced Sunday that it would have fewer than 500 challenges remaining for the state canvassing board to consider when it meets on Tuesday.
The state Canvassing Board -- which is overseeing the Senate recount in the race between Franken and Republican incumbent Norm Coleman -- issued an urgent plea last week for both campaigns to cut down their number of contested ballots.
"In making this pledge, we are taking to heart the good advice of the canvassing board and the best interests of Minnesotans who want to see this process move forward efficiently," Franken communications director Andy Barr said in a statement.
"We have the greatest respect for this process and for the men and women involved in carrying it out, and so we will work overtime between now and Tuesday to do our part. When the board meets on Tuesday, it will have fewer than 500 challenges from our campaign to individually review," Barr's statement continued.
On Friday, Minnesota election officials said Coleman had a 188-vote lead over Franken -- a margin reached after all precincts reported their recount results. But the latest count does not include disputed absentee ballots, nor does it include thousands of ballot challenges the two campaigns filed. The state Canvassing Board -- led by Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie -- was expected to tackle over 3,000 contested ballots when it meets again on Tuesday.
Franken won a pair of victories on Friday when the state Canvassing Board ruled to include as many as 1,500 incorrectly rejected absentee ballots. The board also opted to recommend use of election night results in a Franken-leaning Minneapolis precinct where 133 ballots went missing, a decision that could have cost him 46 votes if it had gone the other way.
The canvassing board expects to complete its review of all challenged ballots by December 19.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/15/2008 00:00 ||
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They will stop counting when Franken gets the votes he needs to win.
#2
We will use the recount numbers except in cases where Franked did better in the first count.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
12/15/2008 9:55 Comments ||
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If Franken doesnt pull this one off he certainly has earned his boni fides for a future in Minnesota Democrat politics. Think about it. A man of little talent, no accomplishment, and a history that put him squarely at odds with his own partys written platform unabashedly performed fellatio on the Unions to secure their nomination. He then was able to funnel large sums of cash from his fellow Hollywood progressives that, in turn, earned him respect from the national Dem Machine Muckity-mucks. And that afforded him some legitimacy to run a campaign that fooled half the rubes into believing that his RINO opponent was Dick Cheney incarnate. Of course, with the specter of defeat staring him in the face he instantly went into a classic Dem run out the clock strategy. Its a pretty basic plan really litigation accompanied with feigned concerns that every vote must be counted. After all, its not about him its about the very future of Democracy! And now that the feeble Give em hell Al rallies have been replaced by Lets just get this shit over with, he offers up a completely meaningless and vacant gesture of false benevolence. Hes here to stay all right kind of like a reoccurring case of the gout.
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich doesn't plan to resign tomorrow, a spokesman said, contradicting speculation by the state's attorney general that the governor might quit in response to federal corruption charges.
"Not true -- the Gov has no plans of resigning tomorrow," Lucio Guerrero, a spokesman for Democrat Blagojevich, said today in an e-mailed statement.
Blagojevich, 52, has ignored calls to resign since his Dec. 9 arrest at his Chicago home for what U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald called "a political corruption crime spree." The governor and his former chief of staff, John Harris, 46, were accused of attempting to sell President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat, soliciting bribes and trying to pressure the Chicago Tribune to halt critical editorials.
The scandal means Illinois, the fifth most-populous state, may have to wait several months to bring its Senate contingent to full strength if lawmakers succeed with plans to strip Blagojevich of authority to fill Obama's seat, said Charlie Wheeler, an associate professor at the University of Illinois- Springfield. Every U.S. state is entitled to two Senate seats.
"The damage Rod Blagojevich has done to this state is going to last very long," Judy Baar Topinka, a Republican who unsuccessfully challenged Blagojevich for the governor's job in 2006, said today in an interview with WMAQ-TV in Chicago.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan earlier today on NBC's "Meet the Press" program said Blagojevich may announce tomorrow that he's resigning or taking a temporary leave from office.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/15/2008 00:00 ||
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Probably Blagojevich wants something in return for resigning, oh say for example, appointment to an endowed chair at the U of Ill at Chicago.
#3
This announcement of his tomorrow could be the appointment.
I sent an my resume via email last week and politely pointed out that no real politician wants a tainted appointment, so I'm prolly the best he can get.
Cross your finners ladies and gentlepersons, with any luck, in January ima be in DC representin' the Burg!
Posted by: Mike N. ||
12/15/2008 1:25 Comments ||
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We Rantburgers in Illinois will take the Senate seat if YOU pay Rantburg for the privilege. Proceeds will be used to pay for Fred's hosting and hardware and software upgrades.
Posted by: Alaska Paul by the wood stove ||
12/15/2008 1:45 Comments ||
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Some topical defense motion ideas:
a. I thought we'ze all partners.
b. It was just in the discussion phase.
c. Everybody I pal around with does it.
d. I was taken out of context.
e. Patti needs the dough.
f. Lisa Madigan set me up.
g.
h.
#8
Read something this morning which struck to the heart of the matter. Author asserted that Blago's publicity explosion is akin to being at a grand ball and watching one of the tuxedoed guests head for the refreshment table, drop his drawers and shit in the punchbowl. Ha! Right on target. Enjoy the ball Bambalooza !
#9
Ima guessing that resignation and who he rats out to the feds are the only cards he has left. Plus he gets to stay on top of the news cycle. Mmmm, publicity!
#10
From Steven Green at VodkaPundit.
"Ill tell you why the Democrats (and their enablers in the MSM) are trying to convince people that Blago is insane. Its the same reason the Soviets used to put dissidents in the looney bin: anyone who doesnt toe the party line is obviously insane, and should be dealt with accordingly. In this case, the party line is that the Democrats are all angels and only Republicans can be evil."
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
12/15/2008 19:35 Comments ||
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Papoon---because he is not insane. /Firesign Theater channeling
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/15/2008 21:25 Comments ||
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How much to keep my mouth shut Barry?
/Blago
Posted by: ed ||
12/15/2008 21:36 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Al Franken's Senate campaign announced Sunday that it would have fewer than 500 challenges remaining for the state canvassing board to consider when it meets on Tuesday.
