BLAGO TRIAL UPDATE

Remember the name Lon Monk. When Rod Blagojevich was Governor of Illinois, Monk was his Chief of Staff. Monk was to Blago as what Rahm Emanuel is to Barack Obama. Monk was the first witness to testify in Blago's trial last week. Monk testified that he was in meetings with Blago, Chris Kelly (deceased), and Tony Rezko (convicted felon) in 2003 and that some untoward things were discussed.

Via the Chicago Tribune:

Monk said that in May or June of 2003, shortly before Blagojevich’s first big fundraising event as governor, he and the governor sat down with key fundraisers Chris Kelly and Antoin “Tony” Rezko to talk about appointments to several open positions at state boards and commissions.

Monk recalled that Rezko told the group that “some of these board spots were high profile enough that at a minimum some of these people should be donating $25,000.”

That information was revealed before cross-examination. Blago's attorney, Sam Adam, Jr. grilled Monk on specifics of the meetings with two of Blago's biggest fundraisers - Kelly and Rezko.

Via the Tribune:

One key point of contention was Monk’s inability to remember many specifics of meetings he said he had with Blagojevich and fundraisers Chris Kelly and Antoin “Tony” Rezko to discuss eight or nine ideas to make money off Blagojevich’s actions as governor.

Adam asked Monk to outline the first deal that he said had been written on an easel by Rezko.

“I can’t remember,” Monk said.

“You said there was a figure written next to it. Tell us the figure?” Adam asked.

“I can’t,” Monk said.

Chris Kelly was Blago's biggest fundraiser; he committed suicide in September of 2009. Rezko was also a very significant fundraiser for the then-Governor. Perhaps more important to Americans in general, Rezko was a close friend of Barack Obama and was involved in a very suspicious real estate deal in 2005, with the current president.

h/t to Blago Files