In four posts, we’ve established that the incoming Obama administration’s internal report that cleared itself was a fraud. Here are the highlights:
- The report states Obama did not “actively” favor any candidate yet he picked up the phone a day before the election and lined up SEIU chief Tom Balanoff to send the message personally to Blagojevich that he favored Valerie Jarrett.
- The report states that Valerie Jarrett and others in the Obama administration never were aware of a Blagojevich quid pro quo. Yet Jarrett had a conversation with Balanoff that relayed the Blagojevich desire to be named HHS secretary. Jarrett undoubtedly passed this information along to the inner circle.
- The report states that Valerie Jarrett withdrew her name from Senate consideration on Nov. 9, 2008. Yet trial testimony showed that a day after that supposed withdrawal, Emanuel tasked lobbyist John Wyma to call Blagojevich Chief of Staff John Harris to pass along the President-Elect’s desire to appoint Jarrett.
- Rahm Emanuel is part of the incoming adminstration that didn’t “actively” try to influence Blagojevich’s decision, yet he called Blagojevich at least twice and Harris at least four times.
- The report cutely omits any contacts before Obama’s election. Emanuel called Harris two days before the election and Obama called Balanoff the day before—both with the message that Jarrett was the preferred candidate.
Stay tuned today as the prosecution heads into the final phase of its case.
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