Re: Blagojevich Audio

(The original date of this post, 12/11/08, has been changed to keep this post near the top. Newer posts are below.)

We've had many visitors who are looking for audio tapes from the Blagojevich FBI wiretaps. As far as we know, they have not been released. If they are, we'll post 'em. The transcripts of the recorded conversations everyone is talking about are in the criminial complaint, which is available here at Chicago Bungalow (see below). It is also available in PDF format at the US DOJ Northern District Press Room).

UPDATE 1/27/08: Small portions of the audio have been released. See this post.
UPDATE 1/5/08: The entire complaint is posted. The index is here, or see links below.

UPDATE 12/18/08: We'll try to get the full criminal complaint posted in a more navigable form as soon as possible. This is a work in progress (you can follow status updates on Twitter). Here's what we have so far - and please remember that mentioned does not necessarily mean implicated:

Criminal Complaint Index/Outline

Criminal Complaint (1): Count One, Count Two
(Mentioned on this page: conspiracy from 2002 to present, The Chicago Tribune and Tribune editorial members; Wrigley Field; )

Criminal Complaint (2) Affidavit, Introduction
(Mentioned on this page: Friends of Blagojevich, Antoin Rezko; Tribune Company, firing of certain Chicago Tribune editorial members, Wrigley Field baseball stadium; Illinois Finance Authority.)

Criminal Complaint (3): Affidavit: II. Summary of Probable Cause
(Mentioned on this page: Friends of Blagojevich; Chicago Tribune editorial members, Wrigley Field; appointments to state boards and commissions, state employment, state contracts, and access to state funds; senatorial appointment; court approval to intercept oral communications at two rooms at Friends of Blagojevich, personal office and conference room, and at his residence.)

Criminal Complaint (4): Facts Establishing Probable Cause, Information Provided by Ali Ata
(Mentioned on this page: Ali Ata, Friends of Blagojevich, Antoin Rezko and the Rezko trial, Stuart Levine, Capital Development Board, Teachers Retirement System, Illinois Finance Authority ("IFA").)


Criminal Complaint (5): Facts Establishing Probable Cause, Information Provided by Joseph Cari
Mentioned on this page: Rezko and the Rezko Trial, Chris Kelly, Stuart Levine, Lon Monk, JER (a real estate investment firm that was seeking an investment from the Teachers Retirement System), Vice President Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign (Cari was the national finance chair for the campaign), Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, Teachers Retirement System of Illinois (board of trustees).

Criminal Complaint (6): Facts Establishing Probable Cause, Information Provided by Stuart Levine
Mentioned on this page: Levine indictments (mail and wire fraud, extortion, bribery, and money laundering); corruption of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board (the "Planning Board"), corruption of the Planning Board, History of Control at TRS (Teachers Retirement System); Mercy Hospital, Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association; Friends of Blagojevich, Levine's testimony at the Rezko Trial, Tony Rezko, Chris Kelly, Thomas Beck, Imad Almanaseer, William Cellini.

Criminal Complaint (7): Facts Establishing Probable Cause, Blagojevich's knowledge of the Attempted Extortion of Capri Capital
Mentioned on this page: Teachers Retirement System (TRS), Tony Rezko, Stuart Levine, Chris Kelly, William Cellini, Thomas Rosenberg of Capri Capital (who threatens to expose the extortion of Capri), Dr. Robert Weinstein.

Criminal Complaint (8): Facts Establishing Probable Cause, Information Obtained from Individual A
(From: B. Evidence Concerning Corrupt Conduct by ROD BLAGOJEVICH and JOHN HARRIS in and After October 2008, 1. Evidence Concerning Efforts to Obtain Campaign Contributions In Exchange for Official Acts.)
Mentioned on this page: Individual A, Individual B, Fundraiser A, Lobbyist 1, Highway Contractor 1, Illinois Health Facilities Planning board, Friends of Blagojevich, ACPA (American Concrete Pavement Association), Children’s Memorial Hospital, Hospital Executive 1, Antoin “Tony” Rezko, Individual C ("a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives who is believed to be attempting to assist ROD BLAGOJEVICH in passing a capital bill worth billions of dollars that would benefit Highway Contractor 1 and the trade association with which he is affiliated").


Criminal Complaint (9): Information Obtained from Intercepted Phone Conversations Concerning Efforts to Obtain Campaign Contributions In Exchange for Official Acts

Mentioned on this page: Individual A, Fundraiser A, Hospital Executive 1, Deputy Governor A, Lobbyist 1, Lobbyist 2, Highway Contractor 1, Contributor 1, Engineering Firm 1, Rezko Trial, Friends of Blagojevich.

Criminal Complaint (10): State Funds as Inducement to Fire Tribune Ed. Board Members

Mentioned on this page: Owners of the Tribune Company, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune editorial board members, John P. McCormick, the Chicago Tribune's Deputy Editorial Page Editor, Tribune Owner, Tribune Financial Advisor, Chicago Cubs, Cubs Chairman, Wrigley Field, Sports Consultant (the president of a Chicago-area sports consulting firm), Illinois Finance Authority ("IFA""), IFA Board of Directors, Deputy Governor A, Michael Madigan, Advisor A.

Criminal Complaint (11): Efforts to Obtain Personal Benefits for Senatorial Appointment

Mentioned on this page: President-elect [Barack Obama], Deputy Governor A, Advisor A, Advisor B (a Washington D.C.-based consultant), various Washington-D.C. based advisors, "President-elect Advisor", 'Spokesman', Senate Candidates 1, 2, 3, Senate Candidate 4 (who is also a Deputy Governor in Illinois), Senate Candidate 6 (believed to be a wealthy person from Illinois), Individual A, Individual D, "a particular" Chicago Sun-Times columnist, "Change to Win (an organization connected to Service Employees International Union, SEIU), SEIU Official, Blagojevich's wife (Patricia "Patty" Blagojevich), Governor General Counsel, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Chicago Tribune, Friends of Blagojevich.

See also:

Full text of the DOJ Press Release
US DOJ Northern District Press Room
Full video of the FBI/DOJ news conference (C-SPAN, 49 minutes)
Complete transcript of the above FBI/DOJ news conference

(*[Edited 12/13]: This criminal complaint is an education in the mechanics of corruption in Illinois - particularly in Chicago. At the DOJ Chicago Press Room you will see links to view months. When you click them, additional press releases, complaints and indictments are added to the list. Some of them pertain to individuals connected to this case.)