Is the fact that the government trumpeted their accusations (long before any real charges were filed) on a global loudspeaker a deal breaker for fairness? It definitely does not help. Is the fact that Blago is bad on TV enough to convict him? I certainly hope not, but we should be realistic here.
Now that charges have finally been filed, Blago has a chance to strike back at his accusers. The whole dirty ball of Chicago politics can now come into play, and there is a lot of dirt to go around. Trust me, I know.
So Blago’s attorneys want to pull several prominent Chicagoland politicians on to the stand, including President Obama. This move has been met with almost universal condemnation. I say why not put Obama on the stand? We are supposed to be a country of laws with a judicial system of fairness. If one is fighting for to prove one’s innocence and maintain one’s freedom, why should anyone be limited to present a full defense? Is that really the American way? When prosecutors argue to omit any evidence from jurors or judges deny any evidence to be heard before the jury, what disservice are they doing to the system?
To deny Blago access to an untainted jury pool and restrict his defense is essentially to condemn him to a conviction. Can the courts do this to a presumed to be innocent man? Those of the courts have taken an oath to uphold the laws of the Constitution. Does that oath have an expiration date? Are those who do not uphold the laws of the land involved in a conspiracy to withhold the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth from the jurors?
It makes me wonder if any politician or elected official can get a fair trial. What type of peers of Blago’s will sit on the jury? Will the system find a suitable cross-section of Illinois politicians who can understand how things are done in this state and judge Blago fairly according to those standards?
21 Comments
Betty,
Great article.
Betty we love you!!! God bless you and your family! We hope your new gig turns out to be a winner for you. Lord knows you deserve it.
Betty,
I’m not even going to get in to the the obvious bias you hold and the point you are trying to make to gain support. Do you honestly think that people should have pitty on blago? What about the poor innocent people that can’t even afford defense and are left with a public pretender? They don’t get the tv time to plead their case and simply go unnoticed.
The justice system has many falts. I don’t personally know if blago is guilty of doing anything outside of legal boundries, he obviously needs some help with morals and integrity, but you are right that doesn’t make him guilty.
And please, please tell me what good it serves having the president come for blago to get more tv time. The country has a couple of issues I might put ahead of a circus for this clown on my list of priorities when Obama has nothing to add but media coverage.
Dear Betty,
I think that you are an AMAZING woman. I look forward to reading your book. Everyone knows that you got railroaded and that all the good things you did greatly improved the lives of so many. I was just a young, Italian kid who is from that neck of the woods and maybe I don’t know much, but at least I know that much. Welcome back, We missed you . . . We love you!
Joe,
Congrats!!! You could not have made a better contribution to your team.
Dear Harlem,
Thank you.
i agree with betty. blogo, i think, is gonna have trouble on this one. this system IS slanted. look what happenend to betty. i thinks it about which pol. is despensible.
HOW are politicians getting away with crazy things. what about stroger. i would like some feedback on THAT one. THAT is one mad mess., and no ones seems to being a DAMN thing about it, much less stopping him in his tracks. REALLY?
Anybody with any common sense would see that you are a complete idiot…
Mr. Moore,
Thanks for your opinion.
I appreciate your comment and realize that you do not understand the judicial system and the damage done to any individual with extensive media coverage.
Thank you.
As Publisher of KTF Media Group, I confirm that “Betty,” is indeed Betty Loren-Maltese, as I have verified the IP address.
Betty,
You are smart and a born survivor. I am sure you will rise to the top in whatever you set your mind to do.
Your new column will give you a decent pulpit.
Blago is just a guy who quit taking orders from the “machine” and was subsequently thrown under the bus over the last 3-4 years.
Blago became a cartoon character – but when considering the machine politics that made him turned against him – he was impeached (kangeroo court style at behest of Madigan, Deleo and Cullerton) -after being indicted by the feds I can’t fault him for his behavior.
Remember in Chicago there is nothing deader than dead clout.
He is a man with all enemies surrounding him and whether he is innocent or guilty the feds just like a defense council will campaign their case to the citizens through media – its what they do – the feds or any legitmate defense.
Betty, I can’t even put into words what I’m thinking as I read your Blog. You are a convicted felon, hello? And you brought all the media attention on yourself woman! Let the judicial system try and do it’s job, justice will prevail, as well as the truth. I do wish you luck in whatever endeavor you take on, the name of the game is survival and it will take a lot of work. Buena suerte!
Joe, did you see this article by The Beachwood Reporter today?
The [Wednesday] Papers
By Steve Rhodes / Posted on May 19, 2010
“It makes me wonder if any politician or elected official can get a fair trial,” Betty Loren-Maltese writes in a post called “Fair Trial For Blago?” on her new blog.
“What type of peers of Blago’s will sit on the jury? Will the system find a suitable cross-section of Illinois politicians who can understand how things are done in this state and judge Blago fairly according to those standards?”
In other words, a jury of Blago’s political peers would never convict him! Priceless.
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Yes, I will give credit where credit is due. I learned of BLM’s blog from Sneed. Who learned of it from BLM.
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BLM’s blog appears at KTF Media Group. How it came to be is, um, fascinating.
“I have recently made the decision to be a literary contributor to KTF Media Group because of some common experiences that I happen to share with the Publisher, Mr. Joseph Fosco, and part-time contributor Conrad Black,” she writes in her introductory post. “All of us have suffered (in some cases considerably) from victimization by the law or the underworld – and, in some cases, by both.
“The Chicago Outfit has victimized Mr. Fosco. The entire judicial branch of the Northern District of Illinois, including the United States Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit, has victimized Mr. Black. Both of these entities have hijacked my life in the past, and I know how difficult and painful it is to go on living after this kind of persecution. I hope I am able to exorcise some of these demons here, much like Mr. Fosco has done, and contribute to the social and political well-being of the greater Chicagoland area.”
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Who is Joseph Fosco?
“Growing up on the west side of Chicago, where Oak Park, Chicago, River Forest and Elmwood Park meet, positioned me near several of the biggest Outfit families in American history,” Fosco said in an interview posted on his site. “To my misfortune, I had actually met some of them and/or their immediate family members in a number of social settings in our community. I am certainly not alone, as many law-biding citizens have been exposed to the same group of people in the community.”
Fosco, of course, got himself into a little bit of a jam, see.
But this is my favorite part of the interview:
“In the early part of 2005, [Dr. Joseph L.] Giacchino insisted that I take some ‘sample’ medication to calm down a bit prior to having lunch with Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass.
“Giacchino had me driven to Tuscany Restaurant in Oak Brook and persuaded me to say a litany of things that I cannot remember today because of the medication that I was on at the time.
“All I seem to remember at this time is that Kass became very uncomfortable when he realized that Giacchino bought our lunch with his credit card, especially since Giacchino was not present.
“Today I believe that Giacchino was hoping my public antics, coupled with our close relationship, would spook the Outfit from continuing to do business with him. I am not sure if it was a good idea or not.
“However, the attention from the Family Secrets case apparently produced an opportunity for Giacchino to cut down on his payroll.
“No doubt, Giacchino’s gold-digging wife, Maria Luisa Gil-Giacchino, certainly found new uses for the influx of cash resulting from this reduction in mob pay out.”
(I couldn’t find a Kass column mentioning Fosco or Giacchino.)
Lo and behold, Kass actually wrote about Giacchino just last Friday ( http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-05-14/news/ct-met-kass-0514-20100514_1_medical-license-overprescribing-doctor ).
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The KTF in KTF Media, by the way, stand for Keys To Faith.
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“There are conflicts, overlaps, subplots, and Machiavellian chicanery everywhere [in Chicago]” writes KTF’s Conrad Black.
“Another interesting current legal initiative is the personal campaign of Joe Fosco, scion of a Teamster union family once associated with the Capones, to recover blackmail money he claims was extorted from him by the mob and to establish his good name. He is fighting a lonely battle against public- and private-sector interests who are not accustomed to being treated as if they were accountable.”
From the Tribune, September 2009:
“Reputed mobster Rudy Fratto has been charged with tax evasion in a new federal case, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division said Tuesday. Fratto, 65, of Darien, has previously been identified by authorities as a lieutenant in the mob’s Elmwood Park street crew. New information filed in federal court alleges that Fratto failed to report nearly $200,000 in income in 2005.
“Fratto this year was among the targets in a civil racketeering claim filed by Joseph Fosco, son of the late Teamsters treasurer Armando Fosco, who alleged that Fratto, reputed Chicago Outfit figure John ‘No Nose’ DiFronzo and others tried to extort $400,000 from him. Lawyers for the men have contested the suit. An attorney for Fratto was not immediately available Tuesday to address the new criminal case.”
Hello Betty,
I am a supporter of your thinking and a jock strapper for you too. I think the world of what you have done for the citizens and people you represented.
Now I take it as gospel that you know the dirty laundry that is hanging out in Cook County politics. I dare say that you know that laundry better than Huddy do.
Welcome back, Betty. Now get right out there again and you too don’t take no orders from da machine.
If the jury pool is biased in Illinois, it is as much Blago’s fault as anyone else’s.
Here, I’ll give you one point: you are right. That initial announcement of charges did seem to verge on a gray area of legal ethics. Prosecutors are not supposed to use the media to argue their case (or their pre-case). They are supposed to speak to the facts on the complaint, and that’s it. Even then, the best advice is really to keep your mouth shut as a prosecutor in front of cameras. (Other than to refute a charge a defense lawyer made in the public lens–that’s the one small exception).
But Blago’s behavior after the announcement has been appalling. He has freedom of speech; he’s clearly exercised it. He should subsequently suffer its consqeuences. The fact that his asinine behavior in the however many months after has hurt his image–and believe me, it has–is ironic.
Everyone does deserve a fair trial. But Blago doesn’t really want a fair trial. A fair trial would translate into him going to prison. He is corrupt and he broke the law. Maybe other politicians in Illinois are ALSO corrupt and have ALSO broken the laws. Oh well. That doesn’t change the fact that Blago did and that he was caught.
Again, the man doesn’t want a fair trial. He wants a media circus. Give me a break. Subpoenaing Obama isn’t even in the interest of his case. It was designed to cause spectacle. Like everything else he does. He’s a sick man–he lives off the media.
As a final note (and a bit of an aside), I find it odd that KFT media group is allegedly so ‘anti corruption’ ‘anti outfit’ etc. in all their reportage, but then they go out and hire Betty L. Look, everyone deserves a second chance, but you have to admit, their is some rich irony in that.
Blago was smart to subpeona Obama – what dont people understand? Blago came from Chicago Machine politics as did Obama so yes there paths have crossed time and time again for instance how about the daily breakfast meetings less than 5 years ago that routinely consisted of Blago, Obama and Emanual- or does everyone still believe Obama was found as a baby floating down the chicago river in a reed basket?
Wake up Chicago your heads have been jammed up your rear ends for many years!
Hi Betty, I’m not from Cicero, but Chicago. I kept up with your story while in politics and prison. I have to give you a tremendous amount of kudos for coming back and trying to get your life back in order. Whether you were guilty or not of the crimes that put you in prison, you came back swinging for survival. And there is nothing wrong with friends and strangers helping you anyway they want. I say more power to you.
Regarding the Blago issue . . . I’ve been to political events when Blago was Governor and I can tell you that he lived in his own world, with his own set of rules and it’s own time frame. Is he guilty, I don’t really know. But I can confirm the psychotic behavior seen in most of his media appearances.
He’s trying to raise money for his family, it appears. And why not, he’ll probably be on his was to prison soon. May as well get ready.
Is the judicial system fair? Yes, if you are not guilty; no if you are not found guilty. Either way, this circus will play out and the verdict read to the judge.
Take care Betty.
Correction: “Is the judicial system fair? Yes, if you are not found guilty; no if you are found guilty.”
Betty, I will tell you why Obama will never testify for the defense…BECAUSE the prosecution is protecting him…THINK about how Milorad was arrested? HE was not a flight risk…THERE were NO statute of limitations pending…HE was day’s if not weeks’ away from naming a Senate replacement…and even if he did make a sudden announcement it would have been a far better time for the fed’s to make their arrest and reveal the contents’ of their covert investigation…ALSO WHEN has Patrick Fitzgerald ever rushed an arrest??? NEVER! FITZ was afraid Obama and his staff were about to put their feet into one of his trap’s and he couldn’t let that happen…
Make no mistake I am no fan of Blagojevich but I am no fan of Fitzgerald either…I think he is even more corrupt than the people he prosecutes. Milorad was involved in a ‘pay to play’ scam back in 2006 that involved both side’s of the fence. The Companion Security deal, where Rezko and his partner’t Frawley & Alsammarae were going to bring 150 unvetted Iraqi militanat’s here to Illinois to train to use AK-47’s…This deal and the people involved were as sinister as they come, there was plenty of evidence, witnesses and documentation yet Fitzgerald swept this one under his very lumpy corruption rug…WHY?????
Love you Betty!!! Am so glad to see you back. Stay true to yourself!
Hey Betty, I still remember your off-duty cops…
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