More Shady Business Fun with the Clintons.

[illinoisprogressive]

For the past six years, the road to Bill Clinton has often run through Douglas Band, a 34-year-old former White House intern who has helped manage Mr. Clinton's time, accompanied him around the world and even fielded some of his calls.

Two years ago, Mr. Band befriended a handsome and charming Italian businessman named Raffaello Follieri. The young Italian, now 29 years old, had moved to New York in 2003 to launch a business buying and redeveloping Roman Catholic Church properties. He claimed close ties with Vatican officials that would smooth the way for deals, according to business associates and material issued by his company, Follieri Group LLC. He also said he could help Mr. Clinton's wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, with Catholic voters during her presidential campaign, people in the Clinton camp recall.

As a gatekeeper to the former president's web of business and charitable enterprises, Mr. Band helped Mr. Follieri get into business with Mr. Clinton, according to people involved with the three men. In 2005, Yucaipa Cos., a Los Angeles investment firm where Mr. Clinton has been a partner and a senior adviser, agreed to invest up to $100 million in Mr. Follieri's church-property venture.

Later, Mr. Band helped Mr. Follieri secure several million dollars more from Michael Cooper, a Toronto real-estate executive and supporter of Mr. Clinton's humanitarian initiatives. Mr. Band received $400,000 from Mr. Follieri for arranging that deal. Mr. Band's connection to Mr. Follieri was reported in Il Sole/24 Ore, an Italian newspaper.

These days, the Clinton camp's relations with Mr. Follieri are in tatters. Yucaipa managing partner Ron Burkle, Mr. Clinton's longtime friend, has sued Mr. Follieri in Delaware state court for allegedly misappropriating at least $1.3 million. The lawsuit claims Mr. Follieri used Yucaipa's investment money to fund a lavish lifestyle that included a Manhattan penthouse, five-star meals and private jets for Mr. Follieri and his girlfriend, actress Anne Hathaway. Mr. Follieri has denied any wrongdoing. Mr. Cooper has demanded his money back.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119076741770539360.html?mod=politics_firstelement_hs

[Esra Star]

1. For a minute there I thought there was going to be a point. nt

[Gman]

The real title to the article is

"How Bill Clinton's Aide Facilitated a Messy Deal"

The point is obviously more smearing of another Democrat on a Democratic forum board. But, that's getting to be the norm these days.

[hedgehog]

7. Better for us to examine the dirty laundry before the nomination

than to have the Republicans display it the day after!

[Gman]

10. Sorry, that ain't dirty laundry by any standard

Like that's going to make any of us not vote for Hillary in the primary. Jeez, show a little spine here.

[acmavm]

2. And they're responsible for this guy's actions in what way? Take my word

for it, I am NOT a fan of Hils OR Billy, but I don't see how they could control this guy. And anyone can be taken.

I mean, don't you think that those two grasping opportunists would know that it wouldn't be worth it to get all wrapped up with a con-man? One thing that no one will ever be able to accuse Billy or Hils of is being stupid.

[Ian David]

3. I don't care if they dug a tunnel to Fort Knox. At least they're not raping and piliaging like Bush.

[Catherine Vincent]

4. Your bias is showing.

Badly.

[hedgehog]

5. OK, so now we have Hsu, Peter Paul, Follieri and Oscar Wyatt

How long do we have to go on pretending that it's just a coincidence that Hillary has so many shady donors?

[Gman]

8. Is something wrong with my browser???

I thought I was at www.democraticunderground.com... did I end up at FR or something? That comment is something right from FR.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. Some People Have Become What They Have Loathed. They Just Are Too Blind To Know It.

it's heartbreaking.

[Gman]

12. It don't break my heart

as I think they're right there with the right wing and always have been. I've drawn a line and I'm not putting up with anyone that bashes any Democrat, period. That includes the Sheehans and Medea Benjamins of the world that are nothing but right wing nuts in drag.

[William769]

9. Rizko, ring a bell?

[Imagevision]

6. Bottomline, Obama is the best shot we got for New Leadership, better direction...

screw all the rest!

[pscot]

13. Take this shit over to Freeperville

They love this kind of smear.

[wyldwolf]

14. More Shady Mob Connections With The Obamas

Big Media waking up? We wrote on April 30, 2007 “Will Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald Destroy the Obama Campaign?” about the pending doom facing the Barack Obama campaign. Here is what we wrote:

The national media are missing the big picture in their coverage of the hundred-million dollar plus scandal involving Barack Obama and his friend of 17 years, major donor, former Finance Committee Co-Chair and now indicted slumlord.

Debate moderator Brian Williams asked Obama about the scandal during last Thursday’s first Democratic Candidates for President debate. But Williams did not reference the political implications of the Obama scandal: the trial of Obama’s decades long friend and major donor and fundraiser will coincide with the 2008 primary calendar.

“Will Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald Destroy The Obama Campaign?” The legendary Patrick Fitzgerald indicted and convicted top Vice President Cheney aide Lewis “Scooter” Libby. Fitzgerald has now set his relentless prosecutorial eyes on a new target.

Fitzgerald’s United States Federal Prosecutor Office for Illinois has filed a 65 page indictment of Antoin “Tony” Rezko .

The trial has been scheduled for February 25, 2008 by U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve. Judge Eve called the trial date of Febuary 25, 2008 a firm date. The trial preparations and news will coincide with the first Democratic Primaries and Caucuses in January and February 2008. The headlines are sure to draw attention to Obama’s shady deals with Rezko in the purchase of Obama’s $1.65 million house.

This weekend Big Media began to catch up on this story: “Rezko remains part of the history that is likely to trail Obama into the presidential campaign. His federal trial is scheduled to begin in February, during the opening rounds of the 2008 Democratic primary season.”

What is shaking drowsy Big Media from their Big Sleep? After beating up on Hillary about Norman Hsu the Washington Post finally discovered that Hsu was generous to Obama too. “Federal Election Commission records show that Hsu gave $5,000 to Obama’s Hopefund PAC in connection with the fundraiser and that people publicly identified with Hsu and his companies gave an additional $19,500 to the PAC in 2005 and 2006.”

Another shake to Big Media’s Big Sleep came last week:

A man who has long been dogged by charges that the bank his family owns helped finance a Chicago crime figure will host a Windy City fund-raiser tonight for Sen. Barack Obama.

Alexi Giannoulias, who became Illinois state treasurer last year after Obama vouched for him, has pledged to raise $100,000 for the senator’s Oval Office bid.

Before he promised to raise funds for Obama, Giannoulias bankrolled Michael “Jaws” Giorango, a Chicagoan twice convicted of bookmaking and promoting prostitution.

Giannoulias is so tainted by reputed mob links that several top Illinois Dems, including the state’s speaker of the House and party chairman, refused to endorse him even after he won the Democratic nomination with Obama’s help.

Giannoulias was the bank’s vice president and chief loan officer for most of the more than $15 million in loans.

Recall, Obama’s other long time friend Antoin “Tony” Rezko was widely known as about to be indicted when Rezko bought and paid for a yard attached to a house Obama could not afford. This allowed Obama, in what he wishes to wave away as a “boneheaded” move, to purchase the mansion he calls home. With this Rezko history fresh in everyone’s mind, has Obama steered himself away from Giannoulias? No.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias as the Great Gatsby party scene unfolded before him on Winfrey’s meadow under a gorgeous sky. Real celebrities mingled with Obama’s best donors and bundlers rewarded for their fund-raising efforts with a star-studded afternoon.”

Giannoulias perhaps is not aware that the Great Gatsby made his money in crime family bootlegging and that the Fitzgerald novel was a foreshadowing of the grimmer mob epic The Godfather when Giannoulias made that ill-chosen reference.

We have previously written about Giannoulias in The Senator From Rezko, Part II. Quoting a Chicago Tribune article Critics: Obama Endorsements Counter Calls For Clean Government we wrote

“But Obama’s record of local endorsements — one measure of how he has used his nascent political clout — has drawn criticism from those who say it reflects his deference to Chicago’s established political order and runs counter to his public calls for clean government.”

“In the 2006 Democratic primary, for example, Obama endorsed first-time candidate Alexi Giannoulias for state treasurer despite reports about loans Giannoulias’ family-owned Broadway Bank made to crime figures. Records show Giannoulias and his family had given more than $10,000 to Obama’s campaign, which banked at Broadway.”

“Obama endorsed former Ald. Dorothy Tillman (3rd), calling her “a very early supporter of my campaign.” Tillman was then under fire for her stewardship of the scandal-plagued Harold Washington Cultural Center, where contracts benefited members of her family.”

Obama’s real history is catching up with him. This past week the L.A. Times had a solid profile of Obama called Obama: A Fresh Face Or An Old-School Tactician?

Here are excerpts from the L.A. Times article reminiscent of our article Obama’s Dirty Mud Politics:

He managed to burnish a reformer’s reputation while swimming in the muddy waters of special-interest- infested state politics.

He worked on a nice-guy image while practicing the hardball and brawling tactics of Chicago-style politics.

Now, promoting himself as a fresh face on the national political stage, proclaiming his distance from lobbyists and the Washington culture of special interests, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has to contend with his own history.

From Chicago to Springfield, his past is filled with decidedly old-school political tactics – a history of befriending powerful local elders, assisting benefactors and special interests, and neutralizing rivals.

Obama may be packaged as something new among presidential contenders, but in this town where politics is played like a blood sport he fit right in.