Plot to dump Fitzgerald?
WITNESS CLAIM | Rezko talked of Rove effort to oust U.S. attorney
A prosecutor told the judge in the Tony Rezko corruption trial Wednesday that a witness is prepared to testify about efforts by top Republicans to get the Bush White House to fire U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald at a time he was spearheading investigations of Gov. Blagojevich's administration.
The key players, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie E. Hamilton, were Robert Kjellander, a Republican National committeeman from Springfield, and Kjellander's old friend, Karl Rove, who, at the time was a top White House adviser.
(Brian Jackson/Sun-Times)
Ali D. Ata, a former top Blagojevich appointee who pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges in a separate case involving Rezko, told prosecutors the subject of Fitzgerald's future came up around November 2004, when Rezko asked if he had had conversations with federal investigators.
"What I anticipate Mr. Ata would testify to would be that he did actually have direct conversations with Mr. Rezko about the fact that . . . Mr. Kjellander was working with Karl Rove to have Mr. Fitzgerald removed," Hamilton told U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve. Hamilton said Rezko told Ata: "Mr. Kjellander is working with Mr. Rove to have Mr. Fitzgerald removed so that someone else can come in to the U.S. attorney's office."
A White House spokesman referred questions to Rove's lawyer. Rove, through Washington attorney Robert Luskin, and Kjellander denied they sought to oust Fitzgerald, Chicago's corruption-busting U.S. attorney, who remains in his post.
Fitzgerald also served as special prosecutor in the CIA leak investigation that involved Rove but did not result in criminal charges against him.
Though a Republican, Kjellander is an associate of Rezko and also did work for the Blagojevich administration in 2003.
St. Eve did not say when she would rule on the request to let Ata testify about Kjellander and Rove.
In his plea deal, Ata said he contributed to Blagojevich's campaign so he could get the $127,000-a-year job to run the Illinois Finance Authority.
The governor has said the money had nothing to do with the appointment.
Rezko, a former top fund-raiser for Blagojevich and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, also has been a contributor to Bush, helping host a major Illinois fund-raiser for him in 2003. Rezko is accused of manipulating votes on state boards and commissions to enrich himself, associates and Blagojevich's campaign.
Kjellander's lobbying business, Springfield Consulting Group, listed Rezko as a lobbyist in 2002 and early 2003. The firm received an $809,000 fee through a $10 billion state pension bond deal Blagojevich pushed through the General Assembly in 2003.
"I never have discussed with Karl Rove or any other person on the White House staff the proposition that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald should or could be removed from his office," Kjellander said.
Kjellander was a college classmate of Rove and is a former treasurer of the Republican National Committee.