Remember when the Blago scandal hit a couple month backs and there were some exceptionally limp efforts to try and tie Blago to Obama, when in all likelihood it was the Obama team who went to Fitzgerald after finding out he was shopping Obama’s former seat? Some more background:
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was the target of attempted extortion by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, according to a source and a federal indictment filed Thursday alleging a state grant for a Portage Park neighborhood school was used as bait for a fundraising demand.
Emanuel, a confidant to both Blagojevich and President Barack Obama, is described by prosecutors as “Congressman A,” an identity confirmed by a White House aide.
The former North Side congressman, picked by Obama in November as his top staff member, was allegedly the subject of extortion in 2006 after he inquired about a $2 million state grant to benefit a school in his district. Prosecutors say Blagojevich instructed a top aide to block the release of the money, even though it had been included in the state’s budget.
Blagojevich also allegedly told a high-ranking state official that Emanuel’s brother needed to host a fundraiser for him. The indictment does not say which of two brothers was mentioned, but the White House aide said it was Ari Emanuel, a high-powered Hollywood agent active in political fundraising.
This will be interesting to follow.
Keith
The key takeaway from this article is that Blagojevich, Obama, and Rahm Emanuel are all from Chicago, just like Tony Rezko, Reverend Wright, Al Capone, and Adolf Hitler (if Hitler had been born in the US).
djork
Way OT, but the Iowa SC struck down their marriage law:
pageoneq.com/stories/IOWA_SUPREME_COURT_MARRIAGE_BAN_UNCONSTITUTI_0403.html
Could aborting guns be far behind?
JDM
Gosh, it would be a darn shame to lose that Republicrat prick Rahm! Mebbe they can "tie" some of those Goldman Sachs nominees from Obamco to Blago as well.
The Grand Panjandrum
I hope they release more of the Blago tapes. That should provide plenty of entertainment. I just wonder if his kids are going to end up with mommy and daddy in jail, or is dad the only real crook in that house.
sgwhiteinfla
Next paragraph
Sorry Rahm haters but it looks like there is no there there at least this time.
sgwhiteinfla
I am pretty sure that Jane Hamsher will have this story up shortly calling for Rahm to be fired by the way.
valdivia
@sgwhiteinfla:
LOL. so right.
jibeaux
I don’t personally know Rahm Emanuel, but I’m going to guess that attempting to extort him could be….ill-advised.
Incertus
@sgwhiteinfla: Didn’t look like there was any "there" there in the first one either, unless I’m seriously misreading the phrase "the target of attempted extortion." That sounds like Emanuel was the one being extorted to me, and last I heard, that wasn’t the crime.
The Other Steve
Early on people were speculating that Blago had said something to Rahm and he’d turned him in. This just seems to prove it.
The Moar You Know
No shit. When all this is over, I’ll bet that more than 50% of the knives they find in Blagojevich’s back with be engraved with Rahm’s name.
Jon H
"When all this is over, I’ll bet that more than 50% of the knives they find in Blagojevich’s back with be engraved with Rahm’s name."
They’ll be arctic shit knives full of Rahm’s DNA.
tammanycall
And the other 50% would belong to Ari.
Poor judgment from Blago to target the tough as nails Emanuel brothers, but no indication of malfeasance from their end. In fact, if one takes their personalities into account, the notion of paying off a runt like Blago would be insulting.
tammanycall
Sorry for the quick double post, but Hamsher is useless. That is all.
Mary
Really, out of all possible politicians Blago could have chosen to shake down, he picks the guy who’s known for stabbing steak knives into tables and mailing dead fish to his enemies? And tries to drag Rahm’s younger brother into it, too? Forget corruption, Blago ought to be indicted on 16 counts of Too Dumb To Live.
shortstop
The indictment also notes that after it became known that two of the indictees were under investigation, Blago continued using the phone to play Let’s Make a Deal with potential campaign contributors. Fitzgerald showed some restraint in not also noting that Blago has trumped Doug Feith for the title of stupidest fucking guy on the planet.
Ash Can
The sooner this guy’s ass is in the clink the happier I’ll be. (Full disclosure: I’m a Chicagoan, the boundary of Rahm Emanuel’s district is down at the end of my block, and Blagojevich lives in my old neighborhood.)
gf120581
If you ever needed more proof that Blagojevich is about the dumbest man alive, this is it. Of all the politicians in Illinois you try to shake down, you try to shake down Rahm? As well as his brother (the real-life inspiration for Jeremy Piven’s character on "Entourage")?
Major rule of politics: Don’t f__k with the Emanuel or you will sleep with the fishes.
Jill
Marcy Wheeler, at emptywheel, has a post up today about the indictment
She then adds:
Jill
Sorry, only meant to make the last point "even though no fundraiser had been held" bold, not the whole quote.
shortstop
The boundary between the 5th and 9th districts apparently ran down the center of my husband’s and my bed in our last place. He’d always be given one ballot and I’d get another. Some of those election judges aren’t the brightest bulbs in the chandelier.