24Jul/13

Keepers of the Blagojevich Tapes Under Investigation

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Thomas Barton, Investigative Reporter

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility and Office of the Inspector General are looking into the circumstances surrounding the Chicago Tribune's role in the Blagojevich case.

Here’s why.

The federal government granted Chicago Tribune employees John Chase and Jeff Coen the power to decide whether the public gets to hear the court-sealed Blagojevich wiretap tapes, or read any of the transcripts.

So far, they’ve decided that we can neither listen to the audio tapes, nor read the transcripts, of any of them.

Oh, they did refer to a couple of inane, innocuous conversations in their book. However, so far, they’ve decided that they, the Keepers of the Blago Tapes, and only they, should hear the tapes or read the transcripts.

They don’t want us to hear, for example, the conversation Blagojevich had with former Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert on November 5, 2008.

They don’t want us to hear the conversation Blago had with former Obama Chief of Staff and current Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on November 8, 2008.

They don’t want us to hear the conversation Blago had with Obama's political consultant Bill Knapp on November 12, 2008.

Rod Blagojevich’s lawyers consider these conversations important enough to be included in their Appellate Brief filed on behalf of their client. Curiously though, Blago's attorneys are not asking that those conversations be made public either.

If Appeals Attorney Len Goodman believes these conversations are important enough to include in an Appellate Brief for his client Rod Blagojevich, why wouldn’t the two fed-appointed Keepers of the Blago Tapes take advantage of the public’s interest in those conversations and increase the circulation of their employer’s newspaper by printing the transcripts?

Instead of digging for the truth, the “Keepers” have gone underground. Meanwhile, Blagojevich’s legal team has essentially endorsed the idea that the tapes should never be played for the public.

What’s up with that?

The DoJ investigators are on the case: Don't expect much from them.

However, IP2P has learned of a developing front that should concern those who have colluded to keep the truth from We the People.

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8Jun/13

Who will investigate the government leaks to David Axelrod’s pals at the Chicago Tribune?

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Thomas Barton, Investigative Reporter

During the news about the Obama regime spying on the press, don't neglect this question: Why hasn't the Inspector General asked John Chase and the Chicago Tribune who in the federal government is leaking sealed information to them?

Why, after assigning a host of federal agents and spending piles of federal dollars to investigate Rod Blagojevich and corruption in Illinois, did Chase and the Tribune get to pull the plug on the federal wiretaps with impunity? Is anyone asking that question besides IP2P? No. Why not?

And, why was the Tribune, and only the Tribune, given access to the Blagojevich wiretap recordings that were never made public? We’re wondering if David Axelrod is still the de facto editor of the paper, and if former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's image as an “Elliot Ness crime-fighter” was all fabricated by the media - led by the Tribune?

Throughout the Blago saga has the Trib only reported what they are told to report by the feds?

Chicago Forward Speakers
              James Compton, Tribune Editors Gerould Kern and Bruce Dold, Governor Pat Quinn and Mayor Rahm Emanuel

 

And finally, why is the Office of the Inspector General concerned about some leaks and not about others? So many questions. So few answers.

-----Original Message-----

From:<redacted>

To: DOJOIG FraudComplaints (OIG)

Sent: 2013-06-07 18:09:18 +0000

Subject: Inspector General investigation?

Has the Office of the Inspector General opened an investigation of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and the U.S. Attorneys Office Northern Dist of Illinois pertaining to leaks from that office to the Chicago Tribune?

(Name Redacted)

-----Original Message-----

From:<redacted>

To: William J Birney (OPR)

Sent: 2013-06-05 15:40:21 +0000

Subject: OPR Investigation

Mr. William J. Birney

Has the Office of Professional Responsibility or the Inspector Generals Office opened an investigation into the serious DOJ leaks that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald talked about in his press conference, as noted in the Illinois pay-to-play article below?

(Name redacted)

-----Original Message-----

From: <redacted>

To: William J Birney (OPR)

Sent: 2013-06-01 19:56:53 +0000

Subject: Former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald takes the Fifth

Former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald takes the Fifth

https://illinoispaytoplay.com/2013/06/01/former-u-s-attorney-patrick-fitzgerald-takes-the-fifth/

Coming soon

What Blago's lawyers had to say.

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14Feb/13

Dept. of Justice turns a blind eye for U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, and against the First Amendment

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The Entire Staff of Writers, IllinoisPayToPlay

When U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald attacked Peter Lance, and his book Triple Cross, from the Office of the U.S. Attorney in Chicago, he crossed a dangerous line.

A line that, as Americans, we must not allow our government to cross.

That line protects our First Amendment Right of Speech, and prevents government censorship.

View Peter Lance talk about his book Triple Cross herehttp://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Triple

"Peter Lance filed a complaint with the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) asking for an investigation of Patrick Fitzgerald on June 13th, 2009.

He Fed Ex'd copies of the letter to both A.G. Holder and Mary Patrice Brown, then Acting Counsel of the OPR. Lance never received a response from either of them."

You can read the formal complaint filed with the OPR here:
http://www.peterlance.com/PL_OPR_%20Complaint_VS_PF_AP

When the Dept. of Justice's (DoJ) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) ignored that Fitzgerald abused his power as U.S Attorney in his attempt to censor a book containing material he disliked.  An act that violated the Constitution

The clear message was sent that, Holder's Dept. of Justice doesn't respect the First Amendment.  That should chill us all, and make us wonder: What other parts of the Constitution are they ignoring?

At IP2P, we believe the issue of government censorship is of such great importance that we urge all Americans who treasure their God-given right to freedom of speech to let the DoJ know how you feel.

And when you get no satisfaction from the OPR, consider contacting your member of Congress.

Mary Patrice Brown, and the OPR, have been asked to comment on this question:  "Why was no investigation into U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's disturbing conduct ever initiated?"

So far, there's been no response.

As this story develops, ask yourself: Do I want the government deciding what I can and cannot read?

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