Witness: Rezko said 'Fitzgerald would be eliminated' (Hastert's name pops up)

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

CHICAGO -- A government witness testified Monday that political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko told him three years ago that Chicago's chief federal prosecutor was to be fired and replaced by someone chosen by then-U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

Restaurant owner Elie Maloof quoted Rezko as saying the new U.S. attorney in Chicago, whom Rezko said would be chosen by Hastert, would then kill a federal investigation into corruption under Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

"The federal prosecutor would no longer be the federal prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald would be eliminated," Maloof told Rezko's fraud trial.

Prosecutors said last week that former Illinois Finance Authority executive director Ali Ata, who is to take the witness stand later in the trial, would testify that Rezko told him of a plan to replace Fitzgerald.

Read more: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6108177

---

Second witness refers to hint of Fitzgerald ouster


~snip~

Rezko told him during that meeting that when he spoke with federal investigators, he should not mention Rezko or talk about Gov. Blagojevich, Maloof testified. Rezko also indicated, Maloof said, that the U.S. attorney's office would soon change hands, that Fitzgerald "would be terminated" and that Dennis Hastert, then U.S. House speaker, would name a replacement.

"And what did you understand would be the significance if Fitzgerald was no longer U.S. attorney," assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Niewoehner asked.

"That the investigation would be over," Maloof answered.

Maloof said Rezko kept three cell phones aligned in front of him during this conversation and that when he inquired about the trio of phones, Rezko told him he had alternative phones "just in case somebody's listening."

"What did you understand him to mean," Niewoehner asked.

"That the feds were listening."

more:http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=181062&src=109

[grasswire]

1. "eliminated" means something more sinister to me

Hasn't this reporter ever seen a movie about organized crime?

[RufusTFirefly]

2. You mean, "take care of him"?

[Vidar]

6. I was thinking the same.

[maddezmom]

3. TPM: Get Fitzgerald! (Round Two)

Get Fitzgerald! (Round Two)
By Paul Kiel - April 28, 2008, 3:47PM
Last week, prosecutors in the trial of Tony Rezko revealed that a government witness would testify that Rezko had said he was plotting to get U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald canned. His buddy and Republican bigwig Robert Kjellander was in talks with Karl Rove, the story goes.

Both Rove and Kjellander denied ever speaking of canning Fitzgerald, and the plot did seem to fall somewhat short. The alleged plotting happened back in 2004, right when Fitzgerald was in the thick of the Valerie Plame leak investigation. As I said last week, it would have been an unbelievably bold move even for Rove. Nevertheless, it does appear that Kjellander would have been looking for any opening to get rid of Fitzgerald.

Today the Rezko trial brought another aspect of the somewhat hapless plot:

more:http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/04/get_fitzgerald_round_two.php

[indimuse]

4. The Rezko thing...crosses BOTH side of the isle...

tis why, until now, you haven't heard much about the RW involvement with Rezko as ell as Obama's 20 year relation. Questions will be asked...

http://imageshack.us>
By http://profile.imageshack.us/user/muzique>muzique

[maddezmom]

5. Hastert spokesman Brad Hahn said the accusation that Hastert might be in on a scheme came

Hastert spokesman Brad Hahn said the accusation that Hastert might be in on a scheme came "out of left field" and was without basis.

"We can't begin to speculate on where this comes from or what is being suggested," said Hahn.

Hastert retired from the House last year and is currently traveling the state at the behest of Blagojevich to drum up support for a $25 billion public works program the governor has proposed.

Prosecutors presented Maloof's testimony as an appetizer for an expected appearance on the stand later this week by Ali Ata, installed by Rezko as the $127,000 executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority.

Last week, Ata pleaded guilty to Rezko-related corruption and in doing so claimed that Rezko confided to him in November 2004—three months before the alleged Maloof conversation—the outlines of a scheme to pull strings with Bush White House political guru Karl Rove to have Fitzgerald removed.

The plan was to have Rove leaned on by his former college roommate and longtime friend Robert Kjellander, Illinois' Republican national committeeman, Ata said. Both Kjellander and a lawyer for Rove have denied any knowledge of such a plot.
more:http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rezkoapr29,1,5644219.story