Blagojevich won't be sleeping well tonight
It seems that the Rezko trial is about to take a serious twist. Ali Ata, the former executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority, has plead guilty to obstruction of justice charges and tax evasion. He has also agreed to work with federal prosecutors in any fraud trial that pops up dealing with Rezko, and possibly Governor Blagojevich, himself, should he be charged:
In an explosive development reaching to the state's highest office, a former high-ranking state official claimed Tuesday that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was on hand when he presented $25,000 in campaign money to now-indicted fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko.
Ali Ata, 56, a former executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority, said Blagojevich then asked Rezko if he had talked to Ata about a job on the state payroll.
Ata said later, after he made a second $25,000 campaign contribution, Blagojevich again brought up the subject of a job and said it should be one in which Ata "could make some money."
Blagojevich has not been charged with wrongdoing and has consistently said he did not do business that way.
In a statement Tuesday night, Blagojevich spokesperson Abby Ottenhoff said, "As we've said many times before, we don't endorse or allow the decisions of state government to be based on campaign contributions."
The bombshell came in Ata's signed guilty plea to lying to the FBI about Rezko's role in getting him his state job. Blagojevich was not named in the plea, but it was clear from references in the agreement that Public Official A was the governor.
Ata's plea said Rezko was "very involved" in fundraising for Public Official A. Also, before his selection as head of the Illinois Finance Authority, Ata was told by Public Official A that he, the official, understood Ata would join his administration, it said.
Public Official A has appeared in numerous court papers surrounding the Rezko trial and been identified as Blagojevich, most recently by U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve, who presides over the Rezko proceedings.
In pleading guilty, Ata agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors in any future case, which might include Rezko's fraud trial now under way in federal court or any other investigations of political corruption.
"If I was the governor, I would not be sleeping very well tonight," said CBS 2 legal analyst Irv Miller.
If I were Blagojevich or Rezko, I might consider asking for a gun so I could gnaw on the barrel. Rezko will go down, thanks to the feds giving Ataa deal, and he could very well help bring down Blagojevich, too. I'm sure the Illinois Democrat party is considering what they're going to do with Blagojevich. Oh, to be a fly on that wall in that office.
How will this affect Obama? We're not sure, exactly, other than what it's already doing. It's giving people pause when it comes to considering Barack Obama because, like other issues, this goes directly to his character and trustworthiness. He was introduced to Richard Daley through Valerie Jarrett. He walked amongst the powerful thanks to Tony Rezko. Practically everyone in his Chicago political circles seems to have benefited from Rezko and/or corrupt shenanigans.
But if I were Blagojevich, I'd start damage control now. Ata can and has implicated him as being a part of the "pay for play" Chicago Way of politics. It's not looking good for him, or for Tony Rezko.
Publius II
In an explosive development reaching to the state's highest office, a former high-ranking state official claimed Tuesday that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was on hand when he presented $25,000 in campaign money to now-indicted fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko.
Ali Ata, 56, a former executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority, said Blagojevich then asked Rezko if he had talked to Ata about a job on the state payroll.
Ata said later, after he made a second $25,000 campaign contribution, Blagojevich again brought up the subject of a job and said it should be one in which Ata "could make some money."
Blagojevich has not been charged with wrongdoing and has consistently said he did not do business that way.
In a statement Tuesday night, Blagojevich spokesperson Abby Ottenhoff said, "As we've said many times before, we don't endorse or allow the decisions of state government to be based on campaign contributions."
The bombshell came in Ata's signed guilty plea to lying to the FBI about Rezko's role in getting him his state job. Blagojevich was not named in the plea, but it was clear from references in the agreement that Public Official A was the governor.
Ata's plea said Rezko was "very involved" in fundraising for Public Official A. Also, before his selection as head of the Illinois Finance Authority, Ata was told by Public Official A that he, the official, understood Ata would join his administration, it said.
Public Official A has appeared in numerous court papers surrounding the Rezko trial and been identified as Blagojevich, most recently by U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve, who presides over the Rezko proceedings.
In pleading guilty, Ata agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors in any future case, which might include Rezko's fraud trial now under way in federal court or any other investigations of political corruption.
"If I was the governor, I would not be sleeping very well tonight," said CBS 2 legal analyst Irv Miller.
If I were Blagojevich or Rezko, I might consider asking for a gun so I could gnaw on the barrel. Rezko will go down, thanks to the feds giving Ataa deal, and he could very well help bring down Blagojevich, too. I'm sure the Illinois Democrat party is considering what they're going to do with Blagojevich. Oh, to be a fly on that wall in that office.
How will this affect Obama? We're not sure, exactly, other than what it's already doing. It's giving people pause when it comes to considering Barack Obama because, like other issues, this goes directly to his character and trustworthiness. He was introduced to Richard Daley through Valerie Jarrett. He walked amongst the powerful thanks to Tony Rezko. Practically everyone in his Chicago political circles seems to have benefited from Rezko and/or corrupt shenanigans.
But if I were Blagojevich, I'd start damage control now. Ata can and has implicated him as being a part of the "pay for play" Chicago Way of politics. It's not looking good for him, or for Tony Rezko.
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 5:02 PM
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