For months, federal prosecutors have alleged that Antoin “Tony” Rezko tried to extort a $1.5 million contribution to the campaign of “Public Official A” from a Hollywood producer seeking investment business from the state.
And for months, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has repeatedly denied he was “Public Official A.”
But a week before Rezko’s much-anticipated trial, a federal judge revealed that Blagojevich was to have been the recipient of the $1.5 million campaign contribution at the center of the alleged extortion plot. […]
In another ruling, the judge allowed testimony at trial about an allegation that Rezko offered the relative of a politically connected developer a post on the state’s banking board in exchange for a $25,000 donation to Blagojevich’s campaign fund. […]
Later Monday, a federal appeals court in Chicago sided with prosecutors that Rezko should remain jailed pending trial.
In a nine-page ruling this afternoon, U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve said she would allow federal prosecutors to present evidence about a portion of a $375,000 finder’s fee that a Rezko associate, Joseph Aramanda, obtained through an alleged kickback scheme orchestrated by Rezko.
She also ruled that prosecutors can ask questions about how some of the $375,000 allegedly was used “to make a political contribution” in Aramanda’s name “because Rezko had already donated the maximum amount by law and he could not make the contribution himself.”
The ruling does not identify Obama as the recipient of that contribution. But sources have identified Obama as the “political candidate” who prosecutors say received a $10,000 contribution from Aramanda — at Rezko’s direction — during his 2004 run for U.S. Senate. Obama has donated that contribution to charity.
[Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff] dismissed the suggestion that Public Official A was Blagojevich, saying, “Based on the description in the filing, it is not the governor.”
* 6:57 pm - The Sun-Times has updated its story to include Obama’s response…
Informed of the judge’s ruling, Obama presidential campaign spokesman Bill Burton said, “We had no knowledge of any straw donations and have returned any of the donations about which we have any reasonable question.
“By now it is well established that Sen. Obama is not involved in the matters at issue in the [Rezko] trial.”
After cancelling Friday’s session, the Senate has now cancelled tomorrow’s session, which was news to one member who was already half-way to Springfield when I spoke to him on the phone a few minutes ago.
Anyway, now you know.
Also, Senate President Emil Jones was interviewed by ABC’s Nightline last week and I’m told that he and some other legislators, including Sen. Kirk Dillard, will be featured either tonight or tomorrow. Check your local listings. [UPDATE: Here’s the transcript]
…Adding… I really need to find the time to watch WGN morning news more often. A hilarious, must-see video…
* Fran Eaton and others have been following the legislative maneuvering surrounding the proposed Equal Rights Amendment over at Illinois Review and elsewhere, and she makes the ERA itselt the topic of her SouthtownStar column this week…
If the ERA passed in Illinois, a couple more states would follow suit, and it would return to the federal level for adoption. With its adoption, the word “sexes” for the first time would be included in the U.S. Constitution’s language. The ERA’s aim is to promote special protections based on sex. That would demand that all abortions - because only women have abortions - be constitutionally protected and paid for by tax dollars. States that already have adopted the ERA have been forced to adopt those policies.
Pro-traditional family activists are very concerned that with the ERA, states will be forced to issue marriage licenses to any two persons who request them because the ERA eliminates discrimination based on sex.
But Madigan may not be aware that stay-at-home moms and widows will be affected by the passage of the ERA. Women who have chosen a career of taking care of their families instead of a career outside the home no longer will be able to tap into their husband’s Social Security reserves upon his retirement or death.
Because sex no longer will be a factor, provisions within Social Security set aside for women who haven’t paid into the system will be discontinued. This is the opinion of none else than U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
But not only will the ERA’s passage stir the hackles of little old ladies and helpless widows, 18-year-old college women may be up in arms.
No longer will military registration be required of just males, it also will be required of females - again, no discrimination based on sex. While more and more young women are choosing the military as a career option, if the draft were to be enacted in a stepped-up defense in the war on terror, our 18-year-old women would be forced into service along with our 18-year-old men.
* Here’s the language of the proposed amendment…
Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
* Question: Should Illinois pass the ERA? Why or why not?
Normally, a tax hike would be the last thing state legislators would consider in an election year. Tax increases are usually approved in “off years” to give voters time to forget before they vote. So you’d think that any talk of a large income tax increase in Springfield would be the last thing being considered.
But the ever-growing likelihood that U.S. Sen. Barack Obama may end up as the presidential nominee is giving Illinois Democrats hope that his presence at the top of the ticket will negate any voter negativity associated with just about anything they do this year. And one of the controversial items on the agenda for some of those Democrats is an income tax increase.
A spokesperson for Illinois Senate President Emil Jones confirmed last week that Jones once again is supporting an income tax hike.
Last year at this time, Jones joked with reporters that while state Sen. James Meeks’ income tax hike proposal wasn’t exactly dead, Jones would be assigning it to the “hospice committee” and wouldn’t allow a floor vote on the bill. Jones had long supported an income tax hike for school funding and property tax relief, but he abandoned that position last year in favor of the governor’s gross receipts tax - which never went anywhere - and adamantly refused to budge.
The column goes on to detail Meeks’ new bill to raise the income tax and looks at its prospects. Discuss below, but I’m also wondering what you think of the column’s thesis: Democrats may be able to get away with almost anything this year if Obama is at the top of the ticket.
This is not a prediction that Obama will, in fact, make it to November, particularly since the column was written on Friday morning and since then the Clinton campaign appears to be pulling out every single stop in the week leading up to Texas and Ohio. So, let’s avoid that subject, please. Try to keep it to a “what if” discussion, Drudge’s hyperventilating notwithstanding.
* Universities are like little political kingdoms dotting the landscape of Illinois. They’ve resisted every attempt to reform their fiefdoms, whether it be throwing some sunshine on their insider contracting, or freedom of information or the Public Meetings Act. Every time the General Assembly tries to force reforms, they gin up their almuni organizations to oppose them as certain death knells. It’s pretty ridiculous to watch.
Also, their budgets ballooned over the years while salaries for top administrators soared beyond alll reason except “everybody is doing it.” So, I often avoid the topic of university budgets because they still have a lot more to cut.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to give $300-per-child tax rebates to help families make ends meet, but they may need it to help cover rising tuition under his budget plan.
Faced with stagnant and now possibly declining state funding in Blagojevich’s proposed budget, state schools say they’ll be forced to raise tuition even higher next year.
All told, the governor’s higher education budget would drop state general support of public universities by nearly $11 million to $1.36 billion. […]
Randall Kangas, budget spokesman for U of I Urbana-Champaign, said its proposed state funding is below what it received in the 2000 budget year, not accounting for inflation.
Somehow, some way, state government needs to rein in university spending while still providing enough resources to avoid massive tuition hikes. Maybe you can come up with some ideas in comments.
* More budget stuff, compiled by Kevin…
* SEN. KIRK DILLARD: Imperative to hold the line on spending
* I seriously doubt that Lauzen’s name is being floated by anyone who would have a vote in the matter, but this shows you how weird things can get in times like this….
State Sen. Chris Lauzen has not considered a November congressional run in a nearby district where the Republican nominee plans to drop out the race — at least not yet.
“Let me give that some thought,” he said Saturday when asked if he would be interested in taking over for New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann, who said he will withdraw from the race in the 11th Congressional District after winning the GOP nomination earlier this month.
Lauzen was among several area officials listed in a Saturday Sun-Times story as possible replacements for Baldermann, who announced Friday he would drop out of the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller. The Aurora state senator finished second in a February primary for the Republican nod in the 14th Congressional District race to succeed U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert.
* Considering how poorly both of Baldermann’s opponents did in the primary, this looks like a shot in the dark…
Among those who may be considered are New Lenox resident Tery Heenan and Jimmy Lee of North Utica, both of whom sought the nomination in the Feb. 5 primary.
* And since Sen. Radogno would have to give up her seat to run and passed up the opportunity a few months ago, I’m not sure that she should be considered a prime contender either…
Local Republicans on Friday mentioned a few names to replace Baldermann, starting with state Sen. Christine Radogno of Lemont. But Radogno, who is seeking re-election to the senate, said she would not be a candidate. “We will need a candidate who can raise money, has some experience and who reflects the views of the district,” she said.
David McAloon, a Republican candidate for state representative in the 75th District, said he would be very interested in switching to the congressional race.
* The bottom line is that the bigwigs are looking for a self funder…
Party sources said money is going to be key in what national political observers say will be the among the 10 most competitive house races for Congress. GOP sources also stressed that they want to find a new candidate — who would be seeking to follow the retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller of Morris — with good name recognition and experience, whether in government or business.
One name being floated right now as a possible replacement is Martin Ozinga, III, who owns Ozinga Bros. Inc. in Mokena. Ozinga is reportedly considering a candidacy and would likely be at least a partial self-funder.
* A self-funder is more evidence that the Republicans are seriously worried about losing this district.
In light of Baldermann’s withdrawal, CQ Politics has changed its rating on the Illinois 11 race to Democrat Favored from No Clear Favorite. […]
The Republicans do have the opportunity, though, to make a more competitive contest out of it by November — if they can persuade a strong candidate to make a prompt decision to enter the race. […]
Finding a new, strong candidate from scratch this late in the campaign may be difficult for the Republicans, though, especially since Halvorson has a sizable head start on fundraising and could benefit from the increased possibility that the presidential candidate at the top of the Democratic ticket may be Illinois Sen.
* In Hastert country, new name rakes it in: So far, Democrat G. William Foster, a former Fermilab physicist and small-business man, has beat his GOP rival, dairy and investment firm executive James D. Oberweis, in the money race by about $100,000, according to Federal Election Commission reports. Each also put roughly $1.4 million of his own funds into the campaign for the March 8 special election.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Oops. I forgot to mention that Rep. Renee Kosel’s name is also being floated. Not sure yet if the party is interested, but she may be.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The Kankakee Daily Journal just posted a story with this headline…
Baldermann exit a head scratcher
Please.
It’s not that difficult to figure out. Remember this story from late January?
“I have done very little fundraising,” [GOP candidate Tim Baldermann] said. “It makes me sick to my stomach. My campaign people gave me a list of people who gave money to (Weller). I told them, ‘If you think I’m going to call somebody who’s never heard of me and ask for $2,300, that’s insane.’ I fight with them every single day over it.
“They wanted my Christmas card list. I’m not doing that stuff. I refuse to do it. The Republican Party wanted me to run; the Republican Party should help fund my campaign.”
* Man alleges politics is key to landing state job
“I don’t know who’s making the call,” he said. “I don’t know, but I know as a veteran who’s qualified I cannot even get an interview and that is a sad day for the state of Illinois.”
Thousands of Illinoisans may have “wasted” their primary votes this year by taking advantage of Illinois’ early voting laws and supporting candidates who then dropped out before the Feb. 5 election.
If you had to be stranded on a desert island, you’d want a man like Patrick “P.J.” Quinn around.
Mr. Quinn, so capable he got his driver’s license at age 12, could whip up a meal, fire a weapon, fix anything, and pray all the decades of the Rosary. If you were lucky, he might serenade you with a few plucky Irish songs.
He survived the Great Depression and dangerous duty on an aircraft carrier in World War II. On a three-day shore leave, he married his sweetheart, Eileen Prindiville, and stayed at her side for 65 years.
Mr. Quinn, 93, died Saturday at his home in River Forest. “He was an outstanding father,'’ said his son, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn.
* MaryAlice Erickson, longtime Republican Party official, stepping down March 9
“My brief tenure as chairman has laid a foundation for building and uniting the Cook County Republican Party. And with this foundation in place, I believe I can step aside so that new leadership can continue this work and so we can place all of our energy into the important tasks leading up to the November election.”
The convicted clerk said he got a letter detailing the alleged skimming at the Cicero facility shortly after he was indicted on charges of accepting $48,000 in bribes in exchange for steering Hired Truck business to a company owned by Mick and Traci Jones.
The RTA’s wish list was a pleasure to see and consider. But one couldn’t help wonder whether the proposals were little more than idle dreams if the state cannot scrounge up the money for billions of dollars of projects already identified and slated for completion.
Indicted developer Tony Rezko is claiming his former business partner, Dan Mahru, became a federal informant and turned on him to avoid being arrested for his own legal problems.
While the whole grand project on a site the size of Downtown Peoria would take a decade to fill out, “We want something in brick and mortar in two years,” Triggs, the city’s attorney and point man on the project, said in August 2001
Our server was down while my site hosting company moved to a new office. I forgot about it, so I didn’t warn you. Oops.
As a consolation prize, here’s some of the cast of “Animal House” talking about the 30-year anniversary of the movie on WGN’s morning news program. It’s a hoot…
What one political/legislative reform proposal would you like to see enacted this year? I’m not talking about a bill, here, I’m talking about one specific reform. Explain.
* This story, albeit slightly “comical” (ahem), illustrates again the growing divide between the public and the General Assembly. As before with Gov. Blagojevich’s declaration that senior citizens ride free on all mass transit systems, his new “economic stimulus” plan will likely be viewed with far more favor out there in Voter Land than it will be in Insider Land…
Governor Rod Blagojevich’s budget address has many small businesses hopeful. The governor is proposing a 20 percent tax break. We visited some businesses to see what the tax break could mean. […]
At Acme Comics, owner Jim Schifeling says a 20 percent cut in taxes is great news.
“That’s wonderful, every dollar in my pocket feels wonderful,” said Schifeling.
And he says it could add up to about $500 at the end of the year, meaning he may be able to pass some of those savings on to his customers.
Lawmakers already are expressing skepticism in the idea. Some say the same struggling economy Blagojevich is trying to help could also cripple the state budget, making the $300 tough to come by.
“I think it’s a questionable deal,” said state Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg.
Phelps has been a pretty reliable Blagojevich vote for the past several months, so that statement is very bad news for the governor and strongly indicates just how unpopular the proposal is in the General Assembly.
* It appears that the Chicagoland Chamber may recognize the danger of flat-out opposing the stimulus plan. President and CEO Jerry Roper was quoted yesterday in the governor’s press release…
“We strongly agree with the Governor that stimulating our economy needs to be the top priority for our state because many small businesses are struggling. The business tax cut, household rebates and capital bill will provide an important boost to bolster business investment and job creation as our country lies on the brink of recession. We can replicate the stimulus package being used at a national level to help keep our economy moving forward,”
* But more Republican and Statehouse-oriented business groups were quick to pan the iidea. Doug Whitley, president and chief executive of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, had this to say…
“The governor’s rhetoric was gentler toward business in this speech than in the past, but offering a tax cut that only a handful of businesses would qualify for in exchange for a payroll tax increase that every business would have to pay is not going to create jobs or build prosperity in Illinois,”
A University of Illinois economist figures, even if every dollar of the governor’s proposed $900 million economic stimulus is spent in Illinois, it won’t do much to jump-start the state’s $528 billion economy. […]
Jeffrey Brown, a professor of finance at the U of I’s Champaign-Urbana campus, says $300 per kid for families earning between $3,000 and $75,000 a year ‘’will barely register as a blip,'’ if the plan is ultimately approved as part of the new state budget.
In other words, the plan was likely drafted as a political boost instead of an economic boost. Typical, but what do you expect?
* More budget stories, compiled by myself and Kevin…
* Is Blagojevich Leaving Transit Money on the Table?
* Considering my own experience with unjustly showing up on a “clout list,” I always take these breathless revelations with a grain of salt. People sometimes wind up on these lists without reason. The authors of the lists are not always reliable.
“Clout lists” that tracked politically backed job seekers to Gov. Blagojevich’s administration have surfaced in the case of indicted businessman Tony Rezko, with Rezko’s lawyers arguing the documents shouldn’t be allowed as evidence in his upcoming corruption trial.
The lists, which total 26 pages, offer yet another glimpse into the administration’s hiring practices shortly after the governor took office in 2003. They include dozens of recommendations made by Rezko, other Blagojevich fund-raisers, members of the General Assembly and lobbyists for full-time jobs and seats on unpaid state boards and commissions.
* Political types make recommendations to governors. That practice is as old as the Republic itself. Older…
The appointment list indicates that dozens of Democrats, including presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones and even eventual Blagojevich adversaries House Speaker Michael Madigan and Rep. Jack Franks (D- Woodstock), made recommendations for posts.
But powerful Republicans also show up as patrons, including House Minority Leader Tom Cross and former Kendall County GOP Chairman Dallas Ingemunson.
David Blanchette, a spokesman for the capital board, said: “Executive Director Jan Grimes knew nothing of this list and was surprised to find out that she was on it.”
Andrew Sosnowski, an Elgin attorney who worked at the Department of Children and Family Services from 2001 until 2004 said he has had no relationship with Rezko.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” he said. “I have never met him, don’t know him, have never talked to him, haven’t spoken with him. I have never heard of him.”
* And while this may also be misleading, it’s quite interesting [fixed link]…
“They might have put my name down there because I’m a woman who takes in children with disabilities,” Jackson said. “I sold Tony Rezko his first condo, when he moved to Hyde Park. I’ve known him for years and years. He’s known about my work with disabled children.'’
The Wondisfords hired Jackson’s company, MetroPro Realty, to sell their mansion and the adjacent lot [to Barack Obama and Tony Reko’s wife]. Several people wanted to buy the lot without the house, but Jackson said the Wondisfords “insisted these two properties close on the same day.'’
* And, finally, here is an excerpt from that column I wrote years ago after I appeared on one of George Ryan’s clout lists, which were written by Scott Fawell…
I remember another conversation with Fawell, from a year or so before. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley was pushing the Illinois General Assembly to let him build a humungous land-based casino. A huge team of lobbyists was working on the project, and some of them put together a list of legislators with comments about how each legislator could be “convinced” to support the casino. The list was leaked and much embarrassment ensued.
Fawell ridiculed the “idiot” lobbyists for putting their thoughts on paper. ”The first rule in this business is ‘Never write anything down,’”Fawell said at the time.
And the same thing goes for the Blagojevich administration and whomever wrote and kept that clout list. Rules don’t apply to them. They thought they’d never get caught. And the tragic lessons of Ryan’s administration were never learned.
The Republican nominee for retiring Rep. Jerry Weller’s (R-Ill.) seat will be withdrawing from the hotly-contested Congressional campaign Saturday morning, according to two GOP operatives in Illinois.
“It’s pretty much a done deal,” said one Illinois GOP operative.
New Lenox mayor Tim Baldermann, whose campaign was dogged by fundraising woes, never was able to garner much momentum in his campaign to succeed Weller in the GOP-leaning exurban Chicago district.
* The Politico thinks this might be good for the Republicans…
Baldermann’s withdrawal from the race could possibly play to the GOP’s advantage. Since the primary has already taken place, the county GOP committees in the district appear like they will be able to appoint a replacement to take Baldermann’s spot on the November general election ballot.
* But it’s far from clear who the GOPs would go with. There wasn’t exactly a big line of well-known, capable Republicans begging to run in that district. And with the national Dems pushing hard for Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson, recruitment could be pretty darned tough.
Baldermann, 41, said that until the primary was finished, he was unaware of how time consuming his campaign would be.
He said when he ran for mayor he had no trouble fulfilling his duties as police chief, despite critics who said it could not be done. But campaigning in a large congressional district and raising the money to run a legitimate campaign would require all of his time and attention over the next nine months.
“That wouldn’t be fair to the people of Chicago Ridge, New Lenox, or my wife and children,” Baldermann said.
He said he was not withdrawing due to an illness or fearing any threat of a smear campaign during the election.
“This is the best thing for me and the Republican Party right now,” Baldermann said. “The party leaders can select the best person to represent the district in the upcoming election.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** Statement from Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna…
“Running for Congress is a difficult job that requires the full commitment from a candidate and his family.
“I respect Tim’s decision to step aside from this race and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
“The 11th District is representative of the mainstream values Illinois families share and I’m confident a Republican candidate will emerge who brings the type of change for Illinois we’ve failed to get from Blagojevich Democrats in Springfield.”
*** UPDATE 5 *** One name being floated right now as a possible replacement is Martin Ozinga, III, who owns Ozinga Bros. Inc. in Mokena. Ozinga is reportedly considering a candidacy and would likely be at least a partial self-funder.
* There’s something important missing from this story…
[A]n Illinois House committee mustered just enough votes Thursday to advance a measure that would make the state’s moment of silence law optional for schools.
House Bill 4180 would largely rewrite a law passed last year that requires schools to start the day with a moment of silence. The law is the subject of a lawsuit filed in October by talk show host and atheist Rob Sherman and his teen-age daughter, who say it is an effort to inject religion into public schools. […]
If moments of silence were made optional, “we would certainly get the superintendent’s and the community’s input” before deciding how to proceed, Conley said.
Rep. David Reis, R-Willow Hill, opposed the bill sponsored by Rep. John Fritchey, D-Chicago, saying that 14 states have a mandatory moment of silence in schools.
A bill which would “allow” rather than “mandate” a moment of silence in Illinois public schools passed its first hurdle Thursday in the Illinois House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.
In each public school classroom the teacher in charge may observe a brief period of silence with the participation of all the pupils therein assembled at the opening of every school day.
* And this is what last year’s change looked like…
In each public school classroom the teacher in charge shall observe a brief period of silence with the participation of all the pupils therein assembled at the opening of every school day.
In each public school classroom, the teacher in charge may conduct a brief period of silence with the participation of all the pupils therein assembled at the opening of every school day.
This bill is clearly a flat-out repeal of last year’s law. I’m not sure why that hasn’t been made more clear in most of the coverage. The only other significant change is that the title of the statute has been altered, from…
But now, the RTA can veto big-ticket capital projects. It’s added a five-step process before new train track gets laid or major bus terminals get built.
To make this work, the RTA can also wield another new power; it can now demand strategic planning budgets from the CTA, Metra and PACE.
That ruling — by the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, San Diego, in Lexin vs. Superior Court — found that trustees, who often are participants in the retirement systems on whose boards they serve, can be criminally liable if they approve a contract that tangentially provides them a personal benefit.
Last week the Chicago Reporter’s Kimbriell Kelly reported on Chicago’s “gray drain”, a mass exodus of elderly residents who simply cannot beat back the developers any longer. According to the Reporter piece, between 1990 and 2006, the City lost 15% of its elderly residents, a shocking decrease.
* Gov. Blagojevich sends letter to President Bush appealing denial of disaster aid to flooded counties
* Drug-possession charge filed against Cook County prosecutor
Charges have been filed against a Cook County assistant state’s attorney who was arrested while possessing what police say they believe were packets of heroin.
