It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.

Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.

Thank you.

 

Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.

 

Rod Blagojevich verdict: Guilty on one count: Lying to the FBI

page: 1
2

log in

join
share:

posted on Aug, 17 2010 @ 05:18 PM
link   

Rod Blagojevich verdict: Guilty on one count: Lying to the FBI


www.chicagotribune.com

A federal jury today convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich of one count against him: lying to the FBI.
(visit the link for the full news article)



posted on Aug, 17 2010 @ 05:18 PM
link   
The jury has reached their verdict. They convicted on one count and that is lying to the FBI. He was able to walk away from 23 other more serious counts. The jury seemed to have had a difficult time convicting the former governor, because they had been out deliberating for fourteen-days until now?

Throughout the course of the trial, I was not buying the case against him. Furthermore, the judge seemed to refuse pleas from the defense to call witness which included big names like Senator Dick Durbin, Presidential Chief-of-Staff, Rahm Emanuel, Congressmen Jessie Jackson Jr., and most notably President Barack Obama. It all started with a phone conversation caught on FBI wiretaps last year about how he allegedly tried to sell President Obama's former senate seat.

On behest of his defense, Blagojevich never testified. They thought the government did not definitively make their case. Therefore, the defense rested after the prosecution's portion of the case.

I was really hoping this trial would have blown the lid on the corruption taking place on the state level in Illinois and now the Federal Government with the good ol' boys from Illinois holding sway as a result of Barack Obama's presidency. One conspiracy about this trial is why the prosecution, led by often hard-nosed Federal Prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, and Federal Judge, James Zagel, seemed so reserved at the very notion of calling political players like Emanuel, Jackson Jr., and Obama to testify? Their timidness is quite troubling and suspect to me. It seems something came down from the top to the prosecution, and even the judge to keep the President and other big names out of the case. We will have to wait and see where this thing goes from here?

www.chicagotribune.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 17-8-2010 by Jakes51]



posted on Aug, 17 2010 @ 06:15 PM
link   
reply to post by Jakes51
 


This is why one NEVER, EVER talks to the police.

Let me repeat that again.

This is why one NEVER, EVER talks to the police.

Anyway, I guesstimated they would not get him. I am sure the jury figured out that the prosecution would not allow certain defense witnesses. Unless they lived in a vacuum, they had ALL heard that defense subpoenas were denied.

Hit this one pretty good on my guesstimate. Oh well, we all know that 99% of politicians could be convicted of corruption.

Now, if they are from Chicago, you could say 99.99999999999999% of them. Now, where is Obama from again? Oh, and was it not ol Rahm the snake wanting to be mayor of Chicago.

But I digress.

Two laws, ones for the little people, and ones for the monarchy.

The one charge was corruption AND lying to the feds.



posted on Aug, 17 2010 @ 06:19 PM
link   
Honestly, I'm a little glad he got off.

Why? Because IF he was guilty of what they were accusing him of, he was not the only one. Other important parties now find themselves in Washington and were able to have a judge say they do not have to participate, in any capacity, the prosecution of blago.

It simply wasn't a "fair" trial from the beginning.

Now, IF they decide to have a retrial then ALL parties need to participate.

Not only that, blago and his team put on a limited defense if any, essentially they said nothing, and still they were unable to attain a conviction.

Please quit wasting my money, the state of Illinois is already bankrupt, and Fitzgerald wants to waste another 20-30million dollars, money that the state doesn't have to try a man that he couldn't convict the first time, without him putting up a defense or testifying. Stop it.



posted on Aug, 17 2010 @ 09:31 PM
link   
reply to post by saltheart foamfollower
 


To go with what you said, maybe people should think twice about what they say on the phone? This whole trial seemed like a persecution trial. As far as the evidence showed at trial, he should not have been on trial at all. When is it a crime to use harsh language on the phone? When is it crime to be in debt or have penchant for lavish things? Or have a few bad apple friends and confidants? That was the crust of the government's case. I really followed this case, and I did not see one iota of evidence that could have convicted him on the more serious of extortion and racketeering.

They threw 24 counts against him, and all the jury could find him guilty on was lying to Federal investigators? No money ever changed hands. No suitcases full of cash were dropped off at the Blagojevich home or campaign headquarters. Just some tapes with the former governor acting like he was on stage with comedian, Andrew Dice Clay. He ought to take his defense team out for a steak dinner. They called the prosecution out at trial and even after the trial about their alleged abuse of the legal system. It seemed a heck of a lot like a witch hunt to me? Or game of payback, but by whom; that is the question? On another note, apparently the government is planning on retrying him in the near future. So we shall see were that goes?



posted on Aug, 17 2010 @ 09:32 PM
link   
"The jury has reached their verdict. They convicted on one count and that is lying to the FBI. He was able to walk away from 23 other more serious counts."

He sounds innocent to me if I was on the jury. Damn the government alphabet agencies if that is the best .gov can come up with.



posted on Aug, 17 2010 @ 10:00 PM
link   
reply to post by searching4truth
 


My personally feelings of Blagojevich is that he is shifty and about as sly as a snake. Corrupt? Perhaps? However, the prosecution could not prove their case beyond a shadow of a doubt to me as well as he jury. How we feel about a person personally does not assign guilt in a court of law. Only by strong evidence and rock solid witness testimony.

This trial had none of that. It was a charade. When Sam Adam Sr. an attorney on the legal team recommended to his client to sit out from the defense and scrap it altogether; it was a brilliant maneuver.



The prosecution fell on their own sword by not bringing anything substantial during their portion of the trial. Just some tapes with foul language and witnesses who were facing legal problems of their own before trial. Now, he was convicted of lying to the Feds and may do time for it. However, they could not prove that he was corrupt or had "a crime spree," as US Attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, had said after Blagojevich's arrest last year.



They ought to let the man walk and spare the taxpayer of another trial. As you said, Illinois and other states are having financial problems.



posted on Aug, 17 2010 @ 10:18 PM
link   
So I can't lie to the feds but they can lie to me all they want? In the course of an investigation police can lie to suspects but it's a crime to lie back? Is there an oath or something?

Good for Blago, he was on trial for talking which should never be a crime.



posted on Aug, 17 2010 @ 10:39 PM
link   

Originally posted by NEMOats
"The jury has reached their verdict. They convicted on one count and that is lying to the FBI. He was able to walk away from 23 other more serious counts."

He sounds innocent to me if I was on the jury. Damn the government alphabet agencies if that is the best .gov can come up with.


He may be guilty, but as far as the evidence goes the former governor is innocent. The only thing they could reach agreement on was that he lied to federal authorities, which is said to be sentence of up to five years in prison. So, he is a convicted felon at present; but I expect an appeal on that count. This trial seemed to be sham from the get go. An egregious abuse of power by the Justice Department. I think the former governor's attorney described it best about how the prosecution conducted themselves during the trial.



"We didn't put on any defense, none, zero, zip, nada and the government still couldn't prove their case," said Rod Blagojevich's attorney, Sam Adam Sr. "It proves that they didn't have a case in the first place. The crime spree that stopped was [U.S. Attorney Patrick] Fitzgerald violating people's constitutional rights and the jury stopped that today."

www.myfoxdc.com...

As I have said earlier, this trial seemed like a witch hunt? For them to even consider retrying this mess is a travesty. They had nothing in the first trial, what makes them think it will work a second time? The prosecution seems intent on retrying this one, but I have know idea why?



posted on Aug, 17 2010 @ 10:49 PM
link   
reply to post by Jakes51
 


That would go no where either.

This is another one of the prosecutor falls on sword moments.

If anyone has read only a little of what goes on in Chicago politics, they are the crooks. They are the problem with the city.

By the way, if anyone wants to use my Avatar, I will post it on this comment, just use quote to get the location. I like posting criminal wanted posters.


files.abovetopsecret.com...

[edit on 17-8-2010 by saltheart foamfollower]



posted on Aug, 17 2010 @ 10:52 PM
link   
Well of course he got off, they bought him off with a light sentence to keep his mouth shut.



posted on Aug, 17 2010 @ 10:55 PM
link   
Guilty for lying to the FBI..

So is that only ok if the CIA does it?



posted on Aug, 18 2010 @ 07:25 AM
link   
reply to post by Jakes51
 


So, the government will re-try the case because he pissed off The big O.



posted on Aug, 18 2010 @ 09:20 AM
link   
reply to post by Jakes51
 


That really was a brilliant idea wasn't it, no defense classic.

As for Sam Adams x2, I find them incredibly amusing, slightly less then when Daley speaks off the cuff, but still pretty amusing. And yes, it was a show, it was a kinda funny, but after its all over I still feel that I overpaid, and I don't want to have to pay to see it again.

I believe our state deficit is 12-13 billion dollars. Even IF Blagojevich did absolutely everything the state has accused him of, I don't believe it is worth the 20 million dollar price tag.



posted on Aug, 18 2010 @ 01:45 PM
link   

Originally posted by The_Gypsy
So I can't lie to the feds but they can lie to me all they want? In the course of an investigation police can lie to suspects but it's a crime to lie back? Is there an oath or something?

Good for Blago, he was on trial for talking which should never be a crime.


You bring up a good point! Apparently, the feds can redact documents whenever they wish and bold face lie to their constituents whenever they wish as well? Moreover, they can make billions and trillions disappear whenever they want. That is some of it. Blagojevich seems like small potatoes compared to the lies being sold as truth by our benevolent politicians and their corporate handlers. I suppose those who live in glass houses should never throw rocks? However, lying to federal investigators is a felony and has always been one.



posted on Aug, 18 2010 @ 01:53 PM
link   
Well I would say this whole thing was a waste of tax payer money, if it wasnt for the little bit of entertainment that I recieved watching this playout.

Blago he is a scumbag, although I dont think he is anyworse then many other politicians out there.

So they want to retrial, thats lovley spend millions more on a guy who was just doing politics in regular American form.



posted on Aug, 18 2010 @ 02:12 PM
link   

Originally posted by humbleseeker
Well I would say this whole thing was a waste of tax payer money, if it wasnt for the little bit of entertainment that I recieved watching this playout.

Blago he is a scumbag, although I dont think he is anyworse then many other politicians out there.

So they want to retrial, thats lovley spend millions more on a guy who was just doing politics in regular American form.


I enjoyed the trial, but I really wanted to see the fireworks display. That would have been the big wigs being called to testify, but that never happened. In fact, it was prohibited by a federal judge. This case was murky to me when it began and is still murky as it goes into retrial mode.

Yeah, I think Blago is a bottom feeder, but that is not a crime. I am only going by the evidence and their was nothing of any kind of smoking gun to show he was indeed corrupt. He talks like a sailor, spends money foolishly, speaks out of turn at times, but that does not make a person guilty. They were playing around with a man's freedom and on some trumped up charges. I find that very disturbing and this trend cannot continue.

It looks like the tax payers will be on the hook again as Blago is in need of a public defender because defense funds are depleted, and we are going to have pay for Patrick Fitzgerald's personal vendetta in the upcoming retrial. He was put on the spot by the defense attorneys and the former governor. Now, it seems he and his team of lawyers are out for blood. Just more money down the drain that could be used elsewhere.



new topics

top topics



 
2

log in

join