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*** UPDATED x1 *** Jackson to Fitz: Bring it on

Friday, Sep 17, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Sun-Times quotes Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., who appeared on WLS today..

“The prosecution has concluded, I assume, that what I have to say doesn’t contribute to their case,” Jackson said. “I assume they have no evidence or else they would have brought a charge.

“If I’m a conspirator — bring it on.”

Probably not a good move. The last time somebody in power said “Bring it on,” they did. And they still are.

* Jackson also said he had no idea that the people sitting at his table were plotting to contribute $1 million to Rod Blagojevich’s campaign fund to get Jackson appointed to the US Senate. Why? Because they were speaking Hindi…

“How about this? ‘Congressman meets with director of economic development and trade for the State of Illinois . . . met with him for 30 minutes in the presence of other people and discussed the third airport. Then another gentleman showed up and started having another conversation practically in Hindu, because I don’t speak Hindu . . . and I didn’t participate in any of that part of the conversation, nor do I even remember hearing it. And I have witnesses present.’”

One of the witnesses, Rajinder Bedi, testified at Blagojevich’s trial that Jackson was sitting with him and another fund-raiser, Raghuveer Nayak, when the $1 million was discussed. Bedi, a government witness, did not say he was speaking in Hindu. Bedi then testified he paid a visit later that same day to Rod Blagojevich’s brother, Robert, and passed along a message that the then-governor would receive campaign money if Jackson were appointed.

Click here to listen to the full interview.

*** UPDATE *** Dean Vallas is running Gery Chico’s mayoral bid…

The brother of former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas said Friday he will run the mayoral campaign of Gery Chico, who has served Mayor Richard M. Daley in several high-profile posts.

Dean Vallas said Chico, 54, will begin circulating nominating petitions Saturday to get on the ballot for the Feb. 22 election to replace the retiring mayor.

Chico told the Chicago News Cooperative on Sunday that he would only enter the race if he could raise $4 million in campaign donations. Dean Vallas said donors already have pledged “at least half” that amount to Chico’s bid for mayor.

Vallas told Chicago Magazine this week that he was behind a “Democrats for Brady” organization. I wonder what Chico thinks about that.

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FBI report on Blagojevich was never admitted as evidence

Wednesday, Sep 15, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Rod Blagojevich’s defense is arguing that his lone conviction ought to be thrown out…

Last month the jury deadlocked on 23 of the 24 counts faced by Blagojevich, convicting him only of making false statements during a 2005 interview in which the then-governor told an FBI agent that he was not involved in the details of fundraising.

“He noted that when he attends his events he becomes aware of some of those who are supporting him, but he does not track, or want to know, who is contributing or how much they are contributing to him,” the defense quoted the agent as recounting in his report of the interview.

The defense contended that Blagojevich’s comments to the FBI were taken out of context and that it was “common knowledge” that the governor would be included in fundraising discussions with his re-election bid the following year.

“And moreover, the Governor actually told the FBI agents that he was involved in fundraising during the very interview in question,” the defense motion said.

Keep in mind that the defense is quoting the agent. There could be plenty more there. I checked with the US Attorney’s office to see if the FBI report was online somewhere because I couldn’t find it. Here is the response…

No. It was not admitted into evidence at trial (which is not unusual)

So, I suppose the testimony by the agent was what did RRB in.

* Blagojevich attorney Sam Adam, Jr. said time and again during the trial that his client was “broke.” He could be…

Meanwhile, the filing revealed that the former governor is so cash-strapped that he can’t even pay for the transcripts from his own trial. Lawyers asked for permission to review the transcripts that they could not purchase.

“Prior to the end of trial, defendant’s fund from which his legal fees were paid was depleted, and as a result, Blagojevich has not been able to procure copies of the official transcripts from trial,” lawyers wrote.

Thoughts?

* No surprise here…

All of the charges against Doug Belkin, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was arrested while covering the Rod Blagojevich trial in July, were dismissed yesterday by a magistrate judge in U.S. Federal District Court.

Mr. Belkin faced two citations for “disturbance” and for “disobeying signs and directions,” according to a spokesman for the U.S District Attorney’s office.

Mr. Belkin was taken into custody at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago after he disobeyed orders from a security guard while attempting to interview one of the lawyers in the trial. “I told him three times to back up and he didn’t,'’ the security officer said at the time. “He put his hands on me.”

Security run amok. Yes, they need to keep some calm in the federal building, but it’s not a 1st Amendment Exclusion Zone.

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