Breaking Story: "Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald Could Send Barack Obama to Jail"

[Tess Anderson]

I know Tony Rezko is singing, but this was an MSNBC message board, of all places:

The Sun Times today gave a major clue that Barack Obama will indeed go down with Tony Rezko, sooner rather than later. It looks as though Rezko is about to turn on Alexi Giannoulias, the 30-year old State Treasurer of Illinois (who was elected only because Obama backed him).

Here’s where all the clues are…and then we’ll walk you through the local Chicago politics on how today’s hint by the Sun Times has us convinced, for the first time ever, that prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald could indeed send Barack Obama to jail. We need to repeat that: we never believed, until now, that Obama would go to jail for anything related to Rezko. Today, this breaking news about what Rezko is singing to the Feds about makes us reconsider all of that. Barack Obama will serve a prison sentence in the next few years — because knowing Fitzgerald, there is no reason he would be going through all of this if that was not the targeted goal in the long term.

(1) Michael Sneed in her Sun Times column 10/10/08 had the following tidbit: Sneed hears rumbles political fund-raiser/fixer Tony Rezko, who is now singing sweetly to the feds from his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, has been talking about his “dealings” with a Chicago bank, which has political connections.

(2) We just spoke with someone well-connected in Chicago politics who told us that the bank Sneed is talking about has to be Broadway Bank, which is owned by the politically-connected Giannoulias family. We were told that Sneed’s column confirms rumblings people we know heard independently that Tony Rezko is giving up the Giannoulias family to Patrick Fitzgerald — Rezko and the Giannoulias family are as close and tied together as anyone in Chicago could be. If Rezko is turning on them, then Rezko is going to give up Governor Rod Blagojevich and Obama too. We don’t want to end up in cement shoes for implying anything here, but if you live in Chicago for any length of time, you hear rumors about Broadway Bank, the Giannoulias family, and insert Tony Soprano references here. Kapeech?

(3) So, Rezko is singing about the Giannoulias family and its longtime “business dealings” in Chicago, which would interest someone like Fitzgerald and the Justice Department, who have had a long ambition to crack Soprano-style business dealings in Chicago (the city known for Al Capone hasn’t changed much, really). The next plate to drop in this will be Fitzgerald then leaning on the Giannoulias family to give up someone bigger than them, who Fitzgerald once discussed in terms of hoping “he has the morals to do the right thing”, to paraphrase. We now believe that person Fitz was talking about is Barack Obama.

(4) The Giannoulias family was involved with Obama as far back as his first state senate campaign in 1996. It has been long rumored here in Chicago that Obama obtained a sweetheart deal on his first town home here in Chicago — which he could not have afforded otherwise — and guess who the financing came from for that house? We’ve been told it was Broadway Bank, the Giannoulias bank. Now, this sets up a scenario where the Giannoulias family helps Obama with his campaign finances and gets him deeper in their pocket with his sweetheart mortgage deal (for the first home he owned that he could not afford) – all in exchange for quid pro quo to be determined later.

(5) One favor political Chicago claims Obama did for the Giannoulias family was in 2006 when, out of the blue, 29 year old Alexi Giannoulias, with no experience, and without ever having voted before, decides to run for State Treasurer of Illinois. Also out of the blue, Barack Obama endorses Alexi Giannoulias for State Treasurer. This was a SHOCK to everyone in Chicago — and Giannoulias would have never become State Treasurer without Obama’s help. In political circles here, it has always been believed that this endorsement was bought years ago with that sweetheart mortgage deal Broadway Bank arranged for Obama to buy his town house.

(6) So, the Tony Rezko sweetheart deal was not the first magic home loan Obama ever received to buy a house he  house he could not afford. There’s more to this that looks like it will break soon. We were STUNNED when we read Sneed’s column because we never in a million years believed Fitz would actually be able to take down Obama. We do not believe this will come out before the election, however, but we do believe Fitzgerald will continue his prosecution to the highest level, because that is what he does. Jean Valjean got off easy, compared to what it’s like to be in the crosshairs of perhaps the greatest prosecutor this nation has had in a generation. Patrick Fitzgerald is a force of nature.

Sneed’s clue can only mean Broadway Bank…we’ve now heard this from several people in Chicago. And Broadway Bank can only mean Giannoulias. And Giannoulias leads to Obama through that town house home loan and the quid pro quo political endorsement several years later. And that home loan ties back to Rezko, in that it was the first of two shady home buys Obama made with quid pro quos attached to them.

HERE

Some of this seems quite a stretch to me, but, like Ann Coulter, I'm wary of a President Biden as well.

[RightCoast]

Ummm...Merry Fitzmas??

[miskie]

I read this earlier - its amusing that its posted on MSNBC but until there is stated fact and not a chain of suppositions.

If it is at least partly true, then I may be heading over to the local Salvation Army to get a Fitzmas Tree that some DUmmy discarded. ( to be chemically disinfected before entering the house first, of course)

[Airwolf]

Well we can only hope this could have legs but untill the cops show up at the front door of Barrys crib then there isn't much to hang your hat on yet.

Edited:

It looks like there is something to this,I found this over at Drudge Report.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081011/D93O5M100.html



Obama fundraiser, convicted of fraud, spills beans
 
 
 
(AP) In this Wednesday, June 4, 2008 file photo, Antoin "Tony" Rezko returns to the Federal Courthouse...
 

CHICAGO (AP) - Jailed political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, the Chicago real estate developer who helped launch Barack Obama on his political career, is whispering secrets to federal prosecutors about corruption in Illinois and the political fallout could be explosive.

Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose administration faces multiple federal investigations over how it handed out jobs and money with advice from Rezko, is considered the most vulnerable.

Rezko also was friendly with Obama - offering him a job when he finished law school, funding his earliest political campaigns and purchasing a lot next to his house. But based on the known facts, charges so far and testimony at Rezko's trial, there's no indication there'll be an October surprise that could hurt the Democratic presidential nominee - even though Rezko says prosecutors are pressing him for dirt about Obama.

[DixieBelle]

Three weeks before the election. I'm very wary of anything meaningful happening to Teh Ooooobama before then. Of course if he wins, he'll only be the president-elect until Jan 09. Lots can happen by then.

[Chris]

Joe Biden's finally gonna be President!

[Chris]

Three weeks before the election. I'm very wary of anything meaningful happening to Teh Ooooobama before then. Of course if he wins, he'll only be the president-elect until Jan 09. Lots can happen by then.

Srsly, that would be an interesting scenario.  A sitting President convicted of criminal charges committed before he was elected.  What would happen? 

[Airwolf]

Srsly, that would be an interesting scenario.  A sitting President convicted of criminal charges committed before he was elected.  What would happen? 

Hard to say. But if they do impeach him it would be the first time under circumstances like this before a President took office. Also Barrys party would take as big of if not larger hit then when Nixon left office.

[rich_t]

Srsly, that would be an interesting scenario.  A sitting President convicted of criminal charges committed before he was elected.  What would happen? 

I suspect a sitting president wouldn't see the inside of a court room until after his term under such circumstances.

[Chris]

I suspect a sitting president wouldn't see the inside of a court room until after his term under such circumstances.

How?  That could hardly be covered under Executive privelige.  Is there something about the Presidency that makes the office holder exempt from criminal law?

[rich_t]

How?  That could hardly be covered under Executive privelige.  Is there something about the Presidency that makes the office holder exempt from criminal law?

Because the lawyers would be able to drag out such an issue for longer than a 4 year term.

[Chris_]

Srsly, that would be an interesting scenario.  A sitting President convicted of criminal charges committed before he was elected.  What would happen? 

Nothing -- just like the last sitting President so convicted.

[lars1701c]

I dislike Obama with a passion but if you think the MSM is going to let these charges stick or members of the Congress are going to go after him please step aside from the kool aid. Like I said before he cold kill kittens and drink their blood and he still would get away with it.

[Willow]

Srsly, that would be an interesting scenario.  A sitting President convicted of criminal charges committed before he was elected.  What would happen? 

I think they tried to do that to Clinton too but the courts ruled they had to wait til he left office, then nothing ever came of it. I don't even remember what alledged crime Clinton had comitted.

[RightCoast]

Also Barrys party would take as big of if not larger hit then when Nixon left office.

You don't really believe that do you?

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

This is how its going to play out:

1. MSM supresses the story by talking about what's really important: how Gov. Palin frivilously wasted taxpayer money by taking the kids to McD's for ice cream on her taxpayer salary.

2. 33% of electorate that does not haunt the internet hear vague rumors but free healthcare sounds kinda cool.

3. Obama gets elected.

4. Dems deepen their margins in congress

5. Obama fires Fitzgerald claiming Bush did it too and obviously Fitzgerald has a personal grudge  clouding his objectivity.

6. Dems refuse to allow investigations or hearings in congress.

7. The DoJ and FCC Truth Squads harass any radio stations or internet outlets that complain.


Have a nice day.

[BlueStateSaint]

This is how its going to play out:

1. MSM supresses the story by talking about what's really important: how Gov. Palin frivilously wasted taxpayer money by taking the kids to McD's for ice cream on her taxpayer salary.

2. 33% of electorate that does not haunt the internet hear vague rumors but free healthcare sounds kinda cool.

3. Obama gets elected.

4. Dems deepen their margins in congress

5. Obama fires Fitzgerald claiming Bush did it too and obviously Fitzgerald has a personal grudge  clouding his objectivity.

6. Dems refuse to allow investigations or hearings in congress.

7. The DoJ and FCC Truth Squads harass any radio stations or internet outlets that complain.


Have a nice day.

Sadly, I agree.

[paladin0]

Anyone know of Fitzgerald was a Hillary supporter? If so taking down Obama paves the way for Hillary Clinton '12 and him getting a nice job in her administration.

Paladin0