1. Mediaite
  2. Gossip Cop
  3. Geekosystem
  4. Styleite
  5. SportsGrid
  6. The Mary Sue
  7. The Jane Dough
  8. The Braiser
Advertisement

Mediaite Exclusive: Censored Portions of Blago Subpoena May Implicate Team Obama

exclusive
» 36 comments

Today in United States v. Rod Blagojevich: following up on his 2008 claims that then-Senator Barack Obama was one of a few people who could testify to his innocence, his defense team issued a motion today to subpoena the President to testify in court. Most of the juiciest bits involving Obama’s role in choosing a new Senator are blacked out, or so we thought. It turns out a lucky PDF glitch gave us VIP access. Who wouldn’t want to see the blacked out part? Let’s investigate!

Most of the non-blacked out portions of the motion are predictably tame general knowledge: the seat in dispute belonged to the President; the FBI did speak with the President about this case at some point in time. A “labor union official” close to the President (who may be SEIU President Andy Stern) is said to contradict public statements on the case by Obama directly. The credibility of money man Tony Rezko being crucial to the case, the defense would like the President to testify about it. The defense also spends significant amount of time bringing up previous cases of sitting presidents being subpoenaed to testify in relevant cases. What the defense didn’t want you to see is the allegation that an Obama “supporter” offered Blagojevich “fundraising” in exchange for the seat. In other words: Blagojevich didn’t try to sell the seat; an Obama “supporter” tried to buy it.

Here is a link to the actual PDF, via BreakingNews, for your perusal, and a helpful who’s who of Senate candidates. What follows are all the major blocks of blacked-out text in the motion, with some commentary. Some of the allegations make a very close link between the president and the governor; others seem a little to benign to have been given the “confidential” treatment. One wonders if all classified portions of government documents are this easy to breach, or whether whoever put the document together was hoping a reporter somewhere would crack the code. :

Yet, despite President Obama stating that no representatives of his had any part of any deals, labor union president [possibly Andy Stern, though not confirmed] told the FBI and the United States Attorneys that he spoke to labor union official on November 3, 2008 who received a phone message from Obama that evening.  After labor union official listened to the message labor union official told labor union president “I’m the one”.  Labor union president took that to mean that labor union official was to be the one to deliver the message on behalf of Obama that Senate Candidate B was his pick. (Labor union president 302, February 2, 2009, p. 7).

Not a particularly damning conversation, but possible evidence that the President was very intimately involved in negotiations over that seat– which directly contradicts public statements by the President. Imagine what certain people on the right will say about Obama negotiating so closely with both Blagojevich and Chicago union officials.

>>>Next page: labor officials told FBI that “Obama expressed his belief that Blagojevich would be be a good Senator.”

Follow us on Twitter.

Sign up for Mediaite's daily newsletter.

Pages: 1 2 3

Email Twitter Facebook Digg Reddit Stumble Upon Yahoo Buzz LinkedIn Tumblr Delicious
  • ex political-media hack

    May?……

    oh come on!

  • http://www.anonymousfinch.com AnonymousFinch

    I’m shocked!

  • The_Reasonable_Lib

    I doubt anything will come of this.

  • Bias-Media

    My prediction:

    MSM will try to bury this story by putting on the front page stories that we “Americans” are more interested in (according to MSM); such as…Obama’s pick for the NBA Finals…

  • BR

    Well anyone who wants to know is obviously a RACIST!

  • http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

    Wow! It took me less than a minute to find the “glitch” and theorize about how you found it.
    Good work and that’s a doozy.

    As for the content, I still haven’t formulated an opinion about the potential political ramifications for the President because at first brush, he seems to be insulated, but I do have to wonder if this info had any bearing on Andy Stern’s sudden resignation. Perhaps he’s appointed himself to be the fall guy.

    Though again without re-reading and maybe doing some further analysis on the Rezco thing, I’m not sure that I see anything directly implicating the President

  • TfT

    If there is anything that “may” implicate teh One, you can bet your bottom dollar that ABCCBSNBCMSNBCCNN will bury it, lie about it, cover it up, say it doesn’t implicate him and claim Obama is the Messiah.

  • http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

    PS and as further congratulations) I wouldn’t have known to look for the “glitch”, if I hadn’t have been alerted and now that Frances has done the legwork and considering that one assumes the “glitch” will be addressed, I hope this post becomes the fount of pageviews that she deserves.

  • ex political-media hack

    and Obama used to brag that he , Rahm and david Wilhelm ran Blogo’s campaign and got him elected!

    Now, what does THAT say about their “relationship”?!

  • felixw

    Censored Portions of Blago Subpoena May Implicate Team Obama….

    Don’t expect this story to be featured on MSNBC or CNN tonight. And that is precisely why people tune into Fox. They are tired of having the liberal media filter out any story unflattering to the party in power.

  • qawsed

    I’m not seeing the smoking gun here. Obama had an opinion on who he’d like to have the senate seat. Having an opinion on who should get the seat is not against the rules. Offering to sell the seat for favors is.

    I’m not seeing where Obama contradicted himself either. Obama claimed he didn’t talk to Rod’s office about who should fill the seat, and these court papers support that claim. What they show is someone relaying Obama’s opinion to Rod’s office, supported by a spurious interpretation of the phrase “I’m the one.”

  • http://www.anonymousfinch.com AnonymousFinch

    Fox is reporting that the judge has called the attorneys in for an emergency conference tonight. Whoever filed that motion without scrubbing the metadata on the PDF is about to have a really, really bad night (all thanks to Frances!).

  • Helix

    I doubt that there is any evidence to support that Obama was guilty of anything criminal regarding Rod’s Senate seat auction attempt. Sorry guys. While Obama was probably willing to deal, he knew better than to a) get too direct with a governor likely under investigation b) offer Rod any cash. Why? a) It’s not like an Illinois governor has ever been arrested before, LOL. b) If you are Obama, and you give Rod the cash thru your bagman, Tony Rezko, he now has blackmail on you, the Pres. Not good. Unfortunately for Rod, he had a bit of a cash flow problem, and wasn’t about to lose a golden opportunity. What Obama could have done for Rod, was for Rod to make the appointment Obama wanted, and imply a unspecified quid pro pro for later, like say a job with the Supreme Court. Or something. Unethical, yes, immoral, certainly, illegal, maybe, convictable, no. But Rod needed the cash, and didn’t want to wait. Now, Rod is going down, and would say or do anything to anyone to save himself. You just can’t trust anything he says, even about Obama, without solid evidence to support it. He’s a rat. If he had anything real on Obama, he would have committed suicide Chicago-style by going swimming with a cement overcoat by now. As for the Senate seat sale, the problem Rod had is that the FBI plant(Jesse Jackson Jr.) was pretty much the only bidder with any cash. Also, the FBI would know more about the case than the general public, and if there were evidence that Obama did commit a crime, it is likely they would have leaked it already(see Deep Throat for example). Bottom line, at most we find out Obama lied to the public, or did a Clinton-style misleading statement, (I didn’t negotiate with Rod, my union cut-out did….I didn’t have sex with that woman….), but no convictable crimes.

  • Bias-Media

    The sad truth is, if this had been Bush (or any Republican, for that matter), this story would be the headline on every news report today…

  • NORBIT

    Expose the Corrupt Media to ALL the people you know. Make every effort to undermine the PROPAGANDA Spewed by the likes of msnbc, NY Times, AP, etc.

    Keep banging the drum & using specific examples to show the Outrageous Bias!!

  • Ted

    I’m sorry but unless there is a video, it didn’t happen. Where’s the video tea-baggers!?

  • roxsteady

    You mean like the “Liberal Media’s” bias against that nutjob Massa, a FORMER Congressmen vs John I’ll get my mommy to pay you” Ensign the CURRENT sitting SENATOR? That kind of Liberal Media Bias? And don’t even get me started with Diaper David Vitter.
    As for this “story”
    My prediction is that the media will investigate it and when they don’t find anything, you conspiracy loons will go back to your state of paranoid delusions. Remember that this is a subpoena from the Defense. I have a feeling that many of you are going to be very disappointed. Oh, and since he’s had the taped conversations from the very beginning, why do you suppose the Prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald didn’t Subpoena President Elect Obama? Perhaps it was because his voice wasn’t on any of those tapes? Maybe it’s this -

    “It would be extremely unusual for a sitting president to testify at a corruption trial.”
    foxnews,com

  • NORBIT

    How will the NY Times Cover(-Up) this story?

    How will msnbc Cover(-Up) this story?

    How will A.P. Cover(-Up) this story?

    Anyone wonder anymore why FOX is the only trustworthy source of news – that is, for people who care about “Fair & Balanced”!

  • Snipzor

    “…but possible evidence that the President was very intimately involved in negotiations over that seat…”

    How many times in one person’s life, do we ever get to say the phrase “Baseless conjecture”? Not many times. Anyways, Blago’s subpoena reminds me of the man that sued game companies, and wanted to subpoena a bunch of random unrelated people. Which if you had followed (Of which I doubt), was funny as hell.

  • the real john t

    Blago is searching for straws, he will try anyrhing he can to get his ass out of the jam he’s in.

  • OxyCon

    So let’s see if I got this right. It sure sounds like Obama was using Andy Stern as an intermediary between himself and Blagojevich in order to get his slumlord pal Valerie Jarret his old Senate seat.
    Just your average, everyday Chicago sewer politics.
    What a coincidence that Andy Stern is resigning as SEIU president at the ame time this is all coming out.

  • nhrpolitic13

    Let me get this straight:

    One (1) phone call from a known Senate ‘candidate’ stating that they [Senate Candidate] had spoken with the President, and now wanted to Speak to the Governor, (what credible Senate candidate wouldn’t likely speak with the President about their candidacy??] and;

    Numerous phone calls between various other interested individuals [notably NOT the President] and said Governor or his representatives, in which he vocally discusses the various connections he “has” to the President with various other 3rd parties;

    Equals ==

    “Team” President is involved!!!!!!!

    Uhhh. Sorry. What I see here is nothing more than self-serving statements by self-interested parties who have no direct connection to the President. This doesn’t get you anywhere, and is nothing more than the defense team’s desperate attempt to muddy the water as much as they can. As transcribed, I don’t see any subpoenas addressed to “Mr. President” coming down the pike. Didn’t Blago himself threaten to “take [them] down with me” in one of his infamously recorded diatribes?

  • Sunnyr

    This president is corrupt up to his eyeballs and nothing will surprise me. If Blago is able to expose his involvement, BRAVO! They all swam in the same Chicago sewer of corruption.

  • Olby Sucks

    Better watch yourself, blago. Obomber might have one of his thugs jam a bottle of aspirin down your gullet in your sleep…

  • silkworm

    It would appear that the Prez may be getting a real wedgie from Blogo.

  • Bias-Media

    As I predicted yesterday (that the MSM will cover up this story)…

    Still can’t find this story on CNN…although I did learn how CNN believes the ‘EARTH’ is fighting back against mankind…

    Still can’t find this story on CBS…(not even the original AP story)…

    Still can’t find this story on NBC…though to be fair, they did post the original AP story about how the Defense wants OBAMA to testify (no story on the redacted portion showing that OBAMA knows about the selection / involved with the selection…contrary to his statements to the public)

    Kudos to ABC News…they did have a follow up story this morning at 10 am EST on the contents of the redacted portion showing OBAMA’s involvement with the candidate selection process

    …so, where is Jon Stewart on this story???? Still think Fox is biased because it actually REPORTS on a story? (Fox has been on this since it broke yesterday)

    oh, and btw…Kudos to Mediaite also!

  • ex political-media hack

    Rezkos friendship with obama is key to understanding obamas corrupt rise.

    Here is Kass from this morning’s Chicago Tribune.

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-friday-20100423,0,983180.column

    Another really good take on this from Steve Rhodes (a Chicago fav)
    http://www.beachwoodreporter.com/
    Reply

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Jones/1384303476 Chris Jones

    The president is steeped in Chicago corruption? Nah, it couldn’t be

  • xbacksideslider

    There’s another story – Patrick Fitzgerald, the Chicago US attorney, aborted the evidence gathering. He pulled the plug on the FBI’s wiretap JUST at the moment when the Obama Administration’s likely would have made incriminating statements. Recall that Fitzgerald was the Special Prosecutor of Scooter Libby.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Stack/1321705138 Mike Stack

    It just keeps getting better and better.
    The most “trasparent ” presidency ever? Nope.
    The most crooked political era? Yup.
    Obama re-elected? Nope.

    Am I sick of this Socialism? Yup.Yup.Yup.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Stack/1321705138 Mike Stack

    * transparent

  • Sunnyr

    Found uncensored documents by searching Google. Here is an interesting tidbit regarding our Dear Leader:

    Thursday, April 22, 2010
    Obama Caught Lying: Talked to Blago on December 1, 2008
    Right after Blago was arrested, Obama claimed he never talked to Blago about the Senate seat. After all, Obama claims he’s had little contact with Blago. NBC Chicago catches Obama in a whopping lie. Some redacted portions of an Obama subpoena request have been unearthed:

    Obama had a secret phone call with Blagojevich
    Redacted portion: President-elect Obama also spoke to Governor Blagojevich on December 1, 2008 in Philadelphia. On Harris Cell Phone Call # 139, John Harris and Governor’s legal counsel discuss a conversation Blagojevich had with President-elect Obama. The government claims a conspiracy existed from October 22, 2008 continuing through December 9, 2008.6 That conversation is relevant to the defense of the government’s theory of an ongoing conspiracy. Only Rod Blagojevich and President Obama can testify to the contents of that conversation. The defense is allowed to present evidence that corroborates the defendant’s testimony.

    As veteran Chicago reporter Steve Rhodes says:

    If Obama says he loves you, check it out.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Linda-Orf/1427424460 Linda Orf

    This should be fun!

  • http://www.fashionsports.org/ maidi669

    Hello,everybody,the good shoping place,the new season approaching, click in. Let’s facelift bar!
    ===== http://www.fashionsports.org/ ====

    Air jordan(1-24)shoes $33

    UGG BOOT $50

    Nike shox(R4,NZ,OZ,TL1,TL2,TL3) $33

    Handbags(Coach lv fendi d&g) $33

    Tshirts (Polo ,ed hardy,lacoste) $16

    Jean(True Religion,ed hardy,coogi) $30

    Sunglasses(Oakey,coach,gucci,Armaini) $12

    New era cap $9

    Bikini (Ed hardy,polo) $18

    FREE SHIPPING

  • kieronnpollard

    The defense also spends much time educating If previous presidents of the meeting being called to give evidence where appropriate.
    memory stick

  • Disfuncion

    Very, very interesting.

© 2012 Mediaite, LLC | About Us | Advertise | Newsletter | Jobs | Privacy | User Agreement | Disclaimer | Power Grid FAQ | Contact | Archives | RSS RSS
Dan Abrams, Founder | Power Grid by Sound Strategies | Hosting by Datagram