A key figure in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's alleged scheme to sell a U.S. Senate seat has sought immunity from federal authorities in return for his cooperation in their ongoing probe, the Chicago Tribune has learned.
The Feds would have had Junior dead to rights if the Trib had kept their mouths shut for another week or two ...
Raghuveer P. Nayak, an Oak Brook businessman and political fundraiser, is the unnamed "Individual D" who prosecutors say was being squeezed by the governor for campaign cash in return for appointing U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, sources said.
Investigators appeared at Nayak's Oak Brook home the morning the FBI arrested Blagojevich, the sources said. Nayak was among a number of people connected to the case who were contacted by federal agents that day.
Nayak has not been accused of wrongdoing and declined to comment. It is unclear what information he can provide to authorities, who said they had more work to do after moving quickly to interrupt the governor's alleged scheme.
He's the linchpin: Blago wanted money in return for the Senate seat. Nayak is one of Junior's bagmen. Nayak raises the money for Blago who gives the seat to Junior who in the near future shows his gratitude to Nayak.
The 54-year-old millionaire, who made his fortune in medical businesses, was until recently little-known outside Chicago's close-knit Indian community and the state's political fundraising circles. But since the governor's Dec. 9 arrest, Nayak has emerged as a central figure in a scandal that has shaken the foundation of Illinois politics and thrust the state into a spotlight of national scorn.
The Tribune has reported that Nayak hosted an Oct. 31 luncheon where he discussed raising $1 million for Blagojevich to help persuade the governor to choose Jackson. The congressman's brother Jonathan appeared at a Nayak-sponsored fundraiser for the governor three days before Blagojevich was arrested.
The congressman has acknowledged speaking with Nayak about his desire for the Senate seat but said he did not endorse and was not aware of a fundraising effort to support his bid.
On Sunday evening, Jackson's lawyer, James Montgomery Sr., reacted to the news of Nayak's bid for immunity by saying, "If that is indeed the case, and if that cooperation relates to my client, then [Nayak] is trying to save his own skin. That's all I have to say."
"The doity rat!"
Attempts to reach the congressman were unsuccessful Sunday evening.
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/22/2008 08:35 ||
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Posted by: Frank G ||
12/22/2008 8:38 Comments ||
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#2
fat friggin fingers of incompetence
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/22/2008 8:42 Comments ||
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#3
Oh, no! Not the dreaded FFFI!
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Posted by: Fred ||
12/22/2008 9:52 Comments ||
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#4
The way I heard it the FBI jumped the gun to avoid the real turmoil of an arrest after the Senate Seat had been sold. This action very well might mean that a few people walk when its all over but is probably in all of our best interests in the long run.
#6
"Nayak was part of the Blagojevich transition team that recommended appointments to health-care boards."
IIRC, When Barak Obama was chairman of the Illinois Senates health committee he too was involved in recommending appointments to the Health-care boards. But Im sure thats just a coincidence.
#9
RJ basically hits it in #4. Fitz himself said as much in the news conference. The dilemma seemed to be that the Trib was tracking the events (as well the should) and with or without sources in Fitz's office, they were printing enough so that the crooks could see what was coming.
There's no way, nor even interest in Fitz stopping that generally - he only asked for help in what appear to be some very specific instances related to methods and ops..
The decision then was driven by the imminence of the appt. - which may have been the afternoon of the day Blags was arrested. Recall that Jr. and Blags met the day before, and the fundraising preceded this by a few days - seems all the fixes had been made, and the only thing left was the criminal accounting. Wonder if Fitz and the FBI have the subpoenas and banking records lined up to show that as well?
Finally, the ultimate political deal may well be that Fitz keeps his job, subject only to the great one himself not being touched. Of course, the arguments will be who is the great one, BHO or Richie or both, and the extent to which this can all be reeled back into AG Holder's domain and a supine press.
#10
That assumes Holder is confirmed, and I dunno about that. But you've got a point: whoever the AG is, Mayor Short Shanks is counting on that person to muzzle the DA for Northern Illinois ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/22/2008 16:11 Comments ||
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#11
Steve White - True - I'm assuming Holde ris confirmed, and it may be worse it he's not. At least a bit of his dirty laundry is being aired. If PEOTUS has to move to plan B that may be even worse - see Reno, J..
#13
Who will Blago rat out for a reduced sentence at Club Fed? The suspense is killing me.
Posted by: ed ||
12/22/2008 18:31 Comments ||
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#14
Blago's wife has the dirt on Obama. She was the realtor in the land and house deal between Obama and Rezko, so Blago knows what she knows. Should be fun times ahead.
The Canvassing Board overseeing the vote recount for Minnesotas tightly contested U.S. Senate race isnt quite done examining disputed ballots, but the board issued a projection Saturday night that Al Franken will pick up 270 votes when it finishes. Currently the board is determining voter intent in disputed ballots. If the projection proves correct, Franken will beat incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman by 78 votes.
Vote totals have changed a lot since Nov. 4, when Coleman led Franken by 725 votes. Correcting typos cut Colemans margin to 215, and a recount by all the counties reduced it further to 192. Yet, the additional 270 votes picked up by Franken from the Canvassing Boards decisions have been among the most controversial.
The vote pickup has occurred through two actions by the board divining voter intent and determining what votes should be counted. While decisions to include missing or overlooked ballots have gotten the most attention, the process of determining intent has also been important in determining the outcome here.
The Canvassing Board faces a difficult task in divining voter intentions. It is very difficult to determine how a voter meant to vote simply by looking at what might be stray marks on the ballot. And whatever rules are adopted must be consistently used in evaluating all ballots.
Some board decisions on votes are exceedingly difficult to understand, and even watching the television coverage of their decisions this last week provided little additional insight. Here is an example where the Minnesota Canvassing Board claims the vote is clearly for Franken. Voters are supposed to fill in the small oval next to a candidates name to vote for that candidate. The board explains its decision as there being "No Dup" (presumably meaning that there was no duplicate ballot), but it is not clear how that would switch what looks like an obvious Coleman vote to a Franken vote.
#6
Unfortunately, the precedent for aggressive challenges and re-challenges was set in the early 90s (and before that, in party situations) by Karl Rove. Hard to argue it's an invalid tactic now that the other side is wielding it.
The leaked details of an internal transition team review of contacts with Gov Rod Blagojevich, who is accused of - but denies - trying to "sell" the seat, will open Mr Obama up to accusations of hypocrisy and cronyism because he had indicated he would not intervene in filling the vacancy.
According to ABC News, the internal review shows that the President-elect's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had one phone conversation with the governor and several more with his aides. The report, said to clear Mr Obama's staff from any wrongdoing in the case, which is also being investigated by federal prosecutors, was leaked as the President-elect and his family arrived in Hawaii for a 12-day holiday.
Mr Obama gave a string of press conferences last week in which he repeatedly refused to answer any questions even tangentially linked to the Blagojevich case, stating that the US attorney's office had asked him to delay revealing details of any contacts. The timing of the release of the report means that Mr Obama is unlikely to face any questioning about it until well after Christmas, raising questions about his real commitment to "transparency" -- a key plank of his campaign.
Mr Emanuel's conversation with Gov Blagojevich was described as a "pro-forma" courtesy call after the Illinois congressman, who had taken over the Governor's House of Representatives seat in 2003, was named Mr Obama's chief of staff. Most of the discussion is said to have concerned the congressional seat with only a "passing reference" to the Senate vacancy, according to ABC's sources, and no deal for the Senate vacancy was discussed.
So negotiations over the House seat broke down and they never got to dickering over the Senate seat, huh?
The sources did confirmed that in conversations with John Harris, Gov Blagojevich's chief of staff, who has also been charged with corruption, Mr Emanuel made the case for Valerie Jarrett, a close friend of Mr Obama, being appointed to the Senate seat.
During one conversation, Mr Harris is said to have asked whether in return for picking Miss Jarrett "all we get is appreciation, right?". Mr Emanuel is said to have responded: "Right."
It is unclear whether anyone in Mr Obama's staff alerted the authorities about Gov Blagojevich's alleged attempts to secure a quid pro quo for the Senate appointment.
Miss Jarrett is among the friends due to join Mr Obama, his wife Michelle and their daughters Malia and Sasha at the Hawaiian resort of Kailua. The five-bedroom $9 million ($6 million) bungalow overlooks the Pacific and is set on nearly an acre of land. It is a favourite spot for windsurfers and kayakers and is half an hour from Honolulu, where Mr Obama grew up.
The Obamas arrived in Hawaii on Saturday after flying there on a chartered Boeing 767 accompanied by reporters, photographers and Secret Service agents for the nine-hour flight from Chicago. During his visit, he is expected to attend a ceremony in memory of his grandmother Madelyn Dunham, who helped raise him and died two days before he was elected president.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/22/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
"all we get is appreciation, right?". Mr Emanuel is said to have responded: "Right."
#4
I doubt it. It's pretty much a tempest in a teapot as far as B.O. and Rahmbo are concerned. The chief of staff would be the one to work out the mechanics of appointment and the Annointed's protestations of uninvolvement constitute the most minor of political peccadillos.
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Posted by: Fred ||
12/22/2008 9:57 Comments ||
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#5
I dunno, the MSM needs their periodic blood sacrifice, and since Bush is on the way out they'll have to find it somewhere else. Rahm would be good for a month ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/22/2008 10:16 Comments ||
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#6
If Obama's presidency does well then this will be forgotten.
If the Democratic party remains in power and the economy stagnates then this will haunt Obama, particularly since the amount of money they are planning to spend will generate additional graft and many questionable projects.
#7
If Obama's presidency does well then this will be forgotten.
If the Democratic party remains in power and the economy stagnates then this will haunt Obama, particularly since the amount of money they are planning to spend will generate additional graft and many questionable projects.
#9
The stench arising from BO and his cronies is sadly, predictably reminiscent of the pre-Clinton inauguration period. Clinton and Co. were guilty as sin and everyone who could add 2+2 and get 4 could see it clearly. Unfortunately, that group doesn't include a lot of Democrats. We're in for a lot of scandals and criminality in the next four years and it's going to be very ugly. Bama's a bastard and the puppeteers running him are worse.
#12
NET POSTERS > Corruption + Public Nepotism in Chicago = State of Illinois is no longer the SOLE VENUE of the PRE-WW2 OR EVEN COLD WAR ITALO-SICILIAN, IRISH, BLACK, OR OTHER TRADITIONAL "AMERICAN MAFIAS", as CITY-STATE has become so DIVERSE, MULTICULTURAL, AND ECON IMPORTANT that NON-TRADITIONAL = INTERNATIONAL CRIME ELEMENTS ARE NOW PART OF THE LOCAL UNDERWORLD + OVERT POLITICAL-BUSIN ARENA.
Federal investigators are examining a multimillion-dollar scholarship program that U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah founded four years ago and abruptly announced last month that he was shutting down.
The inquiry appears to be in its early stages, with investigators asking about the use of federal grant money that has flowed into the program, named CORE Philly.
Two people familiar with CORE Philly said last week that the FBI had contacted them. One, a public-relations consultant, said she had been served a grand-jury subpoena requesting copies of videos she made for the program.
Fattah (D., Pa.), elected last month to an eighth term, said Friday that he had learned of the inquiry in July from the program's former executive director. "This is an audit of a past grant," Fattah said, "and that's that."
He said he believed it concerned a $700,000 Justice Department grant made in 2005 to help CORE Philly cover staffing, computers and more. He said he believed the inquiry had taken on greater urgency because of what he felt were unfair complaints by a "disgruntled" employee.
Though he holds no official position with the program, Fattah, as a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, has secured at least $3 million in congressional earmarks for it.
He holds no official position, huh? How 'bout his spouse, kids, and second cousins?
CORE Philly, which has awarded $24 million in scholarships to college-bound high school students in Philadelphia, receives most of its funding from the city and the Philadelphia School District. Officials from both were surprised last month to learn Fattah was ending the program because, he said, a $1 million cut in the city's annual subsidy made its continuation impossible.
The federal scrutiny began with an audit at least six months ago by the Justice Department - one of many agencies that has helped fund CORE Philly - and is continuing with questions from the department's Office of Inspector General and the FBI, according to people familiar with the investigation.
Based on interviews with vendors who have worked for the program and others with knowledge of the inquiry, investigators are interested as well in a nonprofit named the Educational Advancement Alliance (EAA). It was also founded by Fattah and, in an unusual arrangement, provides some of CORE Philly's funding.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/22/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Didn't even have to get to the third paragraph to learn the political party affiliation. That is so sad. Yet predictable.
Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) -- President-elect Barack Obama shouldnt have selected Rick Warren to deliver the inaugural invocation because the evangelical pastor has made offensive comments about gays, said Representative Barney Frank.
Giving that kind of mark of approval and honor to someone who has frankly spoken in ways I and many others have found personally very offensive, I thought that was a mistake for the president-elect to do, said Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat, today on CNNs Late Edition.
Frank, who is openly gay, made the comments after Obama stood by his selection of Warren for the Jan. 20 inauguration. Obama, speaking at a Dec. 18 news conference, said he doesnt share Warrens views on gay rights and wants to create an atmosphere where we can disagree without being disagreeable and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans.
Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life and founder of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, has drawn criticism from gay rights groups for his opposition to same-sex marriage.
Warren didnt return a message left on his voice mail at the church. He has defended himself by saying he loves gays and straights, according to the Associated Press.
#2
What percentage of religious leaders (from any religion or denomination) share Barney Frank's views regarding the definition of marriage? Answer less then one percent. So is Frank suggesting that Obama choose a pastor from that small pool of progressive religious leaders (and contrary to his own beliefs) just so gays feel better about themselves? Classic example of how liberals that preach tolerance are unwilling to tolerate other viewpoints. And how a tiny minority that demands acceptance is unable to accept the beliefs of the majority.
#3
So far Frank has avoided blame for his part in the Fanny Mae debacle. If he continues to give grief to the President-elect he might find himself sacrificed.
Just because Bush won't point fingers, do not suspect others won't. Little secret Barney, Democrats fight dirty and they fight to win.
#6
Bawney Fwank has frankly spoken in ways I and many others have found personally very offensive.
Posted by: God ||
12/22/2008 13:54 Comments ||
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#7
Funny how Frank's side and their press allies lionized Warren while he was advocating a global-warming policy and a few of their other pet causes, and generally setting himself up as an opponent (in their view) of the "religious right".
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.
A key figure in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's alleged scheme to sell a U.S. Senate seat has sought immunity from federal authorities in return for his cooperation in their ongoing probe, the Chicago Tribune has learned.
The Canvassing Board overseeing the vote recount for Minnesotas tightly contested U.S. Senate race isnt quite done examining disputed ballots, but the board issued a projection Saturday night that Al Franken will pick up 270 votes when it finishes. Currently the board is determining voter intent in disputed ballots. If the projection proves correct, Franken will beat incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman by 78 votes.
The leaked details of an internal transition team review of contacts with Gov Rod Blagojevich, who is accused of - but denies - trying to "sell" the seat, will open Mr Obama up to accusations of hypocrisy and cronyism because he had indicated he would not intervene in filling the vacancy. 
Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) -- President-elect Barack Obama shouldnt have selected Rick Warren to deliver the inaugural invocation because the evangelical pastor has made offensive comments about gays, said Representative Barney Frank. 
