Posted by Jim Lindgren:
Moran Mistaken About Particular Blagojevich-Obama Contacts.
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_12_14-2008_12_20.shtml#1229492175
At Pajamas Media,[1] Rick Moran is claiming that the government
affidavit shows that Blagojevich had conveyed his corrupt plan to two
Obama advisors, referred to in the affidavit as Advisor A and Advisor
B.
But I think that Moran is confused.
Advisor A is definitely a Blagojevich advisor (not an Obama advisor),
and Advisor B is almost surely a Blagojevich advisor as well.
Here is [2]Moran:
But we already know that at least two top advisors (Advisors �A�
and �B� in the taped transcripts released in the criminal complaint
against Blagojevich) had discussions with Blagojevich and his
people about the Senate seat. The question isn�t whether there were
�inappropriate discussions,� but what exactly was discussed between
the parties.
The taped transcripts of phone calls on November 7 offer a clue or
two about the issues under discussion between the two camps.
On that date, Blagojevich spoke with �Advisor A� about the seat and
told him in a phone conversation that he would appoint �Senate
Candidate 1 [widely believed to be Obama's first choice, his
longtime friend and confidante Valerie Jarrett] in exchange for the
position of secretary of Health and Human Services in the
president-elect�s cabinet.�
Speculation about who �Advisor A� might be has centered on Obama�s
chief of staff-designate Rahm Emanuel. . . .
Yet the [3]affidavit describes Advisor A in item 74:
74. During another intercepted call still later on the evening of
November 3, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with Advisor A, a former
Deputy Governor under ROD BLAGOJEVICH who is currently a lobbyist.
. . .
But Rahm Emanuel is a US Congressman, not �a former Deputy Governor
under ROD BLAGOJEVICH who is currently a lobbyist.�
Advisor A is a Blagojevich advisor, not an Obama advisor. Rahm Emanuel
is suspected of being a different character in the affidavit
�President-elect Advisor.�
Here�s what Moran says about Advisor B:
But that wasn�t the only telephone conversation that took place on
November 7 between Blagojevich and Obama representatives. Later
that day, a three-way conversation was taped involving the
governor, his chief of staff John Harris (also arrested), and an
Obama representative identified only as �Advisor B� who, we are
told, is a Washington-based consultant. Is �Advisor B� a member of
the official transition team? Judging by this eye-opening
conversation taped by the feds and the fact that the review cleared
Obama�s �staff� of any deal-making with Blago, we very well might
hazard a guess and say that Advisor B was not an official Obama
staffer but could very well have been acting as a conduit between
Governor Blagojevich and the Obama camp.
Since Advisor B appears to be named in the same way as Advisor A,
Advisor B is almost certainly a Blagojevich advisor as well. Further,
here are the relevant allegations, which appear to refer to Advisor B
as one of the �Washington D.C.-based advisors to ROD BLAGOJEVICH�:
99. Later on November 7, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH discussed the open
Senate seat in a three-way call with JOHN HARRIS and Advisor B, a
Washington D.C.-based consultant. . . .
101. On November 10, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH, his wife, JOHN HARRIS,
Governor General Counsel, and various Washington-D.C. based
advisors, including Advisor B, discussed the open Senate seat
during a conference call. (The Washington D.C.-based advisors to
ROD BLAGOJEVICH are believed to have participated on this call from
Washington D.C.).
It appears that Blogojevich scheming with Advisors A and B does not,
by itself represent contact between camps because both advisors are in
Blagojevich's camp.
I left a short comment at Pajamas to notify Moran of his error.
References
1.
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/obama-team-clears-itself-of-inappropriate-discussions-with-blago/
2.
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/obama-team-clears-itself-of-inappropriate-discussions-with-blago/
3. http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/acrobat/2008-12/43789434.pdf
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