by Bob Secter and Jeff Coen
The name of former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert was added Monday to the roster of political heavyweights linked by witnesses to an alleged plan to dump Chicago's top federal prosecutor and kill a criminal investigation into a top fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
A witness at the corruption trial of Blagojevich insider Antoin "Tony" Rezko testified that Rezko told him in February 2005 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," recalled Elie Maloof, a former Rezko business associate who also testified that Rezko had told him to keep Rezko's name to himself if he were questioned by authorities because it could damage Blagojevich.
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Comments
Every day we learn more dirt about the former House Speaker. Unlike John E circling the wagons for a democrat I refuse to defend him. This fat idiot and his corruption is the reason we don't control the House anymore and lost his district. His connections to the Illinois combine have put the party back in this state by 20 years and it's not surprising that he wanted to look out for his fellow swine, democrat and republican. Good riddance, J. Dennis.
Posted by: Jeff | April 29, 2008 8:34 AM
His resignation didn't seem right at the time, did it?
Posted by: KNEW IT! | April 29, 2008 8:52 AM
Head pig be sweatin' now.
Posted by: C.Morris | April 29, 2008 2:30 PM