* The allegation yesterday at Rod Blagojevich’s trial that then-Senate President Emil Jones agreed to kill an ethics bill in exchange for an appointment to the US Senate doesn’t really surprise me. It sickens me, but it doesn’t surprise me, considering how I’ve watched both of those guys pretty closely over the years.
Blagojevich wanted the ethics bill killed because it was specifically designed to dry up his campaign cash. The bill prohibited anyone with a state contract over a certain size to contribute to the statewide official who was responsible for the contract. Blagojevich’s fundraising machine focused heavily on contractors, including (but definitely not limited to) road contractors. So, Blagojevich used his amendatory veto to rewrite the bill to include contribution bans to legislators as well. That’s when the Jones deal went down…
“Emil Jones agreed not to call a vote if Rod named him to Obama’s Senate seat,” Monk said.
The agreement fell through when Obama called Jones personally and asked him to call the bill to a vote, so it wouldn’t negatively impact Obama’s campaign in 2008, Monk said he learned.
After Obama asked, Jones decided to call a vote on the bill, which would make it illegal for individuals or companies getting state business to make donations, Monk recalled. He said the Blagojevich camp believed Jones had reneged on the deal.
The House voted to override Blagojevich’s veto of the bill 110 to 3, and the Senate eventually voted 55 to 0 to do the same.
If it hadn’t been for Barack Obama, we could’ve had Emil Jones as our Senator. You think Roland Burris’ appointment caused an explosion? If Jones got the seat, the resulting explosion would’ve been thermonuclear because the media would’ve taken it right back to the President-elect, rightly or wrongly. Jones, remember, was often described as Obama’s “political godfather.” The mess would’ve been enormous.
* Speaking of legislative leaders, I don’t think anyone else has covered this aspect of how Stu Levine got introduced to Rod Blagojevich. One of the people who recommended him was House GOP Leader Tom Cross, according to testimony yesterday…
The prosecution asked Monk about Stuart Levine. He said Rezko introduced him to Levine at Rezko’s office and recommend Levine be appointed to two boards: TRS and the Illinois Health Facility Planning Board, which decides where and when hospitals can be built.
Monk said Levine was not the only person Rezko recommended be appointed to the facilities board, and Monk passed on all the recommendations to Blagojevich. Blagojevich wanted to appoint Levine because Levine was a big Republican, and would show Blagojevich was above party politics. Levine had received an honor from a foreign country, was also recommended by State Rep. Tom Cross and Kelly and seemed smart and reputable enough that Blagojevich followed through on Rezko’s recommendation.
Monk says Rezko wanted Levine appointed to TRS quickly because of an issue that Rezko was interested in.
* Back to the fundraising. After Barack Obama called Emil Jones and the Senate overrode the governor’s amendatory veto of the ethics bill, Blagojevich had until December 31st, 2008 to raise as much money as he could from state contractors. It didn’t go well, though, and the governor started to freak out…
The voices of the Blagojevich brothers are filling the courtroom for the first time as secret FBI recordings are played with Lon Monk on the stand.
Jurors can hear an animated and irritated Rod Blagojevich who is pushing his brother hard to get to $4 million.
Rod Blagojevich is snapping at his brother, telling him to keep hitting people up.
“In terms of having money in the bank, it’s going to be close,” Rod says. “We’ve got to somehow get there…get to that $4 million.”
Rod tells Rob to keep calling people and ask: “Can you send us $5,000, can you find us whatever, follow me?”
Rod tells his brother on the recording to hit up anyone and everyone: the Pritzkers, Sam Zell, Blair Hull.
* As we know by now, Blagojevich also tried to tie a $5 billion Tollway construction program to a $500,000 campaign contribution…
Monk said in the fall of 2008, the then-governor hoped the tollway plan would “incentivize” Krozel to make a large contribution before a new ethics law banning such donations went into effect at the end of that year, Monk said.
“We need to get $500,000 from him,” Monk recalled Blagojevich saying.
Monk said Blagojevich regularly asked about the matter, and Monk checked in with Krozel but didn’t specifically ask for $500,000 because he “didn’t feel like it” and didn’t think it was reasonable in a down economy.
Blagojevich announced a $1.8 billion tollway plan that fall but held off on an even bigger expenditure because he thought Krozel should be able to bring in money from members of his group, Monk told the jury.
Here’s one reason why the contributions never arrived…
As Monk checked up on progress, [contractor Jerry Krozel] said he hit a snag.
“I’m not going to be able to raise money from my members right now because they had been served subpoenas from the U.S. Attorney’s office,” Monk said.
* Blagojevich wanted cash so much that he even believed Kurt Granberg ought to pony up for his long-promised job running DNR…
Lon Monk testified about a deal Blagojevich claimed he had made with former state Rep. Kurt Granberg to name him director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in exchange for the balance of the Democratic lawmaker’s campaign fund.
“If he was going to retire,” Monk said of Granberg. “We [decided we] should check on the amount of money in his campaign fund, because he doesn’t need that anymore if he is going to come for state, and we should check his cash balance and ask him for it.”
Granberg never paid Blagojevich’s campaign, even though Blagojevich held up the appointment until almost the very last minute of his governorship.
* And Kristen McQueary shows how all this proves at least one count against Blagojevich…
The tapes and another full day of admissions from Monk revealed the full extent of Blagojevich’s money-raising obsession. He knew everything - who was giving how much and when, and he would sulk and pout when donors held off.
So much for Blagojevich beating Count 24, a “making false statements” charge based on a 2005 interview Blagojevich gave to federal investigators. During it, he claimed a “firewall” existed between the campaign and government sides of his administration to ensure there was no conflict. One side had no idea what the other was doing.
But based on Monk’s testimony, the only firewall that existed apparently was lodged in Blagojevich’s brain, blocking the truth from exiting his mouth.
* Campaign money wasn’t everything. There was also the Blagojevich personal bank account to think of…
Monk said Rezko didn’t seem to be interested in what work Patti Blagojevich did for his company. All he cared about was “that he hire Patti and she do something and he be able to pay her a salary,” he told jurors.
It was preferred that Patti Blagojevich be placed on a retainer, as opposed to being paid by commission, which would require the actual sale of property for her to be compensated, Monk said.
In a conversation with a lawyer then representing Blagojevich and his wife, Monk said, it was made clear that Patti Blagojevich would actually have to at least show up at Rezko’s firm on a regular basis. That presented a dilemma, Monk said. “She was not only the governor’s wife and had certain duties there, (but) she was a stay-at-home mom for two little girls,” Monk said.
Prosecutors contend Patti Blagojevich did no work for approximately $150,000 from Rezko, while the former governor’s criminal-defense lawyers have argued she earned the money for her real-estate work.
* Roundup…
* Blagojevich trial: Talk of Jesse Jackson Jr. on tapes
* Jurors get an earful of Blago
* Monk details Blagojevich’s drive for cash
* Aide: Blagojevich said he made deal for Obama seat
* Monk: Blagojevich Had a Deal With Emil Jones
* Obama Phone Call Derailed Blagojevich Senate Deal
* Blagojevich trial: Kurt Granberg
* Blagojevich: Corrupt plotter or honest victim?
* Zorn: Blago’s best defense will be no defense
* VIDEO: Roe Conn Talks Blago
* VIDEO: Defense Atty. Steve Greenberg on the Blago Trial
* Blagojevich in Shadow of Famous Capone Trial
