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Thompson keeps story alive

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Illinois

* A letter to the editor prompted a full-blown news story in the Tribune over the weekend…

Former Gov. James Thompson, who spent the last four years defending Illinois’ last chief executive against criminal charges, on Friday defended the current governor and his wife against a story in the Chicago Tribune.

Thompson wrote a letter to the editor questioning the news value of Friday’s story revealing federal authorities are investigating real estate deals in which Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s wife, Patricia, received hundreds of thousands of dollars in commissions from politically connected clients. […]

“How many times a day do you suppose house sellers in Chicago who have a friend in the real estate business give that friend the chance to sell the house. Are they on the front page of the Tribune?” Thompson asked in his letter to the Tribune’s editorial board. “I thought the Tribune was better than this.”

* To which Chicagoist responds…

And how many times a day do you suppose those friends then just happen to receive a lucrative government contract in return?

* But as Thompson notes in his actual letter…

So the story boils down to John H. Simpson — who has no state contracts — giving part of the seller’s real estate commission on the sale of his house to his friend, Patti Blagojevich.

[Note to the Tribune, now that you’re all Web 2.0 and stuff, how about putting links in your stories to items referenced? There’s no link to Thompson’s letter in your coverage of the letter. That’s kinda goofy.]

* We’ll give the Tribune the last word…

Thompson acknowledged that one of the two lawyers working for the [Blagojevich] campaign is Bradley Lerman, a litigation partner who spent years on convicted ex-Gov. George Ryan’s legal defense team.

“I don’t know,” Thompson said, when asked what type of work the firm is doing for the campaign. “And if I knew I wouldn’t tell you.”

Thompson’s firm has been paid more than a million bucks for services rendered to the governor’s campaign committee.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 9:26 am

Comments

Can you say, “Combine?”

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 9:28 am
With all due respect Gov. Thompson, how many of those real estate deals between friends are investigated by the FBI. The deal itself is not newsworthy. The fact that the FBI is investigating the governor’s family’s finances is certainly newsworthy.

Comment by S. Illinois Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 9:34 am
Poor Jim- He never knew when to shut his mouth. What a great world it must be to live in, though. Millions of dollars in free defense work for George Ryan, while raking in a million plus from Rod Blagojevich for “mind your own business” work. As someone once said, you can’t make this stuff up.

Comment by DuPage Dave Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 9:35 am
All these guys do is protect each other so they don’t get caught with hands in the cookie jar.
I’m sure they all have lucrative savings accounts stashed around the world. Hidden from the prying eyes of the feds.
What’s going on in Illinois is global.

Comment by Harry Tuttle Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 9:36 am
It’s a story cause Blago CANNOT BE TRUSTED. After taking checks that were supposedly gifts to his kids…that clearly weren’t…anything like this we hear about is automatically suspect. So Taxman Thompson should understand THAT before speaking up.

Comment by Crimefighter Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 9:41 am
This is the same Gov. Thompson who ’stopped the clock’ when debating the legislation for the soon to be new White Sox stadium which demanded public dollars.

Must be great to have super-powers like that.

Comment by plutocrat03 Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 9:45 am
Blagojevich has done nothing wrong, expect enable the perception of wrongdoing. We are through year five now, and critics have been saying that he been misbehaving for years. Where is the evidence? How un-American to assume that one is guilty until proven innicent.

Shame.

Comment by Anon Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 9:45 am
Governor Blagojevich’s campaign committee fund should be frozen
by the feds.
All it accomplishes is helps Governor Blagojevich perpetuate his arrogance towards the L-A-W.

Comment by Bending the L-A-W Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 9:48 am
The evidence is in those secret Blagojevich federal subpoenas.
Wake up Anon!

Comment by Give me a break Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 9:51 am
The problem with Thomspon, is he beleives the appearance of impropriaty does not warrant a news article and disclosure to the public. I disagree with Thompson. When dealing with polotical figures, the question aboutu suspicious activities is fair game for public debate. This invites the discourse such as Thompsons points about the validity of the concern. However cliaming the article is not news at all is wrong. It is news, and a topic worthy of public knoweldge and discussion.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 10:02 am
Jim Thompson certainly knows how to argue one side of a case. “State contracts” is just a smokescreen.

The deal is using a supposed real estate commission as a tax deductible political contribution to the Blago family. Simpson gets to write it off as an expense of the real estate transaction. Patti gets to use it against the expense of operating her business.

4% is extremely high for a seller side commission these days.

Comment by Truthful James Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 10:33 am
Big Jim, as time has shown, gets smaller by the year. His legacy ultimately will be that he loved to spend taxpayers money, he loved antiques, and was an ally of those that could not in good conscience be called “good guys”.

Comment by anon Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 10:41 am
Tough year for Big Jim. Ryan, Lord Black, and now he feels the need to carry water for Blago. It’s a living, I guess.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 10:45 am
I do not have a fond opinion of Thompson as Gov. However, even the clown that is our current Gov. has the right to legal advice/protection. If Thompson is able to provide this service and profit at the same time, then so be it!

Comment by MOON Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 10:49 am
It isn’t right for the Chicago Tribune to include all the George Ryan stuff when refering to Jim Thompson, because Thompson was refering to Rod Blagojevich, not Ryan.

The Tribune isn’t interested in discussing the points of his letter - instead they are only interesting in hyping it.

Thompson comes from another time. He doesn’t seem to get it. Since Ryan and Blagojevich, we just don’t like any governors right now. We are not listening very well, even to guys like Thompson. Our current problems have ticked us off too much to even have an unemotional conversation about Mr. Blagojevich.

I hope Big Jim has discovered this. He needs to step back and let the mobs have at the Blagojevichs and Ryans and Jones’ and all the other electd officials failing our state.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 10:51 am
It sounds as though the former Governor has either failed to take the current state ethics test, or taken it and failed!

Comment by one of the 35 Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 10:52 am
Just a couple of thoughts. Would Thompson have been so vocal about this if Blago were not a high dollar client bringing in big bucks to Winston & Strawn? And I seem to remember his wife having higher ethics than Mrs. Blago since Jayne would not take on clients that did business with the State of Illinois while her husband was governor. I don’t care who wants what realtor to get what commission. It’s the appearance of impropriety that is really irking lots of State employees. When they have to take an ethics test that clearly defines this situation as imappropriate, you would think the top boy would have a talk with his wife about choosing clients more carefully. I’m beginning to think that Mrs. (Mell) Blago wears the pants in that family and no one tells her what to do - daddy or hubby.

Comment by Just My Opinion Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 10:55 am
Hey - Jim Thompson is a lawyer representing a client. That’s all. Lighten up on him. I’ve represented bank robbers and drug dealers, but that doesn’t mean I’m in favor of robbing banks or dealing drugs! But as their lawyer, I will find nice things to say about them!

Comment by Legal Eagle Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 11:26 am
“I hope Big Jim has discovered this. He needs to step back and let the mobs have at the Blagojevichs and Ryans and Jones’ and all the other electd officials failing our state.”

What an interesting comment. Imo, anybody who has watched IL politics for more than a few years knows what Thompson is complaining about - without any actual statute changes the definition of impropriety by a public official has changed. And, he’s right.

I think Blago is a nut case, but do we really want the thinking of “mobs” to rule our courts?

Comment by Mr. Wizard Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 11:32 am
So is Thompson going to sabatage Blagojevich like he did his “friend” Ryan?

Comment by anoyed Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 11:45 am
Mr. Wizard, in other words, what isn’t strictly prohibited is allowed? Is there no expectation of personal ethics? It’s 2007 — shouldn’t there be. Isn’t it time we at least tried to rid this state of the cheap hustlers who see public service as a means to make a buck, legally or otherwise?

Perhaps the old-school guys — Rosty, Ryan, etc. — played by the old rules and got stung by changing times. Or, perhaps, the rules were always there, but were never vigorously enforced by a long succession of U.S. Attorney’s for Northern Illinois.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 11:46 am
To -snidely whiplash- Monday, Dec 10, 07 @10:04 am

Any particular reason you’re using MY pseudonym to insinuate that Jim Thompson should be prosecuted???

Rich, is there any way to prevent people from pulling little stunts like this (and I have a good idea who this person could be).

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 12:36 pm
Better yet, I’m changing mine as of now.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 12:47 pm
WS,

We are a nation of laws, not my (or your) definition of what is “allowed”. Personal ethics is another matter and I certainly agree with you on that. This is the purpose of the ballot box, isn’t it?

I wasn’t necessarily defending Thompson’s actions, simply pointing out that he, Ryan and others were elected when certain expectations applied and confronted with a different set later. Perhaps they, like other elected officials, should have seen it coming, as others did.

Comment by Mr. Wizard Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 1:35 pm
I would be willing to bet that Thompson or his firm gave Blago legal advice that it is okay for his wife to engage in Real Estate activity with state contractors and now he is covering his but with his client. Just a thought.

Comment by Garp Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 1:39 pm
Garp, I have to look at this another way. Perhaps Thompson gave Blago legal advice that it is NOT okay for Patti to engage in such real estate activity. After all, next to jogging, the second most method of exercise he engages in is thumbing his nose at advice, no matter who gives it.

Comment by Little Egypt Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 1:55 pm
Perhaps we should have asked Thompson to say how he never leaked investigation info to the Trib when he was USA. Oh wait he did that every day.
Maybe we should give out a list of ALL real estate deals not tied to some insider. Opps there are none.

Geez

Comment by DumberThanYouThink Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 2:04 pm
Pluto, I didn’t know Governors could stop the legislative clock. I thought it had to be the persons presiding over the respective houses.

Comment by steve schnorf Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 2:33 pm
That the guy who seems to view himself as ‘Statesman’ Thompson (and many seem to have this same opinion) is the same guy of Rutan fame; oh, you remember, the guy that lost the Federal lawsuit about doing political hiring when he was gov.? Swell; Thompson sure has a LOT of credibilty - not. More here: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/88-1872.ZS.html and here: http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-governors-of-illinois

Comment by Lest We All Forget.... Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 3:55 pm
Thompson is not a respected elder statesman! He has shown himself to be an “on the make” puffed up buffoon and hack. Let’s try to resist the temptation to deify ex guvs just because they were slick enough or lucky enough not to be indicted, tried and convicted. Edgar’s MSI is a prime example - he acts as if he can’t even spell it now. We are in the habit of electing crooks to the guv office and numerous others. For Rich’s sake, business wise, we should continue. Brightens up the gray winter days and limbers up our gray matter.

Comment by A Citizen Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 5:10 pm
That would be “took place”

Comment by Disgusted Monday, Dec 10, 07 @ 11:15 pm
Thank you, Rich.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Tuesday, Dec 11, 07 @ 8:26 am