Feds supoena Blagojevich about contacts with Axelrod, Jarrett, now top Obama White House staffers

[BlueJessamine]

Source: Chicago Sun -Times

Newly released subpoenas that Gov. Blagojevich fought to keep secret show federal prosecutors are looking at potential criminal wrongdoing that would go beyond charges he already faces -- involving everything from state road contracts awarded to campaign donors to his wife Patti's real estate dealings.

The subpoenas also seek information about any contacts the governor's administration had with two top advisers to President Obama, David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett.

"It's clearly beyond matters in the criminal complaint, which was sweeping in its own right," said Jay Stewart, executive director of the Better Government Association, whose legal fight forced Blagojevich to make the subpoenas public late Friday. "It demonstrates the feds have been looking for a long time. And, up to a relatively recent time, they've been gathering more information."

Responding to open-records requests, the governor's office released 44 subpoenas it had been swamped with since 2005. Two have been issued since Blagojevich's Dec. 9 arrest.

The most recent subpoenas went to the state Capital Development Board and the Illinois Department of Transportation on Dec. 11. They sought records on "bid proposals submitted by and/or awarded to" 22 contractors, including several who have contributed large sums to the governor's campaign fund.



Read more: http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/01/feds_supoena_bl...

[Optical.Catalyst]

1. You know the Republicans will grease the skids on any subpoena that implicates our President

I am keeping an eye open for any 'help' that comes from a Republican appointed Federal Judge.

[AZ Criminal JD]

8. Subpoenas come from the Justice Dept.

Not from federal judges no matter who appointed them. Justice is under control of President Obama.

[pretzel4gore]

2. Mr obama not powerful at all, eh...

they'll tie him up like they tied up clintoon...(what about bush's lie to congress, re Vincent Bugliosi book?) them prosecutors should look at that, and leave the gamesamanship to sports figures

[madrchsod]

3. fitzgerald is rumored to have on tape a washington dc democratic insider

discussing the appointment with blago.

there are a lot of rats coming out of the sewer of the illinois democratic party. a lot of rats with stories to tell.






it`s going to be a miracle if the democrats keep obama`s senate seat in 2010.

[Politicalboi]

4. I'm sorry but

Don't we just ignore subpoenas?

[Warren Stupidity]

5. I swear this is whitewater all over again

reset: round two.

[JI7]

6. i don't trust Fitzgerald

[ro1942]

7. Fitzgerald

I Agree, he was part of the problem with the Scooter Libby case.

[Piewhacket]

10. right.. we should get a bus ready to throw fitz under.. just in case..

because last time was last time, and this time is this time.
completely different.
maybe somebody should alert fitz so he stays carefully focused.

[KoKo]

9. OMG! Is it time to re-hire Ken Starr? Maybe he can get to the bottom of this!

fainting on couch and clutching my pearls in horror!

[McCamy Taylor]

11. Where do the NSA illegal wiretaps figure in all of this?

[BlueJessamine]

13. Speaking of wiretaps, Fitzgerald wants tapes that contain edited conversations released

Chicago Sun-Times:

On Friday afternoon Federal prosecutors filed a new request with the chief judge asking that he allow the release of four tapes to the Senate as it prepares to start the governor’s impeachment trial Monday.

~Snip~(filed by Fitzgerald, not by David Ellis, chief attorney to Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, who will prosecute the Blagojevich case before the Senate.)


Defense lawyers said the tapes shouldn’t be released now, arguing the issue was moot since the house already voted to impeach Blagojevich.

But prosecutors disagreed, saying they are authorized by law to disclose the four tapes that contain edited conversations of alleged dealmaking by the governor and others.

“Under the rules, both the governor and the House prosecutor may move to submit additional evidence,” prosecutors wrote.

The article is here:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1394219,...



Also Lt. Governor Pat Quinn who would become governor of Illinois, should Blagojevich be impeached, has formed a government cleanup panel. He has named former federal prosecutor Patrick Collins the chairman. Collins was a AUSA under Pat Fitzgerald.

Also named on the panel Pat Fitzgerald: Northwestern University's football coach, not the U.S. Attorney.

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/01/qu...

[BlueJessamine]

12. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Hires Outside PR Firm

Chicago, Ill. and Tampa, Fla. / The Publicity Agency, the PR firm that specializes in handling high profile clients, has been selected to represent Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in his dealings with the news media that are outside the scope of his job as governor, the Tampa-based PR/publicity firm announced today.

http://www.prnewschannel.com/absolutenm/templates/?a=11...

Twitter:

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