Witness says Hastert linked to alleged plot (Rezko)

[kpete]

The Rezko trial

Witness says Hastert linked to alleged plot

House speaker would have picked Fitzgerald's replacement, defendant's ex-associate claims

The name of former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert was added Monday to the roster of political heavyweights linked by witnesses to an alleged plan to dump Chicago's top federal prosecutor and kill a criminal investigation into a top fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

A witness at the corruption trial of Blagojevich insider Antoin "Tony" Rezko testified that Rezko told him in February 2005 about an effort under way to fire U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald and replace him with someone more compliant to be hand-picked by Hastert, then the top Republican in the House.

Rezko said the Hastert designee would then "order the prosecutor to stop the investigation," recalled Elie Maloof, a former Rezko business associate who also testified that Rezko had told him to keep Rezko's name to himself if he were questioned by authorities because it could damage Blagojevich.

Hastert spokesman Brad Hahn said the accusation that Hastert might be in on a scheme came "out of left field" and was without basis.

more at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rezkoapr29,1,5644219.story

[aquart]

1. Like Hastert would NOT have insisted on having that choice?

Please.