Obama corruption trial witnesses Blagojevich and Rezko still in prison, Blagojevich appeal drags on, Rezko from Syria remains quiet, One year anniversary of prosecution response

Why did Patrick Fitzgerald and the US Justice Department wait until December 2008 to arrest Rod Blagojevich?”…Citizen Wells

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

“Regardless of how this plays out, it benefits Obama. If there is no appeal or the appeal is denied, Blagojevich will be sequestered. If the appeal proceeds, it could drag out beyond impacting the 2012 election cycle. The intent is obvious.”…Citizen Wells, July 19, 2011

Stranger than fiction.

Unbelievable as a novel without an understanding of Chicago pay to play politics and the efforts made to protect Obama.

With our involvement in Syria the past several years, I couldn’t help but wonder if that is why Tony Rezko helped Obama get elected and then kept his mouth shut. Never called as a witness.

The two people who could nail Obama on the witness stand, Tony Rezko and Rod Blagojevich are still in prison.

Tony Rezko refused to rat on his friend Obama.

Blagojevich, who came under federal investigation by at least late 2003, is still awaiting a decision on his appeal.

It has been one year since the prosecution responded to the appeal filed on JUly 15, 2013.

From Citizen Wells November 13, 2013.

The prosecution of Blagojevich drags on and protects Obama.

From Fox News Illinois November 13, 2013.

“Prosecutors respond to Blagojevich appeal”
“Prosecutors have filed a response to Rod Blagojevich’s corruption conviction appeal. The 169-page government filing submitted late Tuesday urges the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reject the imprisoned former governor’s request for a new trial. Defense lawyers filed the appeal on the Illinois Democrat’s behalf in July. It asks the Chicago-based appellate court to toss his convictions or at least reduce his 14-year prison sentence.”

Read more:

http://www.foxillinois.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.il/26fb71b1-www.foxillinois.com.shtml#.UoN2XPl4z90

From Citizen Wells July 16, 2013.

“Blagojevich appeals convictions, stiff sentence”

“Lawyers for Rod Blagojevich filed an appeal Monday challenging the imprisoned former Illinois governor’s corruption conviction and stiff, 14-year prison term.

The lengthy filing with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago comes more than two years after the Chicago Democrat’s retrial and 16 months after he entered a federal prison in Colorado.

Jurors convicted Blagojevich, 56, of engaging in wide-ranging corruption, including that the two-term governor sought to profit from his power to appoint someone to the U.S. Senate seat that Barack Obama vacated to become president.

The appeal cites a juror who allegedly expressed a bias against Blagojevich who was seated despite the objections of defense attorneys. It also raises longstanding claims that Judge James Zagel barred FBI wiretap evidence that might have aided the defense and argues the judge miscalculated the appropriate prison term.

The appeal was filed about 30 minutes before a midnight deadline to do so.

In June, Blagojevich’s attorneys requested permission to file a longer-than-usual appeal, noting the trial produced 12,000 pages of transcripts. “The issues for appeal are numerous and complicated,” they wrote. The court agreed to let them file the equivalent of about 100 pages, which is what they did.

Blagojevich was convicted on 18 counts over two trials, jurors in the first deadlocking on all but one count. Taking the stand in the second, decisive trial in 2011, Blagojevich insisted his talking about wanting to sell Obama’s seat was just that — talk.

At his sentencing hearing later in 2011, an uncharacteristically deferential Blagojevich asked Zagel for mercy and said he accepted responsibility. He told the court in a hushed voice, “I caused it all.”

Despite those words, Zagel imposed a lengthy prison term, telling Blagojevich he had abused voters’ trust and undermined the democratic process “to do things that were only good for yourself.”

Many observers at the time said Blagojevich’s best hope on appeal wasn’t that a higher court would overturn his convictions but that appellate judges would agree his sentence was too harsh.”

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2013/07/16/news/doc51e4d91045f9d865437288.txt?viewmode=fullstory

The appeal.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/154180774/Blagojevich-Appeal

The response.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/183864545/Blagojevich-Appeal-Response-Prosecutors-oppose-new-trial

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/blagojevich-appeal-prosecutor-response-november-13-2013-169-page-plea-to-reject-new-trial-request-us-court-of-appeals-seventh-circuit-blagojevich-prosecution-drags-on-obama-protected/

From Citizen Wells October 26, 2014.

“The administration of Rod Blagojevich came under FBI scrutiny beginning in late 2003.

Yet, with all the harm Blagojevich et al were doing to the citizens of Illinois, he was not arrested until just after the 2008 election.

His arrest and the timing of his prosecution were clearly coordinated to have the least impact on Barack Obama.

That protection of Obama continues.

The 2010 election cycle has passed.

The 2012 election cycle has passed.

The 2014 election cycle is about to pass.

We have 6 sessions of the US Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit left before the November 4, 2014 elections.

If the decision comes before the election, I predict that Blagojevich will get a reduced sentence.

If not, it is entirely possible that Obama will pardon Blagojevich.

I believe that they have a deal.

Blagojevich “prosecution” history.”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/blagojevich-appeal-prediction-reduced-sentence-or-obama-pardon-6-seventh-circuit-appeals-court-sessions-before-nov-4-obama-protection-continues-obama-rezko-ties-blagojevich-fall-guy/