NPR: Names to Watch at Rezko Trial: Rove and Hastert

Names to Watch at Rezko Trial: Rove and Hastert

Most people have been waiting for the name of Sen. Barack Obama to surface during the trial of Chicago developer and political fixer Antoin "Tony" Rezko. (And it did recently, when it appeared in connection with a party held at Rezko's home in April of 2004 on behalf of Nadhmi Auchi, a British citizen appealing a fraud conviction in France. The Swamp writes that Rezko was allegedly trying to partner up with Auchi and may have been using an Obama appearance to demonstrate clout. Obama doesn't deny that he might have been there, but says he doesn't remember the event.)

But the names who have been attracting the most attention over the past few days have been former Bush political guru Karl Rove and former Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.

Last week, prosecutors told the judge in the Rezko trial that it has a witness [former Illinois state official Ali Ata] that would testify that he has a conversation with Rezko where it was alleged that Karl Rove was working to remove the Chicago U.S. attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald. As Newsweek notes, the revelation immediately produced reverberations in Washington.

Democrats in Congress now want to question Ata. They believe he can help buttress their theory that Rove played a key role in discussions that led to the firings of U.S. attorneys at the Justice Department in 2006. The House Judiciary Committee "intends to investigate the facts and circumstances alleged in this testimony," panel chairman Rep. John Conyers of Michigan said in a statement to Newsweek.

Ata will allegedly testify that he has a conversation with Rezko where he was told that Bob Kjellander, a prominent GOP state lobbyist, was talking to Rove about getting rid of Fitzgerald.

Rove's lawyer said he doesn't remember having conversations about Fitzgerald with Kjellander. Kjellander also said he never had a conversation with Rove about firing Fitzgerald.

Monday it was Hastert's turn.

The Chicago Tribune reports that another witness, Elie Maloof, a former Rezko business associate, said Rezko told him about "an effort under way to fire U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald and replace him with someone more compliant to be hand-picked by Hastert, then the top Republican in the House. Rezko said the Hastert designee would then 'order the prosecutor to stop the investigation' ..."

Hastert's spokesman Brad Hahn said the accusation that Hastert might be in on a scheme came "out of left field" and was without basis.

Ata will actually testify this Thursday, so this story is far from over. You can follow daily updates on the Rezko trial at the Tribunes' "Gavel to Gavel" coverage.

10:49 AM ET | 04-29-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

MORE DIRTY REPUBLICANS-NO BIG SURPRIZE, THEY'RE MADE THAT WAY

Sent by JOHN LONGO | 11:09 AM ET | 04-29-2008

I'm just waiting for the Clinton camp to try and paint Obama as being a card carrying Republican who was personally involved in the DA scandal. After all, flimsy connections and giant leaps in logic are what elections are all about?

Sent by James Cutler | 11:10 AM ET | 04-29-2008

LOL, the fake attorney firing thing again? That's a real winner for the dems.

Sent by deek | 11:52 AM ET | 04-29-2008

Hastert and Rove, peas in a pod.

Hastert says New Orleans should be "bulldozed" after Katrina, covers up Mark Foley's Page emails for a year, lies on financial disclosure statement, takes 100K from Abramoff group and seven days later tries to influence Congress for Abramoff Jena Indian client.

And his buddy, the draft dodger, tax cheat, inside trader (while on White House energy group), PR front man for the mythical Saddam/911 connection (White House Iraq Group), publicly chastized by 911 families for trying to make political gain over the death of their loved ones.

Most famous quote: "Would you be more or less likely to vote for John McCain if you knew he fathered an illegitimate black child?" South Carolina 2004

Sent by Chester | 1:08 PM ET | 04-29-2008

This is not the only reason, Rove has become very active in the McCain campaign as well as on Fox and other outlets. Anything to prevent Obama in office for fear of any exposure after they have left. He does not particularly care for McCain, it is about self interest.

Sent by Ty | 1:35 PM ET | 04-29-2008

fake like, oh, Global Warming, right deek? fake like, um, Evolution, yes? fake like, CFCs destroying the ozone layer, no doubt. fake like, Saddam buying yellowcake uranium from the Nigerians or the alleged connection between him and Al Qaeda? Oh wait, not supposed to mention those fakes, right deek?

Sent by John R. Otten | 1:43 PM ET | 04-29-2008

While listening to the right wing pundits, I'm often reminded of what Lewis Black once asked: "Where might one find a drug that will make one so delusional?". To blindly accept whatever El Presidente and his cronies say is beyond belief.

One of the redeeming things about NPR is that they try to present both sides of the argument, because I would like to believe that's what most people do as well. There are subjects I'm liberal on and those I'm conservative on. If you make up your mind without even a consideration given to the fact that another idea might exist, you'd have to be a fool. Or at least fooling yourself.

Fox News is thataway Deek. I'm tired of your ignorance and mocking tone with no heed to the fact that you might possibly be wrong once in a while.

Sent by James Cutler | 1:44 PM ET | 04-29-2008

LOL, looks like I'm a dissenter here.

And you know what they say about dissent...

Sent by deek | 3:18 PM ET | 04-29-2008

It's only worth anything when grounded in reality, with an open mind to other ideas than your own. You exemplify neither of these...another failure of the American right.

Sent by James Cutler | 6:03 PM ET | 04-29-2008

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