Monday, May 13, 2013

DOJ Seized Associated Press Telephone Records

by Keith Koffler on May 13, 2013, 7:47 pm
Maybe now the MSM will finally decide the Obama administration is worth investigating.
From the Associated Press itself:
The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative’s top executive called a “massive and unprecedented intrusion” into how news organizations gather the news.
The records obtained by the Justice Department listed outgoing calls for the work and personal phone numbers of individual reporters, for general AP office numbers in New York, Washington and Hartford, Conn., and for the main number for the AP in the House of Representatives press gallery, according to attorneys for the AP. It was not clear if the records also included incoming calls or the duration of the calls.
In all, the government seized the records for more than 20 separate telephone lines assigned to AP and its journalists in April and May of 2012 . . .
The government would not say why it sought the records. Officials have previously said in public testimony that the U.S. attorney in Washington is conducting a criminal investigation into who may have provided information contained in a May 7, 2012, AP story about a foiled terror plot. The story disclosed details of a CIA operation in Yemen that stopped an al-Qaida plot in the spring of 2012 to detonate a bomb on an airplane bound for the United States.
The White House says it don’t know nothin’ about it. From a statement by White House Press Secretary Jay Carney:
Other than press reports, we have no knowledge of any attempt by the Justice Department to seek phone records of the AP.  We are not involved in decisions made in connection with criminal investigations, as those matters are handled independently by the Justice Department.  Any questions about an ongoing criminal investigation should be directed to the Department of Justice.
Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren, a former trial attorney, told Politico the DOJ’s seizure “sounds like a dragnet to intimidate the media” instead of a criminal investigation.
“What is stunning is the breadth of the seizure!” Van Susteren said. “If you read the AP President’s letter to DOJ, and if his letter is accurate, the seizure was very broad: 2 months of telephone records involving many who work at AP!
This administration routinely attempts to intimidate the media. It has never had any respect for freedom of the press. Washington reporters, including those with the Associated Press, know that and yet carry on quietly as if nothing is wrong.
Now, to use a scientific term, it’s finally biting them in the ass.

Ted Cruz received all the evidence of Obama using all forged IDs and a stolen CT SSN. It remains to be seen if he really has any integrity and will do anything or whether he is a corrupt puppet as all the others Posted on | May 13, 2013 | No Comments

Ted Cruz received all the evidence of Obama using all forged IDs and a stolen CT SSN. It remains to be seen if he really has any integrity and will do anything or whether he is a corrupt puppet as all the others

Posted on | May 13, 2013 | No Comments

Leftist Kirstin Powers on Obama’s Benghazi Press Conference: “I’m Just Going to Call Them Lies Because They’re Lies” (Video)

Kirstin Powers on Barack Obama’s Benghazi “lies.”
He’s so centrally involving himself with these repeated lies. And, I’m just going to call them lies because they’re lies. They’re on tape. Nobody thought that he called it a terrorist attack. Last night I went up and I looked at The New York Timeshow they reported it (Benghazi) the day after. They never reference that we had a terrorist attack against the United States. On September 20th, however, they run a story that says Libyan envoys killing was a terrorist attack. And they say until now White House officials have not used that language in describing the assault. That is September 20th. That is The New York Times. Now at what point are people going to get tired of the president coming out and over and over saying things like don’t believe your lying eyes?
 

AP blasts feds for phone records search

By Matt Smith and Joe Johns, CNN
updated 9:47 PM EDT, Mon May 13, 2013
Watch this video

AP CEO: 'no justification' for seizure

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: There'd better be a "damned good explanation" for subpoenas, Boehner spokesman says
  • NEW: Federal review of AP phone records is unprecedented but looks legal, Toobin says
  • The AP calls the subpoenas a "massive and unprecedented intrusion"
  • It says federal agents collected records from bureau and personal phone lines
(CNN) -- The Justice Department secretly collected two months of telephone records for reporters and editors at The Associated Press, the news service disclosed Monday in an outraged letter to Attorney General Eric Holder.
The records included calls from several AP bureaus and the personal phone lines of several staffers, AP President Gary Pruitt wrote. Pruitt called the subpoenas a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into its reporting.
"These records potentially reveal communications with confidential sources across all of the newsgathering activities undertaken by the AP during a two-month period, provide a road map to AP's newsgathering operations and disclose information about AP's activities and operations that the government has no conceivable right to know," wrote Pruitt, the news agency's CEO.
The AP reported that the government has not said why it wanted the records. But it noted that U.S. officials have said they were probing how details of a foiled bomb plot that targeted a U.S.-bound aircraft leaked in May 2012. The news agency said records from five reporters and an editor who worked on a story about the plot were among those collected, but it said none of the information the government has shared with it suggested agents listened in on any reporters' calls.
Abrams: That's not America at its best
Issa: Justice probe into AP is 'disturbing'
The news immediately raised questions among members of Congress.
"The First Amendment is first for a reason," said Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner. "If the Obama administration is going after reporters' phone records, they better have a damned good explanation."
The subpoenas were disclosed to the news agency on Friday, Pruitt wrote. In all, federal agents collected records from more than 20 lines, including personal phones and AP phone numbers in New York; Hartford, Connecticut; and Washington, he wrote.
"We regard this action by the Department of Justice as a serious interference with AP's constitutional rights to gather and report the news," he told Holder. Pruitt demanded that the department return all records collected and destroy all copies.
The U.S. attorney's office in Washington responded that federal investigators seek phone records from news outlets only after making "every reasonable effort to obtain information through alternative means." It did not disclose the subject of the probe.
"We must notify the media organization in advance unless doing so would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of the investigation," it said. "Because we value the freedom of the press, we are always careful and deliberative in seeking to strike the right balance between the public interest in the free flow of information and the public interest in the fair and effective administration of our criminal laws."
CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said the Obama administration "has been incredibly aggressive" about prosecuting leakers, and there's no privilege in federal law that allows reporters to protect their sources. But he said past administrations have avoided going that far.
"I have never heard of a subpoena this broad," Toobin said. "It's legal, as far as I can tell. The administration isn't violating the First Amendment. But they are certainly doing more than has ever been done before in pursuing the private information of journalists. And we'll see if there's any political check on them, because there doesn't appear to be any legal check on what they're doing."
The White House was unaware of the subpoenas, spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Monday night.
"We are not involved in decisions made in connection with criminal investigations, as those matters are handled independently by the Justice Department," Carney said.
Holder announced in June 2012 that he had assigned two U.S. attorneys to lead investigations into the possible leaking of state secrets, and members of Congress have complained about disclosures of electronic warfare campaigns against Iran, U.S. drone attacks overseas and Obama's personal involvement in "kill lists" of militants in Yemen and Pakistan.
But Pruitt wrote that most of the records collected from the AP "can have no plausible connection to any ongoing investigation," and the American Civil Liberties Union called on the Justice Department to explain its actions.
"Obtaining a broad range of telephone records in order to ferret out a government leaker is an unacceptable abuse of power," Ben Wizner, the head of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said in a written statement. "Freedom of the press is a pillar of our democracy, and that freedom often depends on confidential communications between reporters and their sources."
In a statement issued Monday night, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said, "I am very troubled by these allegations and want to hear the government's explanation."
"The burden is always on the government when they go after private information -- especially information regarding the press or its confidential sources," said Leahy, D-Vermont. "I want to know more about this case, but on the face of it, I am concerned that the government may not have met that burden."
And Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, told CNN that the Justice Department already has the ability "to listen, very transparently, to all the government phones and government activities."
"You can imagine if Congress wanted to know about leaks that obviously came out of the administration that ended up in the press, they would be outraged if we tried to get that information," said Issa, a member of the House Judiciary Committee and a leading critic of Holder. "But that's exactly what they're doing. They're looking at what is considered to be confidential."

Bilderberg criminal enterprise in conjunction with corrupt and complicit U.S. Presidents and Congressmen are criminally complicit in treason and of robbing millions of young Americans and Europeans of their jobs and their future. Each member of Bilderberg group and their accomplices in the U.S. Governmment should stand trial for this RICO conspiracy to subvert national interests Posted on | May 13, 2013 | No Comments Tea Party Nation Judson Philli… Judson Phillips Check out the blog post ‘Young people in this nation are unemployed! While at the same time optimistic of the new communist horizon! REALLY!’ Blog post added by Dan Short: As one who has limited economic education of academic environment, and has done my own research, developed my own reasoning, and found my o… Blog post link: Young people in this nation are unemployed! While at the same time optimistic of the new communist horizon! REALLY!

Bilderberg criminal enterprise in conjunction with corrupt and complicit U.S. Presidents and Congressmen are criminally complicit in treason and of robbing millions of young Americans and Europeans of their jobs and their future. Each member of Bilderberg group and their accomplices in the U.S. Governmment should stand trial for this RICO conspiracy to subvert national interests

Posted on | May 13, 2013 | No Comments
Judson Philli…
Check out the blog post ‘Young people in this nation are unemployed! While at the same time optimistic of the new communist horizon! REALLY!’
Blog post added by Dan Short:
As one who has limited economic education of academic environment, and has done my own research, developed my own reasoning, and found my o…
Blog post link:
Young people in this nation are unemployed! While at the same time optimistic of the new communist horizon! REALLY!

Red Cross caught planting trees in memory of Muslim terrorists in Palestine


Newly planted trees illustration 
By: David Ross
The International Red Cross was caught red handed planting trees in honor of Palestinian terrorists in Palestine, according to a shocking new report by a media watchdog group.

By Aryeh Savir

Tazpit News Agency For
YourJewishNews.com

In a ceremony celebrating its 150th anniversary which was named "My Honor is My Freedom", the International Red Cross together with the Palestinian Red Crescent planted 150 trees in Jenin bearing the names of "veteran prisoners." According to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) the Palestinian Authority uses the term "veteran prisoners" to refer to those who have been in jail the longest, and in most cases are serving life sentences for murder or multiple murders. Giorgio Ferrario, representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, participated in this ceremony honoring terrorists.

PMW recently reported that Issa Abd Rabbo, who shot and murdered two university students hiking near Jerusalem in 1984, was referred to as a "veteran prisoner." Abd Rabbo was recently honored by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas who told his Abd Rabbo's mother that "the best of the Palestinian people's sons are in prison". This is part of the PA 's policy to present terrorist murderers as role models and to glorify them.

The Palestinian Red Crescent's website writes that its "programs, projects and events" are funded by the International Red Cross. It is not clear if the International Red Cross directly funded or merely participated in this terror glorification event.

The official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reported on the International Red Cross' participation in the tree planting ceremony honoring terrorists, pointing out that "Fruit trees were planted at the entrance to the village, where the racist annexation and expansion wall that has swallowed up thousands of acres [of land] was built." This statement relates to the security fence erected by Israel to stop Palestinian terrorists from killing civilians throughout Israel.

Wider Problems Found at IRS

Probe Says Tax Agency Used Sweeping Criteria to Scrutinize Conservative Groups

The Internal Revenue Service's scrutiny of conservative groups went beyond those with "tea party" or "patriot" in their names—as the agency admitted Friday—to also include ones worried about government spending, debt or taxes, and even ones that lobbied to "make America a better place to live," according to new details of a government probe.
The investigation into the IRS's targeting of conservative groups has revealed that high-ranking IRS officials knew as early as 2011 of the practice. John McKinnon reports.
The investigation also revealed that a high-ranking IRS official knew as early as mid-2011 that conservative groups were being inappropriately targeted—nearly a year before then-IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told a congressional committee the agency wasn't targeting conservative groups.
Associated Press
Tax-exempt groups organized under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code are allowed to engage in some political activity, but the primary focus of their efforts must remain promoting social welfare.
The new disclosures are likely to inflame a widening controversy over IRS handling of dozens of applications by tea-party, patriot and other conservative groups for tax-exempt status.
The details emerged from disclosures to congressional investigators by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The findings, which were reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, don't make clear who came up with the idea to give extra scrutiny to the conservative groups.
The Internal Revenue Service inappropriately flagged conservative political groups for additional reviews during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax exempt status. John McKinnon reports on the News Hub.
The inspector general's office has been conducting an audit of the IRS's handling of the applications process and is expected to release a report this week. The audit follows complaints last year by numerous tea-party and other conservative groups that they had been singled out and subjected to excessive and inappropriate questioning. Many groups say they were asked for lists of their donors and other sensitive information.
On Sunday, a government official said the report will note that IRS officials told investigators that no one outside the IRS was involved in developing the criteria the agency now acknowledges were flawed.
On Friday, Lois Lerner, head of the IRS tax-exempt-organizations division, said the agency was "apologetic" for what she termed "absolutely inappropriate" actions by lower-level workers. She said those workers had selected some conservative groups for extra scrutiny to determine whether their applications should be approved. She said they had picked groups for extra scrutiny according to whether they had "tea party" or "patriot" in their names, among other criteria.
Ms. Lerner came to the IRS in 2001 from the Federal Election Commission, and assumed her current position in 2006. IRS officials said Sunday that Ms. Lerner wasn't available for comment, and she didn't respond to an emailed request.
GOP lawmakers stepped up their criticism on Sunday. "The bottom line is [IRS officials] used key words to go after conservatives," Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.), said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "There has to be accountability for the people who did it. And, quite frankly…there's got to be accountability for people who were telling lies about it being done."
Some Democrats also voiced criticism. "I'm concerned about that," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.), also on NBC. "Somebody made the decision that they would give extra scrutiny to this particular group. And I think we have to understand why."
The IRS said over the weekend it is in the process of independently confirming the dates mentioned on the timeline of events contained in the inspector general report, "but we believe the [inspector general's] timeline is correct." The IRS said the report supports its view that its missteps weren't politically motivated and were limited to lower-level workers.
The IRS also said the report reflects that "IRS senior leadership was not aware of this level of specific details" at the time of a March 2012 hearing where Mr. Shulman denied any targeting of conservative groups. Mr. Shulman, who no longer works for the IRS, declined to comment.
The new details suggest that agency workers were examining statements in applications for tax-exempt status to determine whether groups had political leanings.
Tax-exempt social-welfare groups organized under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code are allowed to engage in some political activity, but the primary focus of their efforts must remain promoting social welfare. That social-welfare activity can include lobbying and advocating for issues and legislation, but not outright political-campaign activity. But some of the rules leave room for IRS officials to make judgment calls and probe individual groups for further information.
Organizing as such a group is desirable, not just because such entities typically don't have to pay taxes, but also because they generally don't have to identify their donors.
IRS officials said last week that the focused review of conservative groups was initiated by lower-level civil servants in the IRS Cincinnati office, not by political appointees in Washington, and that it wasn't politically motivated. They say it stemmed from a misguided effort to centralize review of a growing number of applications for tax-exempt 501(c)(4) status.
But questions continued to swirl about the failure of IRS officials to disclose the problems until the inspector general's report was about to become public.
The timeline contained in the draft report indicates that IRS scrutiny of tea-party and other conservative groups began as early as 2010 and came to the attention of Ms. Lerner, the head of the tax-exempt-organizations division, at least by the following year.
The report's timeline indicates that the criteria were changed to be more neutral in July 2011 after Ms. Lerner "raised concerns." The criteria for heightened scrutiny continued to evolve over the next year or so, even as complaints from tea-party groups—and questions from GOP lawmakers—mounted over IRS inquiries to various groups about their activities.
Letters from Ms. Lerner in April and May 2012 responding to questions by Republican lawmakers made no mention of the problems that had surfaced in the IRS unit.
According to the draft report, on April 24 and 25 of last year, officials in Ms. Lerner's office were reviewing "troubling questions" that had been asked of organizations, including "the names of donors."
Ms. Lerner's April 26 letter to Mr. Issa, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said that "there are instances where donor information may be needed…such as when the application presents possible issues of…private benefit."
The report indicates that in 2010 and 2011, some IRS workers weren't just singling out groups because their names contained certain words, as IRS officials suggested on Friday, but appeared to be probing for indications of political interests or leanings.
According to the report, by June 2011 some IRS specialists were probing applications using the following criteria: "issues include government spending, government debt or taxes; education of the public by advocacy/lobbying to 'make America a better place to live'; statements in the case file criticize how the country is being run."
Write to John D. McKinnon at john.mckinnon@wsj.com and Siobhan Hughes at siobhan.hughes@dowjones.com

Barack Obama must be indicted, Patrick Fitzgerald, January 15, 2009, Obama corruption, Rod Blagojevich, Rezko, Levine, Weinstein, Chicago corruption, Obama indictment, Obama is not eligible

Why Barack Obama should be indicted
Part 13

One or more of the following events should happen:
  • Obama steps down.
  • Obama is forced to prove eligibility.
  • Obama is indicted and/or arrested.
Barack Obama was not only in cahoots with corruption figures
like Rezko and other slumlord types like Valerie Jarrett, but
also corrupt figures that fraudulently used the IL Health
Planning Facilities Board and the IL TRS, Teachers Retirement
System.

What do Barack Obama and Rod Blagojevich have in common with
these indicted corruption figures?
Tony Rezko
Stuart Levine
Ali Ata
Joseph Cari
William Cellini
P. Nicholas Hurtgen
Jacob Kiferbaum
Steven Loren
Edward Vrdolyak
Dr. Robert Weinstein
A host of others mentioned in indictments, complaints and
court transcripts.
The Citizen Wells blog has already urged Patrick Fitzgerald to
indict Barack Obama based on his involvement in rigging the IL
Health Planning Facilities Board Indict Obama . The focus of this
article will be Obama’s ties to corruption involving the
TRS, Teachers Retirement System.

TRS, Teachers Retirement System described.
From Rezko indictment

“The Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (“TRS”) was a
public pension plan created by Illinois law for the purpose of providing
pension, survivor, and disability benefits for teachers and administrators
employed in Illinois public schools except in the City of Chicago. It served
approximately 325,000 members and annuitants, and had assets in excess of
approximately $30 billion. TRS was funded by annual contributions from
teachers, their employers, and the State of Illinois, as well as investment
income.”
“The activities of TRS were directed by an 11-member Board of Trustees. Certain
of those trustees were appointed by statute by the Governor of the State of
Illinois, while other trustees were elected by teachers and annuitants. Among
its other responsibilities, the Board of Trustees reviewed and voted to approve
or reject proposals by private investment management companies to manage funds
on behalf of TRS. At any given time, TRS assets were managed by numerous
different investment management companies. These companies were compensated by
TRS for their activities, typically through fees calculated as a percentage of
the TRS assets they managed.”
“In carrying out all of their duties, including reviewing and deciding whether
to approve or reject proposals by private investment management firms to manage
TRS assets, members of the TRS Board of Trustees owed a fiduciary duty to the
beneficiaries of TRS and were required to act solely for the benefit of the
beneficiaries of TRS. In order to assist members of the TRS Board of Trustees
in evaluating proposals to manage TRS assets, TRS required an investment firm to disclose, before TRS decided whether to authorize it to manage TRS assets, all
finder’s fees, placement fees, and commissions (hereafter collectively referred
to as “finder’s fees”) to be paid by that investment firm in connection with its
TRS business. Such fees at times were paid by investment firms to individuals or
entities in exchange for bringing the investment firm to the attention of TRS or
facilitating the communications between the investment firm and TRS.”

Here is a great overview of Obama and Blagojevich ties to corruption
from a April 7, 2008 article on the LA Times blog titled

“Ticket Special Report: Obama and Rezko, the early years”
Written by Andrew Malcolm “A veteran foreign and national correspondent,
Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist
in 2004.”
“The trial of Antoin “Tony” Rezko, one-time patron to Sen. Barack Obama and
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has turned lurid.
Under cross-examination by Rezko attorney Joseph Duffy, star prosecution witness
Stuart Levine, a Chicago-area lawyer, is admitting to conspiracy, extortion,
bribery, fraud and other bad acts while he “served” at the Illinois public school
teachers pension fund board.”
“It’s an unfolding, seemingly local political story that’s fascinating in its
revealing details about the subterranean world of business, financial and family
connections in Illinois and Chicago politics that helped take a virtually unknown
black Chicago attorney, nurtured him politically and financially and
turned him into….
…the polished candidate who today thrills crowds of thousands across the country
with his eloquence.
Obama currently leads in delegates for the Democratic nomination for president.”
“This story concerns two men, neither of whom face any legal charges today. They
are two of Illinois’ top Democratic politicians — Gov. Blagojevich, who’s been
mentioned often in court, and Sen. Obama, who’s received only passing mentions.
They’re entwined in the Rezko saga, particularly through the bounteous campaign
money he raised for them both.
Get used to that name. Rezko’s currently in a long-running Chicago trial on federal
extortion and bribery charges. Few campaign donors were more responsible than Rezko
for the rise of Blagojevich (Blah-goy-ah-vitch) and Obama. Both politicians came to
rely on him for political and personal advice — and lots of campaign money.”

“So far, Blagojevich, reelected in 2006, is more deeply enmeshed in the scandal than
Obama, who’s not been implicated in any wrongdoing.
But all three operated in the murky world of Illinois Democratic politics, where
money, family relationships and long business associations provide the invisible
glue of the local political world.”

“An early trial exhibit from prosecutors was a spreadsheet. Prepared by an FBI agent,
the spreadsheet identifies Rezko-related donors who supplied $1.43 million between
2001 and 2004 to Blagojevich, who was first elected governor in 2002.
Using Federal Election Commission and Illinois state records, The Times’ Dan Morain
compared donors on the FBI spreadsheet to Obama’s contributors. Guess what.
Sen. Obama received $222,000 during the same 2001-2004 period from Rezko-related
Blagojevich donors.”

“Those Obama-Blagojevich donors include Rezko himself, along with his family members,
employees and associates of his various business enterprises. There’s also the head
of a major Chicago investment firm that received Illinois public teachers’ pension
money to invest.”

“Another overlapping donor is John Rogers, head of Ariel Capital, a major
Chicago-based investment firm. Rogers gave $12,500 to Blagojevich in 2004, the FBI
spreadsheet shows. Rogers has also given Obama $25,000, state and FEC records reveal.”

“As an Illinois state senator, Obama appeared before Illinois pension funds in 2000
and 2001 to urge that they provide more business to black-owned investment houses
including, as it happens, Ariel.
Describing his efforts to the Urban League last year, Obama said African-American-owned
firms were not getting any business from state pensions. Obama singled out Rogers’ Ariel
Capital, calling it a well-respected investment house, but one that received no business.
“We didn’t have to implement a formal program,” Obama told the Urban League, taking no
credit. “I simply said, ‘Listen to what these folks have to say,’ and in about six
months they got about a half billion dollars worth of business simply on their own
excellence.”
In 2002, the year after Obama made the pitch, the Illinois Teacher Retirement System
reported an 18% increase in assets managed by minority-owned firms. Ariel’s share grew
to $442 million by 2005.
In 2006, after the federal investigation became public, the teacher pension board severed
its relationship with Ariel, concluding that Ariel’s investment returns were insufficient.”
Evelyn Pringle is an investigative journalist and she deserves
a lot of credit for researching and writing about Obama’s ties
to crime and corruption in Chicago and Illinois. The following
exerpts from her articles will provide important insights into
these ties.
Access Evelyn Pringle’s articles

Barack Obama — Operation Board Games For Slumlords

“In Obama’s case, a whole gang of slumlords in Illinois made their “voices heard”
by writing campaign checks to fund his rise to fame. But as long as the focus
of the slumlord allegations remains solely on a crook named Rezko, the other
members of the gang will not get the credit they deserve.”
“The prosecution team is led by the US Attorney for Northern Illinois, Patrick
Fitzgerald, of Scooter Libby fame; the same guy who put the last Illinois
Governor behind bars and convicted a host of government officials from the
Daley administrations who were involved in what prosecutors called “pervasive
fraud” to rig city hiring for 12 years with persons who got out the vote for
Mayor Daley, and the candidates he endorsed, as well as numerous crooks rounded
up during the scandal involving Daley’s Hired Truck program.
The list of names in the indictment includes about eight persons referred to
as “Co-Schemers,” and reads like a “who’s who list” of major campaign donors
to Obama, Blagojevich, Daley and other powerful Illinois politicians.
Blagojevich is referred to as “Public Official A,” Obama is referred to as a
“political candidate,” and there is a list of “Individuals” from “Individual A”
all the way up to “Individual HH.””
“The case involves the corruption of two state regulatory boards. The
investigation, dubbed “Operation Board Games,” by the Feds, began in December
2003, based on information supplied by an informant. Its now obvious that Rezko
was aware of the investigation as early as 2004, because during a January 16,
2007, court hearing his attorney, Joe Duffy, told US District Judge Amy St Eve
that he was hired in 2004.”
“On Blagojevich took office, the Schemers were able to stack the TRS board with
members who would vote whichever way they were told. Once they accomplished that
feat, they demanded kickbacks from investment firms in exchange for the approval
of their proposals.
Rezko’s partner in the Rezmar development company, Daniel Mahru, is referred to
as “Individual Z” in the indictment, and according to court filings, Rezko told
Mahru that “$500 million” of TRS money was earmarked for their company. Mahru is
reportedly cooperating with federal investigators.
In addition to lining their own pockets, the money gained through the scheme was
funneled to the campaigns of Blagojevich and Obama. Prosecutors have identified
two $10,000 payments that were made to Obama’s US Senate campaign through straw
donors Joseph Aramanda and Elie Maloof, which originated from a kickback paid by
investment firm, Glencoe Capital, to secure approval for a $50 million deal.
Aramanda and Maloof also each gave Obama $1,000 for his failed run for Congress
in 2000. Once Obama became a US Senator, Aramanda’s son was granted a coveted
intern position in Obama’s Senate office in Washington during the summer of 2005,
based on a request which the Obama’s camp has admitted came from Rezko.
Levine was appointed to the TRS Board in 2000, by Republican Governor George Ryan
and was reappointed in 2003 by Blagojevich. As part of the team led by Levine to
rig the votes, Blagojevich appointed, attorney Anthony Abboud, to serve. He is
“Individual Q” in the indictment. He has been donating money to Obama’s political
career since March 2000, with a total of more than $2,800.
Blagojevich also appointed, attorney Jack Carriglio, or “Individual R.” On June
30, 2003, Carriglio donated $1,000 for Obama’s US Senate campaign.”
“But Obama’s using the lure of the pension funds to raise campaign money goes way
back. In 1999, he “was instrumental in the formation of a coalition of black
investment firm owners and legislators in Illinois to create an initiative that
would award black-owned firms with the management of some of the state’s
retirement funds,” according to a 2004 article on Black Enterprise.com.
“He’s out there fighting for us,” said John Rogers, chairman and CEO of
Chicago-based Ariel Capital Management in the article. Rogers donated $9,000 to
Obama’s US Senate campaign.”
“However, the Times pointed out that Obama’s political career had benefited many
times over from his ties to the group. “Several of the businessmen or their wives
would help clear the debts from his Congressional race,” the Times wrote, “and six
of the group’s members are now among the top fund-raisers for his presidential
campaign, according to campaign finance records.”
All totaled, the Times said, employees at more than 30 companies listed on the
group’s website and their relatives donated more than $300,000 to help Obama win
his US Senate seat in 2004 and “set fund-raising records early in the 2008
presidential race.””
“John Rogers and two other people at Ariel each bundled at least $50,000 in
donations for Obama’s presidential campaign, according to the Times.
An October 3, 2005 article in the Sun-Times, by Chris Fusco and Dave McKinney,
reported that Ariel and its top executives also contributed $117,500 to
Blagojevich’s campaign.”

Barack Obama — Subplots of Operation Board Games

“Fitzgerald further reported that, “Cari and Loren, both formerly prominent
Chicago lawyers, each pleaded guilty in the pending TRS fraud case. Kiferbaum,
a suburban construction executive, pleaded guilty in the pending Planning Board
case.”
“All three are cooperating with the government and awaiting sentencing,”
the release said.
“This basically involved a pay to play scheme on steroids,” Fitzgerald told
reporters.
Allison Davis, Obama’s boss at the law firm, is also listed in legal documents
as playing a part in setting up a major extortion attempt in the Board Games case.”
Obama’s political career was bankrolled by the same gang that planned to make
Blagojevich president. For instance, Fortunee Massuda, another participant
identified in the “pay-to-play” schemes, contributed $25,000 to Blagojevich
compared to $2,000 to Obama. Michel Malek, another participant, threw $25,000 to
Blagojevich and $10,500 to Obama.
Ali Ata, another guy listed as a co-schemer in one indictment, was made executive
director of the Illinois Finance Authority, and he contributed $25,000 to
Blagojevich and $5,000 to Obama.
Jay Wilton, identified by prosecutors as a major contributor to Blagojevich, is
the owner of Wilton Partners, a construction company in California. He donated
$50,000 to Blagojevich shortly after his firm cinched an $83 million contract
with the state to refurbish the Illinois tollway’s oasis rest stops. Wilton also
gave $5,000 to Obama.
Joe Cari donated $15,000 to Blagojevich but only gave $1,335 to Obama.
A trial exhibit produced by an FBI agent, identifies major contributors who
donated $1.43 million to Blagojevich between 2001 and 2004. The Chicago Sun-Times
compared the exhibit to government campaign records on Obama and found he
received more than $220,000 from many of the same donors between 2001 and 2004.
John Rogers, the head of Ariel Capital, an investment firm that ended up with
major money from the pension funds, is on the FBI’s summary of Blagojevich’s
top contributors. He also gave Obama $25,000.
Rogers is a member of the finance committee for Obama’s presidential campaign.
Rogers also served on the campaign finance committee for Obama’s US Senate run
with Tony and Rita Rezko, Allison Davis, and Myron “Mike” Cherry.
Mike Cherry is listed in the indictment for the pay-to-pay schemes and the FBI
shows he gave Blagojevich $25,000 in 2003.
Daniel Mahru, a major player in the Chicago slumlord racket, has reportedly
flipped in the Board Games case and is cooperating with the prosecution. He is
 the owner of Automatic Ice Company, which donated $10,000 to Blagojevich. Mahru
gave $5,000 to Obama.
Attorney, Jack Carriglio, contributed $25,000 to Blagojevich and was appointed
to the TRS Board. He also gave $1000 to Obama.”
“In a January 11, 2006, report by Better Government Association, the groups
Executive Director, Jay Stewart, stated: “Illinois is awash in scandal and
corruption.””

Curtain Time for Obama — Part 1

“Ata told the jury he delivered one $25,000 contribution to Blagojevich at
Rezko’s office in the latter part of 2002, and the three men discussed the
prospects of Ata getting an appointment in the administration. He said people
at the office that day included Blagojevich’s campaign chief and later chief of
staff, Lon Monk, Christopher Kelly, and state Representative Jay Hoffman.
“I learned that Mr. Hoffman was part of a select group of advisers that were
referred to as the kitchen cabinet,” Ata told the jury.
“The way Ali Ata described it, the waiting room in the North Side office of
Antoin “Tony” Rezko seemed as busy as an airport terminal,” the Tribune noted
on May 1, 2008.
Ata brought another $25,000 check to a fundraiser on July 25, 2003, and he was
appointed to lead the Finance Authority.
Ata made a $5,000 donation to Obama less than a month earlier on June 30, 2003.
Ata is also an investor in Riverside Park. Almost without fail, the people
identified in the Board Games cases as investors in Riverside Park contributed
to Obama’s US senate campaign.”

Indictments, Criminal Complaints regarding TRS

Levine, Cari, Loren Indictment
March 2004
“Beginning no later than early 2002 and continuing through
at least June 2004, in the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern
Division, and elsewhere, STUART LEVINE,
defendant herein, together with Joseph Cari, Steven Loren, and
others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, devised and intended to
devise, and participated in, a scheme and artifice to defraud TRS
and its beneficiaries of money, property, and the intangible right
to the honest services of defendant LEVINE, by means of materially
false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, and
material omissions, and in furtherance thereof used the United
States mails and other interstate carriers, and interstate and
foreign wires, which scheme is further described below.”
“In the course of the scheme, LEVINE solicited,
demanded, and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in
undisclosed kickbacks and payments for LEVINE and his nominees and
associates from investment firms seeking to do business with TRS.”
Tony Rezko Indictment
February 2005
“STUART LEVINE and ANTOIN REZKO, also known as “Tony Rezko,”
defendants herein, together with Joseph Cari, Steven Loren, Jacob Kiferbaum,
Individual A, and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, devised and
intended to devise, and participated in, a scheme and artifice to defraud the
beneficiaries of TRS and the people of the State of Illinois, of money,
property, and the intangible right to LEVINE’s honest services, by means of
materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, and
material omissions, and in furtherance thereof used the United States mails
and other interstate carriers, and interstate and foreign wires, which scheme
is further described below.”
“It was part of the scheme that defendants REZKO and LEVINE, with the
assistance of Cari, Loren, Kiferbaum, Individual A, Individual B, and others,
fraudulently used and sought to use the position and influence of LEVINE and
other members of the TRS Board of Trustees and the Planning Board to obtain
financial benefits for REZKO, LEVINE, and their nominees and associates. In
the course of the scheme, REZKO and LEVINE solicited and demanded millions of
dollars in undisclosed kickbacks and payments, and received and directed
hundreds of thousands of dollars in actual undisclosed kickbacks and payments,
for the benefit of REZKO, LEVINE, and their nominees and associates, from
investment firms seeking to do business with TRS, and from Kiferbaum. Among
the defendants’ fraudulent activities in the course of the scheme were the
following:”
“REZKO used his relationship with certain State of Illinois officials, to
ensure that REZKO and LEVINE had the ability to influence the actions of TRS
and the Planning Board for the benefit of themselves and their nominees and
associates.”
William Cellini Indictment
February 2008
“Beginning no later than in and about the spring of 2003 and continuing
through in or about the summer of 2005, in the Northern District of Illinois,
Eastern Division, and elsewhere, WILLIAM F. CELLINI, SR., defendant herein,
together with Stuart Levine, Antoin “Tony” Rezko, Steven Loren, Co-Conspirator
A, and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, did conspire and agree with
each other to commit offenses against the United States, namely, to devise and
participate in a scheme to defraud the beneficiaries of TRS and the people of
the State of Illinois of their intangible right to Levine’s honest services,
and it was foreseeable that for the purposes of executing and attempting to
execute such scheme, one or more members of the conspiracy would use and cause
the use of the United States mails and private and commercial interstate
carriers, and the transmission of a wire communication in interstate commerce,
in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341, 1343, and 1346.”

Defendant WILLIAM F. CELLINI, SR. (“CELLINI”) had longstanding relationships
and influence with TRS trustees, including Stuart Levine, and TRS staff members,
and was associated with a real estate asset management firm, Commonwealth Realty
Advisors, that managed hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of TRS. CELLINI
also raised significant funds for, among others, Public Official A.”
“It was further part of the conspiracy that in or around the summer and fall of
2004, in an effort to conceal the conspiracy, CELLINI, Rezko and others discussed
the possibility of removing the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of
Illinois in an effort to stop any investigation into the co-conspirators and
others.”
Governor Rod Blagojevich Criminal Complaint
December 9, 2008

“Cari testified that he eventually became involved in the attempted extortion
of JER, a real estate investment firm that was seeking an investment from the
Teachers Retirement System (“TRS”). Details regarding corruption at TRS
involving one of its board members, Stuart Levine, are set forth below. Based
on his conversations with ROD BLAGOJEVICH, Rezko, Kelly, and Levine, in which
he was informed that consultants would be inserted into State of Illinois
transactions and then solicited for campaign contributions, Cari believed that
JER needed to hire a consultant. Cari testified that he informed employees of
JER that they needed to hire a consultant and that in Illinois the “Governor
and the people around the Governor” pick the consultants to be used on
particular deals. Cari informed JER employees that if they did not hire the
consultant then JER would not receive the money it was seeking from the State
of Illinois. Ultimately, JER exposed the attempted extortion and received money
from the State of Illinois.”
“Levine originally was appointed to the TRS Board in 2000. By the summer of 2001,
Levine, working in concert with William Cellini, who had a significant interest
in a real estate asset management firm that had a long-standing business
relationship with TRS, had established effective control over the TRS board by
forming and maintaining a group of TRS trustees who consistently voted together
on matters important to Cellini and Levine.”
“Levine testified that among the steps Cellini took to ingratiate himself with
ROD BLAGOJEVICH was raising considerable money for ROD BLAGOJEVICH.”
“As set forth more fully in the following paragraphs, Levine and Cellini, in order
to keep their control over TRS, agreed to an accommodation with Rezko and Kelly
that Rezko and Kelly would use their influence with ROD BLAGOJEVICH to stop the
consolidation of TRS with other pension boards and, in exchange, Levine and Cellini
would assist investment firms named by Rezko and Kelly to receive TRS money because
those investment firms had made or would make political contributions to ROD
BLAGOJEVICH.”

Conclusion

One getting their primary information from the MSM could easily get the impression
that Rod Blagojevich is being investigated primarily for trying to sell the US
Senate seat vacated by Obama and that Obama is innocent of all wrongdoing. However,
the truth of the matter is that Blagojevich has been under investigation for many
months and that he and Obama have long time close ties to crime and corruption in
Chicago and Illinois. There is so much damaging material about Blagojevich that
Patrick Fitzgerald requested a 90 day extension to prepare an indictment. The
Citizen Wells blog predicted months ago that Blagojevich would be indicted and
that Barack Obama would be indicted shortly thereafter.
It is clear that Patrick Fitgerald has been working his way up the job title chain
and that Barack Obama is next.
US Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts, US Department
of Justice, Patrick Fitzgerald, we have a president elect
that is not eligible and should already have been indicted.
Are you going to do your job and protect this country or is
it too late.

Obama Indictment

The arrest of IL Governor Rod Blagojevich on December 9, 2008
marked a turning point in the investigation of crime and
corruption in Chicago and Illinois referred to as “pay for play.”
Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald along with a team of FBI
agents wiretapped Stuart Levine and others tied to Tony Rezko,
Dr. Robert Weinstein, Rod Blagojevich and a host of corruption
figures in Illinois, many with ties to the Middle East. The
common denominator among all of these corruption figures is
Barack Obama. Obama has many long time close ties to Tony Rezko
and conspired with on or more of Rezko, Levine, Weinsein and
Blagojevich to rig the IL Health Planning Facilities Board. The
indictments or in the case of Blagojevich, criminal charges,
reveal the common link. The first article of this series examines
in detail the corruption of this board and serves as a request
to Patrick Fitzgerald to indict Barack Obama. Mr. Fitzgerald’s
office was contacted and the article was faxed to him.
Subsequent articles will reveal new details in the ongoing
investigations, but perhaps more importantly, old news that
was ignored or suppressed by the MSM will be reintroduced and
given new life in the wake of the Blagojevich arrest. This
first article will become a page at the top of this blog and
will be updated with new articles as they are written.
We urge you to read as much as possible and then contact the US
Dept. of Justice and demand that Barack Obama be indicted.

December 11, 2008 Request to Patrick Fitzgerald to indict Obama
December 12, 2008 Citizen Wells call and fax to Fitzgerald’s office
December 14, 2008 Citizen Wells first Blagojevich article in April 2008
December 16, 2008 Fitzgerald, man on a mission, Obama next?
December 16, 2008 Rezko sentencing delayed, talking about Obama?
December 18, 2008 Obama, prove your eligibility or step down
December 18, 2008 February 6, 2008 article by Democrat attorney, former prosecutor
December 19, 2008 National Review: Could the Blago Scandal Ensnare Team Obama? You Betcha
December 20, 2008 Truth about Blagojevich arrest and what it means for Barack Obama
December 22, 2008 Nayak seeks immunity, ties to Blagojevich, Obama
January 15, 2009 Obama corruption ties in IL TRS should lead to indictment

Obama, Barry Soetoro, Indonesian school records, Obama is Indonesian, Philip J Berg, lawsuit, Obama ineligible to be president

Below are Indonesian school records for Barry Soetoro, aka, Barack Obama. This is some, but by no means all, of the evidence that Barack Obama was and is an Indonesian citizen, regardless of where he was born.
  

59 Congress Members Demand Hagel Explain Meeting with Anti-Christian Extremist

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Monday morning, Congressmen Steve Scalise and John Fleming—both Republicans representing districts in Louisiana—sent a letter signed by 59 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel at the Pentagon, demanding answers regarding Pentagon officials meeting with an anti-Christian extremist.

This story began two weeks ago when Breitbart News reported on at least one such meeting. Since that time it has become a growing controversy, as Breitbart News reported additional disturbing details. Now Congress is weighing in.
The Scalise-Fleming letter begins:
It has come to our attention that as recently as April 23, 2013, Pentagon officials met with Mr. Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, Founder and President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), to discuss religious freedom in the military. As we have great concern regarding numerous inflammatory statements from Mr. Weinstein in recent weeks, we are seeking further clarification on the meeting that took place late last month.
The letter continues, detailing the numerous troubling statements attributed to Weinstein:
In a recent posting in his own words, Mr. Weinstein characterized men and women of the Christian faith as, “monsters who terrorize their fellow Americans” and offered consent to labeling individual faith based family groups as “hate groups.” Mr. Weinstein also [referenced such individuals and groups] as “die-hard enemies of the United States Constitution.”
The letter then notes that Weinstein has compared Christians in the military with “the Taliban and Al Qaeda,” as well as comparing Christians in general with “Hitler and Stalin.” The congressmen also criticize Weinstein’s comments “equating spiritual expression to ‘spiritual rape’ and sedition and treason within the military.”
Not surprisingly, the letter reads, “We question the Pentagon’s judgment and reasoning in accepting a meeting from someone with a history of such statements and sentiments.” The members of Congress demand that Hagel answer the following queries:
1. Confirmation of a meeting between pentagon officials and representatives from MRFF, as well as a list of meeting attendees, both military and civilians;
2. The purpose of the meeting specifically whether the meeting was organized to inform deliberative policy for the Armed Forces, as well as a summary of the meeting's discussion;
3. Prior to arranging this meeting, where Pentagon officials aware of Mr. Weinstein’s previous statements, including those referenced above?
4. In addition to any meetings already held, are there additional meetings scheduled?
And so Congress has launched yet another investigation into serious concerns regarding the Obama administration, this one the latest in an ongoing series of acts of hostility between President Obama’s administration and Americans of religious faith.
   


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Breitbart News legal columnist Ken Klukowski is senior fellow for religious liberty at the Family Research Council and on faculty at Liberty University School of Law.