JJJ Is An Informant + Open Thread
By SusanUnPC on December 17, 2008 at 1:50 AM in Current Affairs
As Patrick Buchanan insisted in his recent provocative, thoughtful essay, “What Obama Offered Blagojevich,” which I wrote about on December 13, 2008, it was incumbent on any member of Obama’s team to report any suspect “pay-to-play” conversations — immediately — to the F.B.I. and/or to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago, Illinois.
Now we learn that one elected Illinois official did just that, but only in cases prior to the recent scandal over who would fill Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat.
The question now is: Who is currently an informant to the F.B.I. and U.S. Attorneys overseeing the latest allegations against Blagojevich? Here are lists and biographies of the Obama team principals. TAKE YOUR PICK:
New York Times: The New Team (includes profiles and drop-down menus for cabinet level, key appointments, and browse by name) || Transition Team, American University || “Presidential Transitions” [pdf],” ongressional Research Service || “Presidential Transition,” General Services Administration
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From CNN’s “Jackson, Jr. an informant to Blago investigations“:
Sources close to Rep. Jackson, Jr. told CNN Tuesday that the Illinois congressman has supplied information regarding Gov. Blagojevich to federal law enforcement officials since 2006.
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (CNN) — Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. — who was cited in a criminal complaint against Rod Blagojevich — has been an informant for at least a decade with the U.S. Attorney’s office, and has informed on the embattled governor of Illinois, though not in the case currently under investigation, Jackson spokesman Kenneth Edmonds told CNN Tuesday.
Below are a description of the “shakedown” of Jesse, Jr. demanded by Governor Blagojevich, as well as some theories being discussed on the blogs (which may or may not have merit):
In addition, two sources close to Jackson told CNN that, in 2002, Blagojevich — then running for governor of Illinois — solicited a $25,000 campaign donation from Jackson, which he did not get.
At the time, Jackson’s wife, Sandi, was a candidate for the job of director of the state’s Lottery Commission, a post she did not win, the sources said.
After Blagojevich took office, in early 2003, he told Jackson something to the effect of, “You see what $25,000 would have done?” the sources said.
In 2006, Jackson reported the incident, which he believed to have been an attempt at a shakedown, the sources said. …
Read all of CNN’s “Jackson, Jr. an informant to Blago investigations.”
Riehl World View offers this theory:
Uh “O”, … Connect These Two Dots
Allegedly Jessie Jackson Jr. has talked to the Feds about Blago since 2006 when he feels he was the target of a $25,000 shakedown over his wife being up for a slot with the state lottery. Now recall Jackson senior suggesting he’d like to remove a certain part of Obama’s anatomy for “talking down to black people” on this “faith based,” whatever he was referring to. There may well might be more to the animosity than that. In a sense, there are two camps emerging as Obama was definitely a Blago guy given his high profile in support of Blago’s political campaigns. One of them the very same one in which Jackson Jr. felt he was the target of a shakedown.
Inject some serious bad blood between groups of people, all inside players in a Chicago now engulfed in scandal, and it might lead to all sorts of interesting information coming out. If nothing else, I can understand why Obama might want a little vacation. Maybe he should wear a cup if he goes bodysurfing. He could get hurt if Reverend Jackson Sr decides he wants to collect his prize. …
Emptywheel at Firedoglake has other theories.
Check out more posts at Memeorandum.com.
Actually, so far, we don’t have enough to correctly surmise who else is cooperating with authorities and/or if any of Obama’s staff members have been reporting suspicious conversations to the F.B.I. or U.S. Attorney’s office — as they should have, all along.
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OPEN THREAD
by Ronald Scott
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