Alonzo Monk testifies in Blagojevich retrial, Blagojevich Chief of Staff and college pal controlled by Rezko

“Why did the Illinois Senate Health & Human Services Committee, with Obama as chairman, create and push Bill 1332, “Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act,” early in 2003, which reduced the number of members on the Board from 15 to 9, just prior to rigging by Tony Rezko and Rod Blagojevich?”…Citizen Wells

“I believe I’m more pristine on Rezko than him.”…Rod Blagojevich

“The last thing Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich needed was that letter written by convicted Illinois influence peddler Tony Rezko promising he’d never rat out his pals.”…John Kass, Chicago tribune

From the Chicago Tribune May 17, 2011.

“Prosecutors say they intend to call Alonzo “Lon” Monk to the stand on Tuesday.

A third week into testimony, Monk could be one of the last major government witnesses.

At the first trial, he wasn’t always an effective witness. He often seemed defensive and ill-at-ease.

Monk can address the earlier years of Blagojevich’s governorship, as well as alleged shakedowns of businessmen in 2008.

He’s claimed Blagojevich and an inner circle plotted to profit from gubernatorial decisions from the outset of Blagojevich’s first term. He told jurors last year that the plan was to split ill-gotten gains after Blagojevich left office.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-us-blagojevichtrial,0,1897341.story

From Citizen Wells June 9, 2010.

From the Tony Rezko trial in 2008.
March 10, 2008

“”He called me and he said we need to move on Stuart Levine,” Hayden testified. Hayden said Rezko told her he had already spoken to her boss, Blagojevich chief of staff Lon Monk, about the Levine reappointment and been assured the appointment would go through.

Hayden said Rezko laughed when she said she would have to check with Monk herself. “I took that to mean that I could go ahead and ask him, but it was already a done deal,” she recalled.”
March 19, 2008

“Levine also said that Rezko told him that he and fellow Blagojevich fundraiser Christopher Kelly “exercised the most influence” in Blagojevich’s kitchen cabinet. And Levine said Rezko told him that “all the major decisions in the governor’s office were cleared through [chief of staff] Lon Monk and through Mr. Rezko.”

“Mr. Rezko told me that he was able to have individuals appointed to state boards and was able to have individuals hired into state agencies and that he spoke very often — and in fact went over decisions — that Lon Monk would put into place,” Levine said.”
April 15, 2008

“Cari said he met with Stuart Levine at Rezko’s office in January that year. Rezko said he had the power to award contracts and get consultants hired through the governor’s then-chief of staff, Lon Monk, Cari said.

“Mr. Monk took direction from [Rezko],” Cari told the jury.

Rezko illustrated his clout by picking up the phone and apparently calling Monk in front of him, Cari said.”

Read more:

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/blagojevich-trial-witnesses-alonzo-monk-june-9-2010-blagojevich-chief-of-staff-rezko-trial-revelations-rezko-controlled-monk-blagojevich-monk-law-school-roommates-monk-lobbyist/

FBI chart presented to the jury on April 28, 2008, shows 257 calls from Rezko’s phones to Blagojevich’s chief of staff, Lon Monk, between March 2004 and May 2004 alone.

View this in context here:
http://citizenwells.com/2011/03/15/justice-department-protecting-obama-evidence-evidentiary-proffer-blagojevich-prosecution-delayed-and-manipulated-collusion/