Obama past surfaces again, Health Facilities Planning Board rigging, Pam Davis listening device

“Why was Obama in constant contact with Tony Rezko in 2004 when Rezko was conspiring with William Cellini to use TRS, Teacher Retirement Fund, assets for political gain and personal enrichment?”…Citizen Wells

“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

Obama’s past corruption ties have surfaced again. This will continue to happen.

From Citizen Wells JUly 15, 2011.

“Obama and the US Justice Department must believe that they have done a masterful job of protecting Obama while aggressively prosecuting his corruption buddies. But the ghosts of Christmast past keep appearing.

Tony Rezko and Stuart Levine are awaiting sentencing. Rod Blagojevich will certainly appeal his convictions. William Cellini is awaiting trial in October 2011. And Daniel Frawley mentioned Rezko and Obama and $ 1.5 million dollars as well as Rezko’s old partner Daniel Mahru in a deposition December 1, 2010.”

Read more

I was pleased and amazed to see a reference to the Health Facilities Planning Board and Pam Davis in a Chicago Tribune article dated July 26, 2011.

“As the 18 jurors stood in a cramped freight elevator and left
theChicago federal building for the first time as a group, the woman
whom they later chose to be their leader said the sobering importance
of their task could be read on each face.

“There was a lot of stunned silence,” said Connie Wilson, a retired
Naperville church choral director who served as forewoman in the
recent retrial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. “There was a
lot of nerves, shocked expressions and even some tears.”

Wilson offered another glimpse Monday into the inner workings of the
federal jury that last month convicted Blagojevich on 17 of 20 counts
of fraud, corruption and attempted extortion.”

“Two members in the audience played an early but crucial role in the
FBI investigation that uncovered widespread corruption in
Blagojevich’s administration.

Pam Davis, CEO of Edward Hospital in Naperville, and William Kottmann,
CEO of Edward Medical Group, both secretly wore a listening device for
the FBI for eight months in 2003 after raising extortion complaints in
their bid to build a $218 million hospital inPlainfield.

Davis said they were told that If they hired builder Jacob Kiferbaum’s
firm, , the then-Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board would
support their plans. Later, Kiferbaum and health board member Stuart
Levine and Tony Rezko, a top Blagojevich fundraiser, either pleaded
guilty or were convicted on federal charges.

Listening to Wilson speak, Davis said she felt vindicated.

“There was fallout,” Davis said. “But I felt this man (Blagojevich)
was corrupt and his corruption was widespread. It was worth the effort
that he was finally convicted.””

Read more

From Citizen Wells March 14, 2011.

“Jan. – Aug. 2003:  Obama was Chairman of the IL Senate Health and Human Service Committee.
Feb. 20, 2003: Senate Bill 1332 “Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act” filed. Reduced members of IL Health Planning and Facilities Board from 15 to 9.

(Rezko Trial March 13, 2008; 3:09 p.m.)

“Almanaseer was appointed to the planning board in 2003 on Rezko’s recommendation. Prosecutors contend he became part of a five-member voting bloc on the board that followed Rezko’s wishes. Almanaseer said board Chairman Thomas Beck tried to steer his voting.

“He said, ‘If you just don’t know which way to vote, vote the way Mr. Levine votes because that’s the way Tony would want the vote to go,” Almanaseer recalled, referring to Stuart Levine.”

Spring 2003 – Nov 2003: (Rezko trial March 11, 2008; 10:58 a.m.)

“Jennifer Thomas, a former aide to Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s patronage chief Joe Cini, continued on the stand Tuesday morning and gave a few more insights into those regular Monday morning meetings she and Cini held in 2003 with Antoin “Tony” Rezko at his office.”

“Thomas said Rezko floated the names of several people to sit on the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, which the government claims Rezko corrupted with the help of board member Stuart Levine. And Thomas said Rezko at one point made it clear that he wanted to see Levine reappointed to the panel, which was being overhauled by the governor in 2003.”
May 21, 2003: Senate Bill 1332 passed by House and Senate.
June 27, 2003: Blagojevich made this the effective date of Senate Bill 1332.
June 2003: (Rezko trial March 10, 2008; 4:16 p.m.)

“Ziegelmueller asked Hayden about a 2003 e-mail exchange with Lichtenstein, then the governor’s top lawyer, in which Wilhelm made recommendations for the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board.
The name of Barack Obama, the Democratic front-runner for the presidential nomination, also appears in the e-mail as a member of a strategic team reviewing hospital board matters with the governor’s staff when he was a state senator. The hospital board was scheduled to be revamped in the summer of 2003.
Obama was then chairman of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services.”
June 30, 2003: Obama gets the following donations.

$5000 Ali Ata was appointed as Director at IFA
$6000 Alison Davis gets appointment on Investment Board
$15,000 Dr. Michael Malek gets appointment on Hospital Facility Board
$5000  Abdelhamid Chaib’s wife gets appointment on Employee Security Board
$10,000 Elie Maloof – Rezko used him as one of several strawmen to donate funds to certain politicians.
$1000  Phil Cacciatore (one of Auchi’s Riverside Park Investors) gets seat on Board
$1000  Velma Butler (one of Auchi’s Riverside Park Investors) was recommended for Board
$1000  Martello Pollack (Vegas Crystal Comm) received Iraqi Construction contracts
$1000 Jack Carriglio gets appointed to Board
$500  Anthony Abboud gets appointed to Board
$3000 Michael Winter, who helped Rezko in funneling kickbacks through investment firm
$1000 Talat Othman gets appointed to Board
$1000 David Gustman, $1000 from Gustman’s wife after he is appointed Board Chairman
Late 2003: Earliest documented awareness by FBI and Patrick Fitzgerald of corruption in Blagojevich admin. Pamela Meyer Davis agreed to secretly record conversations involving state health planning board with an FBI wire.”

Read more