/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the National Legal and Policy Center publicly released an in-depth analysis of financial contributions made to Friends of Blagojevich from Balmoral and Maywood race track owner John Johnston and other Johnston-owned/affiliated interests. The new analysis reveals that previous accounts of Johnston contributions to Friends of Blagojevich greatly under-reported the actual contributions by Johnston family interests and far exceed the $160,000 in contributions that have been reported previously.
According to the latest analysis, which was sent to the House Impeachment Committee last Thursday afternoon, Johnston-owned/affiliated interests contributed more than $343,000 to Governor Blagojevich's campaign committee from 2002-2007. The new analysis uncovered several significant and large contributions from Johnston businesses or affiliates that heretofore had not been factored into official news accounts, including contributions from Coast to Coast Food Services Ltd. ($60,000), Racing Research ($15,000), the Egyptian Trotting Association ($45,000), and Associates Racing Association, Inc. ($40,000). All businesses are either registered to Johnston family members, share addresses with known Johnston businesses such as the Balmoral and Maywood racetracks, or include officers who also serve as officers or board members of other Johnston-owned/affiliated interests.
Additionally, the new analysis reveals that large blocks of contributions were made from several Johnston-owned/affiliated interests on the same day on at least six different occasions during the 2002-2007 time period. On at least two occasions, contributions totaling $100,000 or more were received by the Friends of Blagojevich campaign on the same day or within days of each other.
The new analysis is particularly noteworthy given last week's removal of Governor Blagojevich from office and the anticipated federal indictment of the Governor by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
Last week, the Illinois House Impeachment Committee released transcripts of conversations between Governor Blagojevich and his brother Rob Blagojevich concerning an expected $100,000 contribution from John Johnston allegedly in exchange for the Governor's signature on legislation benefiting horse racing interests and the Johnston family. According to transcripts of those conversations, the Governor's brother quoted Mr. Johnston as agreeing to make the $100,000 contribution and saying "I gotta just decide what, what uh, accounts to get it out of."
That conversation coupled with the new revelations of large blocks of contributions of $100,000 or more to Friends of Blagojevich from several different Johnston-owned/affiliated accounts suggest that Mr. Johnston may have chosen to make large contributions from several different entities in order to obfuscate the original source of the contributions, cobble together larger aggregate amounts that were more acceptable to Governor Blagojevich in exchange for the Governor's support of legislation or perhaps both.
Illinois election records reveal for instance that between May 21, 2002 and June 3, 2002, $100,000 in contributions were made to Friends of Blagojevich from Johnston interests with $85,000 received by Friends of Blagojevich on one day -- May 21st. Thirteen days later, Illinois election records record an additional contribution of $15,000 from Racing Research registered to William H. Johnston Jr. at 8600 W. North Ave. in Melrose Park -- the same address as the Maywood Park racetrack.
On June 27, 2006, Illinois election records reveal seven different contributions from Johnston interests to Friends of Blagojevich totaling $135,000. The contributions came almost exactly one month after Governor Blagojevich signed HB-1918 on May 26, 2008 which amended the Horse Racing Act to establish the original Horse Racing Equity Trust Fund. That legislation provided for the horse racing industry to receive 3% of the adjusted gross revenues from four riverboat casinos in Illinois.
Ken Boehm, Chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), a Washington DC based think tank focused on ethics and government said of the new revelations "We don't take any position on gambling or horse racing and don't have an opinion as to whether the contributions were illegal or inappropriate. However, we do believe that voters in Illinois deserve a full and complete airing of these issues to determine if campaign dollars were used in exchange for 'pay to play' politics, and if so, to what extent."
Boehm continued, "When our elected officials attempt to barter the power of their offices to the highest bidder, only those citizens who are deep pocketed enough or have the right connections retain the capability to benefit from the political process. The rest of us lose.
The Illinois General Assembly apparently found enough evidence of wrongdoing to remove Governor Blagojevich from office. It's our hope that as the Blagojevich saga now moves to the expected indictment phase, all allegations concerning the extent that the Governor may have been selling his good offices for favorable legislative outcomes will be fully explored and investigated," Boehm concluded.
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Showing posts with label rod blagojevich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rod blagojevich. Show all posts
Monday, February 2, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
NLPC Says Barack Obama Invited Blagojevich Appointment of Roland Burris by Backing Off Call for Special Election
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Peter Flaherty, President of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), today reacted to Gov. Rod Blagojevich's appointment of Roland Burris to Barack Obama's Senate seat by saying:
"It's getting more difficult for Barack Obama to extricate himself from the political mess in Illinois. Obama and other leading Democrats should have stuck to their calls for a special election to fill his Senate seat, instead of reverting to a brokered process. It only invited this kind of shenanigans from Blagojevich.
"It is hard to see how Blagojevich's appointment of Roland Burris has less credibility or moral standing than one brokered by other Illinois politicians. They all come out of the same corrupt culture that includes both parties.
"Much of the initial media coverage of Blagojevich missed the point. I don't believe was he was out of control or some sort of lone wolf. I believe his intercepted conversations are typical of politicians in Illinois and other states.
"The media focus on Obama's Senate seat is justified but it is obscuring equally important information from the FBI affidavit, namely the role of Obama's political sponsor Tony Rezko as Blagojevich's bagman. I doubt Rezko had one set of ethical standards when Obama was in the room, and another when he was with Blagojevich."
NLPC promotes ethics in public life, and sponsors the Government Integrity Project.
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"It's getting more difficult for Barack Obama to extricate himself from the political mess in Illinois. Obama and other leading Democrats should have stuck to their calls for a special election to fill his Senate seat, instead of reverting to a brokered process. It only invited this kind of shenanigans from Blagojevich.
"It is hard to see how Blagojevich's appointment of Roland Burris has less credibility or moral standing than one brokered by other Illinois politicians. They all come out of the same corrupt culture that includes both parties.
"Much of the initial media coverage of Blagojevich missed the point. I don't believe was he was out of control or some sort of lone wolf. I believe his intercepted conversations are typical of politicians in Illinois and other states.
"The media focus on Obama's Senate seat is justified but it is obscuring equally important information from the FBI affidavit, namely the role of Obama's political sponsor Tony Rezko as Blagojevich's bagman. I doubt Rezko had one set of ethical standards when Obama was in the room, and another when he was with Blagojevich."
NLPC promotes ethics in public life, and sponsors the Government Integrity Project.
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Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Gingrich Calls on RNC to Pull 'Destructive' Ad
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Chairman of American Solutions for Winning the Future, today sent a letter to RNC Chairman Mike Duncan urging him to pull down a web advertisement attempting to link President-elect Barack Obama and disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.
Text of the letter is as follows:
Dear Chairman Duncan,
I was saddened to learn that at a time of national trial, when a president-elect is preparing to take office in the midst of the worst financial crisis in over seventy years, that the Republican National Committee is engaged in the sort of negative, attack politics that the voters rejected in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles.
The recent web advertisement, "Questions Remain," is a destructive distraction. Clearly, we should insist that all taped communications regarding the Senate seat should be made public. However, that should be a matter of public policy, not an excuse for political attack.
In a time when America is facing real challenges, Republicans should be working to help the incoming President succeed in meeting them, regardless of his Party.
From now until the inaugural, Republicans should be offering to help the President-elect prepare to take office.
Furthermore, once President Obama takes office, Republicans should be eager to work with him when he is right, and, when he is wrong, offer a better solution, instead of just opposing him.
This is the only way the Republican Party will become known as the "better solutions" party, not just an opposition party. And this is the only way Republicans will ever regain the trust of the voters to return to the majority.
This ad is a terrible signal to be sending about both the goals of the Republican Party in the midst of the nation's troubled economic times and about whether we have actually learned anything from the defeats of 2006 and 2008.
The RNC should pull the ad down immediately.
Sincerely,
Newt Gingrich
Chairman, American Solutions
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives
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Text of the letter is as follows:
Dear Chairman Duncan,
I was saddened to learn that at a time of national trial, when a president-elect is preparing to take office in the midst of the worst financial crisis in over seventy years, that the Republican National Committee is engaged in the sort of negative, attack politics that the voters rejected in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles.
The recent web advertisement, "Questions Remain," is a destructive distraction. Clearly, we should insist that all taped communications regarding the Senate seat should be made public. However, that should be a matter of public policy, not an excuse for political attack.
In a time when America is facing real challenges, Republicans should be working to help the incoming President succeed in meeting them, regardless of his Party.
From now until the inaugural, Republicans should be offering to help the President-elect prepare to take office.
Furthermore, once President Obama takes office, Republicans should be eager to work with him when he is right, and, when he is wrong, offer a better solution, instead of just opposing him.
This is the only way the Republican Party will become known as the "better solutions" party, not just an opposition party. And this is the only way Republicans will ever regain the trust of the voters to return to the majority.
This ad is a terrible signal to be sending about both the goals of the Republican Party in the midst of the nation's troubled economic times and about whether we have actually learned anything from the defeats of 2006 and 2008.
The RNC should pull the ad down immediately.
Sincerely,
Newt Gingrich
Chairman, American Solutions
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives
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RNC Chairman Statement on Democrats Blocking Illinois Special Election
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan released the following statement on Monday.
"It's extremely disappointing that Democratic leaders in Illinois are ignoring bipartisan calls for a special election to fill President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat. Considering the scandal surrounding Governor Rod Blagojevich's administration, a special election is the only way to credibly fill the seat. I hope that Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan puts good government before partisan politics, and will heed Senator Durbin's call for a special election."
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"It's extremely disappointing that Democratic leaders in Illinois are ignoring bipartisan calls for a special election to fill President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat. Considering the scandal surrounding Governor Rod Blagojevich's administration, a special election is the only way to credibly fill the seat. I hope that Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan puts good government before partisan politics, and will heed Senator Durbin's call for a special election."
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Monday, December 15, 2008
WashingtonWatch.com Update: The Auto Bailout, a Retiree Tax Break, and the Blagojevich-Obama Connection
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This is the WashingtonWatch.com federal legislative update for the week of December 15, 2008.
On the WashingtonWatch.com Blog
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's attempt to sell the Senate seat formerly occupied by Barack Obama has captured the headlines. The WashingtonWatch.com blog has an unusual take on it in a post called "The Blagojevich-Obama Connection."
http://tinyurl.com/5e9emv
Last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill to provide federal support to the "Big Three" automakers.
H.R. 7321, the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act would have provided funding sufficient to cover the costs of up to $14.0 billion in bridge loans or commitments for lines of credit to U.S. auto manufacturers.
The cost of the legislation is a little under $90 per U.S. family. Late in the week last week, it appeared that the Senate would not pass the legislation.
H.R. 7321
The Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act
Costs $87.75 per family
What People Think: 27% For, 73% Against
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_7321.html
Last week, both Houses of Congress passed H.R. 7327, the Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008. Along with making technical corrections related to the Pension Protection Act of 2006, the bill waives required minimum distribution rules for certain retirement plans and accounts.
The tax savings in the bill save the average U.S. family about $30. The bill now goes to the President, who is likely to sign it into law.
H.R. 7327
The Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008
Saves $30.72 per family
What People Think: 57% For, 43% Against
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_7327.html
Displayed below are new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family.
New Items
H.R. 7327
The Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008
Saves $30.72 per family
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_7327.html
H.R. 7321
The Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act
Costs $87.75 per family
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_7321.html
Updated Items
S. 3715
The Auto Industry Emergency Bridge Loan Act
Costs $11.59 per family
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_3715.html
Passed Items
none
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On the WashingtonWatch.com Blog
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's attempt to sell the Senate seat formerly occupied by Barack Obama has captured the headlines. The WashingtonWatch.com blog has an unusual take on it in a post called "The Blagojevich-Obama Connection."
http://tinyurl.com/5e9emv
Last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill to provide federal support to the "Big Three" automakers.
H.R. 7321, the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act would have provided funding sufficient to cover the costs of up to $14.0 billion in bridge loans or commitments for lines of credit to U.S. auto manufacturers.
The cost of the legislation is a little under $90 per U.S. family. Late in the week last week, it appeared that the Senate would not pass the legislation.
H.R. 7321
The Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act
Costs $87.75 per family
What People Think: 27% For, 73% Against
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_7321.html
Last week, both Houses of Congress passed H.R. 7327, the Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008. Along with making technical corrections related to the Pension Protection Act of 2006, the bill waives required minimum distribution rules for certain retirement plans and accounts.
The tax savings in the bill save the average U.S. family about $30. The bill now goes to the President, who is likely to sign it into law.
H.R. 7327
The Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008
Saves $30.72 per family
What People Think: 57% For, 43% Against
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_7327.html
Displayed below are new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family.
New Items
H.R. 7327
The Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008
Saves $30.72 per family
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_7327.html
H.R. 7321
The Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act
Costs $87.75 per family
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_7321.html
Updated Items
S. 3715
The Auto Industry Emergency Bridge Loan Act
Costs $11.59 per family
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_3715.html
Passed Items
none
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Thursday, December 11, 2008
RNC Chairman Responds to President-Elect Obama's Comments Regarding Governor Blagojevich
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan released the following statement today.
"President-elect Barack Obama continues to provide less than forthcoming answers to simple questions related to Governor Rod Blagojevich. While it is encouraging that the President-elect has stated his office will disclose contacts with the scandal-ridden governor, it remains disappointing that his actions are in response to political pressure. Americans expect the highest degree of transparency from their elected leaders, rather than promises of openness on the campaign trail."
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"President-elect Barack Obama continues to provide less than forthcoming answers to simple questions related to Governor Rod Blagojevich. While it is encouraging that the President-elect has stated his office will disclose contacts with the scandal-ridden governor, it remains disappointing that his actions are in response to political pressure. Americans expect the highest degree of transparency from their elected leaders, rather than promises of openness on the campaign trail."
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