Jesse Jackson Jr. Met Blagojevich in the Latter’s Office: Were They Taped?
Keep in mind, as you’re reading Jesse Jackson Jr’s statement from yesterday, that they met in Blagojevich’s office on Monday.
The media saw me enter the governor’s office. And after a 90-day [sic] meeting about my record, my qualifications, the media saw me exit Governor Blagojevich’s office.
Jackson doesn’t say in which office he met with Blago. That is, he doesn’t say (and the coverage of the meeting doesn’t say) whether or not he met with Blago in his campaign office–which we know with certainty is bugged.
But regardless of which office they met in, what do you think the odds are that the FBI listened in on that meeting?
The complaint makes no mention of Monday’s meeting between Jackson and Blago–aside from describing Blago, before the fact, explaining to aides that it was going to happen. It couldn’t have! The complaint is dated December 7–Sunday, the day before the Blago-Jackson meeting, and two days before they actually used it.
We do know, however, that the FBI had been able to get bugging devices approved and installed in a few days earlier in this case, because that’s how long it took them to install the bug in Blago’s campaign office in time for a long meeting with John Wyma.
Now, Jackson should have at least suspected that their meeting Monday might be taped, since the Trib broke the story that the governor was being taped on Friday. Though that story suggested that John Wyma was wearing a wire (which is what Blago seemed to think was occurring, as he referred to people "wearing taping devices")–it never revealed that Blago’s campaign office was bugged.
Federal investigators recently made covert tape recordings of Gov. Rod Blagojevich in the most dramatic step yet in their corruption investigation of him and his administration, the Tribune has learned.
As part of this undercover effort, one of the governor’s closest confidants and former aides cooperated with investigators, and that assistance helped lead to recordings of the governor and others, sources said.
The cooperation of John Wyma, 42, one of the state’s most influential lobbyists, is the most stunning evidence yet that Blagojevich’s once-tight inner circle appears to be collapsing under the pressure of myriad pay-to-play inquiries.
That’s what Jackson would have known when he walked into his meeting on Monday; he knows far more now.
So consider the possibility that Jackson now believes (or knows for certain) their meeting was taped on Monday when he spoke yesterday, but may not have on Monday. That raises the possibility that Jackson was trying to set expectations about what occurred in that meeting (though the only thing that Jackson describes that might be ambiguous is his discussion of service).
I did not know that the process had been corrupted. I did not know that credentials, that qualifications, that a record of service meant nothing to the governor. I did not know that the governor and his cronies were attempting to use the process to extort money and favors, in a brazen pay to play scheme.
I wanted to be considered for the appointment because I believe in public service. I believe that Illinois deserves another senator serving alongside Senator Dick Durbin, who shares the values and will work to fix our economy, make our nation more energy independent, provide health care for all Americans, and provide our children with a world-class education, the values of the president-elect.
That’s what I shared with Governor Blagojevich on Monday, when I had the opportunity to meet with him for the first time in four years.
I want to repeat that. I met with Governor Blagojevich for the first time in four years on Tuesday. I presented my record, my qualifications and my vision.
But it would also make Jackson’s version of what the Fitz told him on Tuesday more significant.
Know this. I spoke to the U.S. attorney’s office on Tuesday. They shared with me that I am not — I am not a target of this investigation, and that I am not accused of any misconduct.
That is, if Fitz told Jackson that "he is not accused of any misconduct" after hearing tapes of Monday’s meeting, that carries more weight than if he only knew what Blago had been saying on earlier tapes.
Of course, if they did tape Monday’s meeting–and then almost immediately triggered Blago’s arrest–that would suggest something else entirely (though, still, might not mean that Jackson had any idea that money might change hands).
First quote above, “90-day meeting?” Maybe 90-minute?
Added a “sic,” thanks.
Jackson made one other significant error yesterday. He kept referring to having met Blago on “Tuesday,” which obviously isn’t right.
sic, sick, sic’em EW. Though I wish your skills were being applied to even more tortured/torturous topics (word play.)
Bye for the day. Will take will power knowing EW in in the weeds.
Yes, it enrages me that the quid pro quos for all the privatization contracts went untapped in the White House, K Street & corporate offices throughout the last eight years.
Except as you point out earlier, the complaint was drawn up the day before the J3/RB meeting.
Yeah, I guess I phrased that badly.
The chronology is:
Sunday: Get the warrant
Monday: Blago and JJJ meet; Zell declares bankruptcy
Tuesday: Blago arrested
My suspicion is that they got the warrant (and perhaps got another warrant, perhaps to bug the official office) so as to be able to react quickly when they thought they had to. I’m suggesting they may have let MOnday’s meeting go foward to collect more information, but moved quickly after that to prevent the follow-on from that meeting.
JJJ was asked, after his PC, if he had been offered the job on Monday; he said no. But I wonder whether Blago ahd reason to believe that everything was being set into place on Monday so he could announce on Tuesday or something?
But I wonder whether Blago ahd reason to believe that everything was being set into place on Monday so he could announce on Tuesday or something?
—–
This is key, I think. I really think that Fitz moved when he did in order to prevent Blago from making the Senate appointment. He usually waits until the last minute, but he seemed to move early this time. My guess is that he did it to stop the appointment, because he knows that if he waited, and indicted months or years later, then that Senator would be hopelessly tainted, even if they weren’t paying-to-play.
And looking at your timeline, they got their warrant on a Sunday, which doesn’t seem like SOP to me. So it looks like the feds wanted to be ready to arrest him immediately. Then J3 meets with him for an hour and a half, and he’s arrested before dawn the next morning. That doesn’t look good for J3, but J3 has already told us who to talk to see who else it doesn’t look good for–the media was obviously camped outside the governor’s office on Monday. So who else was meeting with the governor?
I’m going to guess that Jackson read the Trib on Friday, and that HE Knew that Monday’s Meeting with Blago was going to be taped.
So, Jackson goes to the meeting and behaves Completely Correctly – as if the ‘process’ isn’t corrupted, and as if any prior approaches were merely What Would Be Expected anticpating that Obama’s Senate Seat might come open.
That’s what I would have done if I were Jackson, even, or especially, if I had been working a plan to politic the Chicago/Springfield Patronage System for Obama’s seat.
So, it’s possible that a ‘change’ in tune from the Jackson Camp at the Monday meeting – away from the wink-and-nod of Watcha-Gonna-Do-For-Me Aldermen and Street Capos, and towards the straight-up ‘My Record stands on its own’ may have changed Blago’s idea of what was going on – like suddenly ’seeing’ previously un-clear images in a Rorchach Ink Blot.
The Monday meeting may have triggered Blago to start ‘using’ the Wire to name names, and possibly make-shit-up, to ‘dirty’ the prosecution he almost certainly had to know was Imminent Now.
So, Fitz figures the game is up and throws the cuffs on Blago.
And, Jackson is left to stand on his Monday View of the World – where he did the ‘Right’ thing in the name of ‘public service’ – while down-playing that he had been Actively Pursuing the Obama Seat ‘through the Chicago Godfather system’ all along – not neccessarily the ‘Wrong’ thing – but, knowing that that ‘back room’ stuff never looks good in the newspapers.
Just my Two Cents…
EW, you note:
Actually, it seems to be something less than 24 hours turn-around time from order to intercepts – and that includes planting the bugs in the offices surreptitiously, viz.:
And, as to wiretapping, it’s even shorter:
Fast, when they want to be. Even when it comes to putting together a black-bag job.
And Blago thought he could f*ck with them?
Isn’t it a lot harder to put a bug in?
FWIW, Wyma, who was cooperating and may have been asked to wear a wire was at Blago’s office the day they stsarted getting inctercepts from the bug in his office.
So it’s possible Wyma put it in, in exchange for a get out of jail somewhat cheaper card.
That was my point – they got an order and were able to
(1) get into the offices unnoticed
(2) find a good spot for the bug(s), install them and camouflage them
(2a) check to make sure the bug(s) operated correctly
(3) get out of the offices unnoticed
(4) and do it between close of business one day and the beginning of the next.
That’s fast work, and indicates to me they were set up to do this, just waiting for the time to go in.
I thought I hear Fitz say they planted a bug – which would imply something other than wiretapping.
Odds are exceptionally high that JJJ’s every word is on tape
http://www.chron.com/disp/stor…..58188.html
Right. That’s what I’m saying: we know Blago’s campaign office and campaign conference room were bugged as of October 22. If that’s where JJJ met with Blago, we know the meeting was taped.
This would be the bugging of rooms – not telephones.
Reminder: You don’t HAVE to have a warrent before you start bugging. In some cases, you can install the bug while the paperwork is in process. I don’t think that’s limited to foreign intelligence.
They could have usable intercepts from a few days before the warrent is issued. This isn’t the BushCo free pass, the paperwork must be in process and there must be urgency.
Fitz leaves a lot out, it’s easy for me to misread between the lines.
Boxturtle (I will NOT play poker with that man)
I’m fairly certain that Fitz would not bug a sitting Governor without first getting warrants. He’s aggressive, not crazy.
He’d follow the law. He’d do it if he had cause. The speed with which he moved was staggering, SOMETHING that was going to happen soon set him off. Urgency is one of the requirements.
If we assume he made a discovery after work Friday, it would be legal (even pre-BushCo) for him to have one team slap in the bugs while another put together the paperwork. Both would have to be called in, and the judge would be warned to expect this something Saturday. Very rarely done, but maybe in this case. We don’t know what set him off.
There is nothing in the papers that implies this was done. But Fitz leaves stuff out. If we move the possible time for an event back to say late Thursday, does that give anybody any ideas what the event might be?
Boxturtle (Bet Fitz would have liked to stay out of court another week)
Boxturtle
How about bridge?
Call me naive, but I listened to JJJ’s presser, and he sounded very
convincing…
I’m unconvinced that JJJ has done anything wrong. We’ll see.
I’d play bridge with Fitz, as long as there was no money on the table. And he agreed to bid Standard American.
Boxturtle (The man probably falsecards instinctively)
That was my take. Why in the hell would you come out and so clearly say and repeat that you had only met with Blago once in four years>
this also stands out. JJJ
“I want to address rumors about me. I reject and denounce pay to play politics. I did not initiate or authorize anyone at any time to promise anything to Blagojevich on my behalf. I never sent an emissary to make a deal. I thought, mistakenly, that the process was fair.”
Why would you say that you had only met with Fitz once in four years and had not sent anyone, no emissary to “make a deal”? Knowing that Fitz has generally gotten his man or woman (well he did not get Judy Miller’s phone records on the Charity phone calls did he)
sorry only met with “Blago” once in four years.
Who do you think is walking into Fitz’s office after he rolled out the red carpet and asked folks to “step up to the plate”
I also was impressed with his voting record (only two misses in 13 years,
damn good to me, considering all those Congressional Repugs yahoos).
I have not followed his career but his statements were impressive to me. If he was lying he is “cheney’d”
I have been wondering if JJSr. would end up in the soup. I would be sad but sadly not surprised at this point.
If the offers had been made, Blago would likely have cleared his calendar for any face-to-face with JJJ, like on Monday.
I have not read the Tribune lead up to this, but I think it did not mention anything about the Senate “vetting process.”
Regardless, JJJ might have wanted to clear his name and personally make an appearance to “clean the record.”
As long as it was all his “entourage” making the calls on his behalf and no actual goods were passed in a pay to play scheme, then JJJ, no matter how it looks to have the others doing his dirty work, still can come off pretty clean.
However, if Blago mentioned any of the pay to play terms, as he understood them in that Monday meeting, JJJ would have to disavow any notions Blago had been given, up to that point. To clean the record, so to speak.
Would like to know what would be needed for it to be a bribe. If the gov said “would you raise money for me” and the other person answered “sure, would be glad to”, does that make it a bribe?
No, that would not be a bribe. If the Gov said “If you raise money for me, I’ll appoint you a senator”, that would be soliciting a bribe. There has to be a payoff.
If you say “Yes”, you’ve bribed him. If you say “I’ll raise money for you, regardless” you haven’t.
Boxturtle (Sometimes the law is an ass)
Thanks. Just trying to figure out how far they can go.
I think it’s at least worth contemplating an idea that no one here will like — that Fitz moved when he did to get cards on the table before anyone began to think of getting rid of him.
This doesn’t implicate Obama. Just someone who has enough power in the incoming admin to think he could get away with moving Fitz, and reason to fear him. The indictment shows anyone who didn’t recognize it before that not all Dems in Illinois had clean hands. Is there any reason to think that everyone who is changing zip codes in the next month does? Or that they left their 606 ethics in the city when they moved?
Notably, when asked why he moved when he did, Fitz didn’t put the Senate seat high on his list. Was he just muddying it a bit by putting that 4th of 4 motives? Or was it genuinely not the first thing on his mind?
Now here’s something interesting I just noticed in going for the quote. When Fitz does get to it as one of his reasons, he says that the seat “seemed to be as recently as days ago auctioned off to the highest bidder”.
Now what the hell does that mean? That it was no longer up for auction? Does this mean that they stopped getting good info from the wire (because Blago started talking about the good of the people of Illinois in places where he suspected a bug)? It’s certainly a strange statement to square with any follow-up on the offers from the Jackson emissaries.
For those who missed the last thread, I’ll repost two things — Jackson Sr. got a lawyer yesterday, and Jackson Jr’s lawyer said “you may be assure Jesse Jr. has done no wrongdoing.” A specific and gratuituous reference unless he’s parsing his Jackson’s very carefully.
The Bush Rangers and such all agreed to raise $100,000 or more for the Bush campaign. Some of them were given appointments. Happens alla time.
A stocking gift for every state?
http://blogs.chicagotribune.co…..tzmas.html
That made me laugh out loud. Oh, buck up. Hee.
one of the beautiful turns of phrase, from the linked article:
“…the happy day when the law pounces”
Oh, and on the linked article’s poll the choice between “Sad day for Illinois” and “a holly, jolly Fitzmas”, good ol’ “holly, jolly Fitzmas” wins 96-4.
In the middle of moving so quickly:
the bugs are better now than even Mission Impossible (the original). Takes no setup time.
Later.
Scott Horton has a piece up at Harpers comparing Fitzpatrick with the corrupt schmucks who prosecuted Gov. Siegelman in Alabama. He leads off with an amusing anecdote about Fitz.
thanks for the linky. I’m still smarting over Chuck Todd’s juvenile remark that Fitz is a “grandstander” and that article you reference restores my confidence that others perceive his integrity and are willing to point it out to others.
Todd’s required to do that. ALl of MSNBC is still smarting that Fitz made their sainted Timmeh look like a cheap hack.
Just think, they coulda called it “the Golden Rod.”
The sense from all of this is that JJJ went wary into the meet with MacBlago, and tried his darnedest to be circumspect in what he said during it; but that on being contacted by the feds got nervous from the combination of
[a] whatever he’d been informed by his emissary,
[b] what the implications of that might be,
[c] that he’d decided to go into the meeting intending to try to walk a tightrope – without a lot of previous experience in same,
and
[d] having listened t MacBlago talk-dance around the implications – –
maybe not at all convincingly – –
[Monty Python sketch: “Right? Right? Candy, you say? Can – Dee? Eh? Eh? Winks as good as nod to a blind man, right? Isn’t that what they say? Say no more Say – No – More!”]
and on being contacted by the feds Very Shortly Thereafter:
was not entirely convinced he’d succeeded in negotiating that tightrope in a credible way …
until – – sigh made partly of chastened relief and partly of hopefulness that this too might pass – – he was officially informed he was “not a target” – – and, as we saw, seized onto it with all the enthusiasm of someone who’s just jumped off the Titanic and spots a likely piece of floating wood.
But still – that ‘guilty knowledge’ thing yet gnaws at him – and thus his less than compelling performance at the non-press presser.
Related observation, as to that Monday-Tuesday thing: Hard to keep track of what day it is when you go sleepless in Chicago.
Brilliant comment all around, thanks.
That’s what I’m thinking happened–and one of the reasons JJJ made the VERY risky decision to hold a presser (and even, to continue to press for the position, even while sounding like he was ending his campaign).
WHile JJJ told reporters yesterday that he was not offered the position Monday, I think that’s probably an overstatement. So just the possibility that Blago may have left the impression that the deal was done would require JJJ to 1) go public and say “anyone” appointed by Blago would be tainted, and 2) try to pitch his side of hte conversation as being very naively about “public service,” to help the FBI interpret any possible recording, but also to preempt public interpretation in case a transcript magically comes to light.
Yup.
Concur. JJJ wanted the job, but smelled something foul and needed to find a way out that the public would stomach.