Blagojevich trial June 6, 2011, Where is Rezko?, Blagojevich taking stand should lead to Rezko as Witness, Senate seat diversion

“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

“Why were Stuart Levine and Tony Rezko not called as witnesses in the Blagojevich trials? FBI agent Daniel Cain testified in the Rezko trial. Why was agent Cain not questioned more in the Blagojevich trial?…Citizen Wells

“If the prosecution insists on going forward, I have two words for them: Rezko and Levine,” Cavise said. “They know where all the bodies are buried.””…Leonard Cavise,  DePaul University professor

Where is Tony Rezko?

Tony Rezko, the mastermind of much of the corruption that Rod Blagojevich was involved in and long time supporter and associate of Barack Obama, has not been called by the prosecution as a witness in the first Blagojevich trial and so far not in the second. Blagojevich will return to the witness stand today, June 6, 2011. If there is any justice left in the Justice Department, Rezko will be called to witness. I doubt that will happen. The selling of the senate seat diversion has worked so far. The AP has certainly done it’s part to protect Obama. The AP story today was picked up and regurgitated by news media throughout the country. No mention of Tony Rezko.

From Fox Carolina in Greenville, SC June 6, 2011.

“Rod Blagojevich’s corruption retrial heads into a critical stage, with the prosecution set to begin cross-examining the ousted Illinois governor in depth on Monday.

Reid Schar, the lead government attorney, began a blistering cross-examination at the end of last week with a brief by highly combative hour of questions and answers. Schar is expected to walk through the impeached governor’s testimony point by point as the cross-examination resumes Monday.

The next few days could be decisive, legal expert said, as prosecutors try to reverse whatever gains Blagojevich may have made with the jury while fielding comparatively soft questions from his own attorney last week. Monday will be Blagojevich’s sixth day on the stand.

“The next few days are it,” said Jeff Cramer, a former federal prosecutor in Chicago. “The first deadlocked trial, the motions, everything that’s happened in the retrial so far – it all comes down to this.”

Blagojevich’s first trial last year ended with jurors deadlocked on all but one count. He was found guilty of lying to the FBI.

What landed Blagojevich in court was his talk – captured on FBI wiretaps – that prosecutors say shows he tried to leverage his power to name someone to President Barack Obama’s old Senate U.S. seat and secure campaign donations, a Cabinet post, an ambassadorship or some other top job in the process.

Now, he’s been trying to talk himself out of this legal mess.

Some legal observers say Blagojevich’s sometimes rambling, repetitive testimony is only digging him in deeper, making it more likely he will be convicted of some or all of the 20 corruption counts he faces at this trial, including attempted extortion and fraud.

Others say he’s done well, at the very least muddying the waters after prosecutors presented a strong three-week case. They allege Blagojevich tried to sell or trade the Senate seat and tried to squeeze executives for campaign cash by threatening state decisions that would hurt their businesses

“I think he has done a nice job and has helped his cause a lot,” said Terry Sullivan, a former state’s attorney who helped prosecute serial killer John Wayne Gacy and who has sat through much of Blagojevich’s testimony.

Blagojevich didn’t flinch from engaging Schar in the verbal brawl when the prosecutor confronted the twice-elected governor as cross-examination began.

“Mr. Blagojevich, you are a convicted liar, correct?” Schar asked, his voice raised in anger.

After the judge overruled objections from defense attorneys, Blagojevich said calmly, “Yes.””

Read more:

http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/14843944/blagojevich-faces-more-questions-from-prosecutor