Chicago Tribune Forced Fitz's Hand on Timing of Blago Bust

[Truth2Tell]

From: WSJ Washington Wire
December 14, 2008, 7:06 pm

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/12/14/the-real-story-behind-the-rushed-blagojevich-bust-how-the-feds-are-frustrated-by-losing-maybe-half-of-their-case/">Cam Simpson reports on the Rod Blagojevich case in Chicago.

Conventional wisdom holds that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald ordered the FBI to arrest Rod Blagojevich before sunrise Tuesday in order to stop a crime from being committed. That would have been the sale of the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

But the opposite is true: Members of Fitzgerald’s team are livid the scheme didn’t advance, at least for a little longer, according to some people close to Fitzgerald’s office. Why? Because had the plot unfolded, they might have had an opportunity most feds can only dream of: A chance to catch the sale of a Senate seat on tape, including the sellers and the buyers.

The precise timing of Tuesday’s dramatic, pre-dawn arrest was not dictated by Fitzgerald, nor was it dictated by the pace of Blagojevich’s alleged “crime spree.” It was dictated by the Chicago Tribune, according to people close to the investigation and a careful reading of the FBI’s affidavit in the case.

At Fitzgerald’s request, the paper had been holding back a story since October detailing how a confidante of Blagojevich was cooperating with his office.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/12/14/the-real-story-behind-the-rushed-blagojevich-bust-how-the-feds-are-frustrated-by-losing-maybe-half-of-their-case/">Whole thing here...

Edit to add: I think you have to take the WSJ with more than a few grains of salt. This piece seems to attempt to suggest that the Feds were about to get the goods on JJJ. Who knows. Maybe they wish. But the notion that the Tribune would bung up the investigation is certainly plausible - regardless of where it was really heading.

[Skink]

1. Zell's bankrupt now.

Alas.

[Mind_your_head]

2. "Honest people" (crosses self) are sick to death of trying to follow along

with all of these shenanigans. I USED to enjoy reading spy novels "back-in-the-day" But now I would never/ever/forever want to pick one up, b/c all of the true-life treachery that is happening today is incomprehensible (and I know there will be no 'reasonable conclusion/happy ending once I get to page 450-something, like I would in a spy-novel).

[firedupdem]

3. Gawwwd...while it sounds like it could be accurate I so distrust

reports lately. You never know who is spinning what. I'm trying to figure out why the paper wouldn't hold off if that would have given them time to catch JJJ for example?

OT....I made the mistake of reading some of the comments and it's amazing how fucking crazy some people are. They started right in on Obama although he isn't mentioned. One person had the nerve to write "at least bush wasn't a crook". How delusional!

[JDPriestly]

4. This is why I am so critical of Fitzgerald. Now, people like Jesse

Jackson Junior will be suspect although the proof is not there or at least has not been presented.

The Tribune is a horrible newspaper. The LA Times was failing before Zell took over. It was in trouble from the moment the right-wing children of the family that built it into a great paper took over. But Zell has made it worse. I don't know why he bought the LA Times. Clearly he was already way in over his head with his dealings in Chicago. Hubris I guess. Too much ambition, too little wisdom.

[pnwmom]

5. Now this makes sense!

I couldn't understand why Fitz would end the investigation before at least a firm offer had been made, and on tape.

[madrchsod]

6. "people close to the investigation" ya right

"people close to fitzgerald`s office"...... high school journalists write better than this guy...

[cap]

7. Let's close the loop on this one:

my suspicion is that someone (like Rove???) put the Chicago Tribune up to this to throw a little mud at Obama by implication. That explains the timing. Dirty up Obama before he starts any Republican investigation.