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* UPDATED x2 * Harris cops a plea

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* No surprise. Former Rod Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris has pled guilty to a single count. Read the plea by clicking here.

This is what he pled to…

Count Four charges defendant with participating in a scheme to commit wire fraud, including through the deprivation of honest services, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 1346. […]

It was part of the scheme that beginning in or about October 2008, and continuing until on or about December 9, 2008, Rod Blagojevich (“Blagojevich”), with the assistance of Defendant and others, sought to obtain financial benefits for Blagojevich and his wife, in return for the exercise of his duty under Illinois law to appoint a United States Senator to fill the vacancy created by the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States.

At times Defendant assisted Blagojevich’s efforts to carry out the scheme by suggesting means by which Blagojevich could secure personal benefits for himself in exchange for appointing a United States Senator, conducting factual research relating to the scheme at Blagojevich’s direction, and counseling Blagojevich on carrying out the scheme.

At other times, Defendant expressed opposition to Blagojevich’s efforts to enrich himself through his appointment of a United States Senator, and/or did not follow instructions from Blagojevich to assist in those efforts.

More…

Defendant understood that Blagojevich’s personal financial circumstances and security were a significant consideration for Blagojevich in his analysis of whom he should name to the Senate seat.

There’s not much new on the alleged third party offer to raise $1.5 million for Blagojevich’s campaign funds to secure the appointment of Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. to Obama’s vacant US Senate seat…

Although Blagojevich was previously not willing to consider Senate Candidate A, Defendant believed that Blagojevich was now seriously considering Senate Candidate A because of the offer of campaign funds.

* The G believes Harris when he says he never relayed a specific threat to the Tribune…

Further, in November and December 2008, in response to Chicago Tribune editorials that had been critical of Blagojevich, Blagojevich directed Defendant to tell Tribune Financial Advisor that Blagojevich was going to withhold state financial support that would benefit the Tribune Company, unless the Tribune Owner fired people on the editorial board.

In order to appease Blagojevich, Defendant told Blagojevich that he would and did relay this threat to Tribune Financial Advisor. Although Defendant did have a conversation with Tribune Financial Advisor about the negative editorials regarding Blagojevich, Defendant did not relay the threats as directed by Blagojevich.

*** UPDATE 1 *** Natasha Korecki at the Sun-Times quotes Harris’ attorney as saying his client will have a “significant impact” in the feds’ case against Blagojevich…

“Working for Gov. Blagojevich for the most honest people, was an extraordinarily difficult thing to do,” Ekl said after his client pleaded guilty to one wire fraud count today. “I think John Harris ties a lot of incidents together. He will come across before a jury as absolutely 100 percent honest, because he is. I think his testimony will have a significant impact in the government’s case against the former governor.”

*** UPDATE 2 *** From the Harris plea, this person seems fairly familiar…

…Blagojevich also pressed Defendant to have an “off campus” discussion with Senate Candidate D. Defendant knew that this was a reference to Blagojevich’s prior directive to Defendant to ask Senate Candidate D for Senate Candidate D’s remaining campaign funds in exchange for appointing Senate Candidate D to the U.S. Senate Seat.

Sometime in the summer of 2008, Blagojevich told Defendant that if he appointed Senate Candidate D to the vacant Senate seat, he would want and expect Senate Candidate D to give Blagojevich some or all of Senate Candidate D’s campaign funds. Blagojevich raised this topic, which was often referred to as “the off-campus discussion” with Senate Candidate D, in several phone calls with Defendant. Defendant believed that Blagojevich was again raising this issue because Blagojevich believed that a deal with representatives of President-elect Obama involving Senate Candidate B was no longer a possibility.

In response to Blagojevich’s directives to him, on November 12, 2008, Defendant met with Senate Candidate D in his Springfield office. During the meeting, Defendant had a discussion with Senate Candidate D about his plans for his campaign funds that could not be converted to personal use. Defendant did not directly tell Senate Candidate D that Blagojevich was going to ask Senate Candidate D for his campaign funds.

Based on what Defendant did say, however, Defendant believed that Senate Candidate D was on notice that, in relation to the Senate seat, Blagojevich was going to talk with Senate Candidate D about Senate Candidate D’s campaign funds.

Hat tip to a commenter. Senate Candidate D has not yet been positively identified, so let’s keep the speculation to a minimum, please.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:12 pm

Comments

When it rains it pours. What is next in the news cylce today?

Comment by Kevin Fanning Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:13 pm
Mike Ditka just got engaged to Oprah!

Comment by Scooby Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:16 pm
lol

Comment by Kevin Fanning Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:17 pm
Curious to know if his cooperation includes any nuggets on his other previous boss, Daley.

Comment by The Doc Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:21 pm
For the record, mark kirk has never been convicted of anything nor has any ties to any corrupt officials. How will the chicago media exist with a senator who is not corrupt?

Oh and get your policy caps on, Senator Kirk is a guy who knows his pakistan FATA from his west bank FATAH

Comment by Shore Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:32 pm
Shore, let’s try to stay on topic, please.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:35 pm
Where is the guilty plea for being a simply mean jerk?

Comment by siriusly Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:36 pm
Just getting the ducks in a row.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:47 pm
John Harris was the Deputy Commissioner of Aviation who orchestrated the illegal destruction of Meigs Field for Daley. The FAA found that federal funds were misappropriated to destroy the airport. Harris knows how the illegality was done. He is the guy who can tie Daley to the illegal actions underlying the destruction of Meigs. And for those who don’t know, in a court document in 2003 (before the FAA’s investigation) Daley admitted responsibility for the destruction of Meigs. I hope the FBI gets Harris to connect the dots on Meigs so Daley can be indicted!

Comment by chimack Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:05 pm
chimack, I seriously doubt the FBI is interested in that. Please, take a breath. Thanks.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:06 pm
Rich, you get to the part about Emil (Senate Candidate D) and his campaign funds yet?

Comment by George Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:12 pm
Pretty strong comments from Eckl. Yikes.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:12 pm
Then you underestimate the scope of inquiry by the FBI.

And my respiration rate is A-Okay.

Comment by chimack Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:37 pm
The day before Rod was arrested, me and a friend were speculating on who was going to get the Senate seat. I told him I thought Emil had a shot because he had campaign money left over and that wouldn’t do him any good as a Senator. But, I also said that they would NEVER be stupid enough to talk about anything like that and it would be assumed that farther down the road he could make the donation. Rod knew he had money in the bank and why wouldn’t his old friend donate to another old friend. No quid pro quo needed. Just old friends returning favors. Nothing would ever need to be said especially since we all knew Rod was under the feds microscope.
When I read that Rod actually was that stupid and actually talked about asking for the money for the seat I was dumbstruck. I will never again be so naive as to the lengths a politician will go to get their hands on money.

Comment by Surprised Before Never Again Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:48 pm
Chimack, I’m an unabashed Daley hater, but your claims seem far-fetched. If you’ve got some insight as to the inner workings of the feds on this particular point, please do share.

Comment by The Doc Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:59 pm
“in a court document in 2003 (before the FAA’s investigation) Daley admitted responsibility for the destruction of Meigs”

He also admitted it the next day to the press.

LOL

Comment by George Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 3:06 pm
What I know is that the feds has talked to many people about many things.

Comment by chimack Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 3:09 pm
The feds talk to a lot of people about a lot of things, Chimack. That doesn’t mean there’s actually an investigation or imminent charges.

Again, take a breath. The statute of limitations has probably expired on that, anyway, if there were even criminal penalties involved.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 3:13 pm
–Hat tip to a commenter. Senate Candidate D has not yet been positively identified, so let’s keep the speculation to a minimum, please.–

Given the description, keeping speculation to a minimum is pretty easy!

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 3:50 pm
Harris has far more to offer about Daley than Blagojevich. The only question is statute of limitations.

Comment by Smitty Irving Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 6:22 pm
Go Johnny Go. Johnny be Good.

Show Chris Kelly the way.

Comment by Leave a Light on George Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 7:19 pm