Obama Report On Blagojevich Contacts: Rahm Exonerated

UPDATE 12/23 4:30 PM: President-elect Obama's internal report on Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been released. Read the full text here.

UPDATE 12/23: The Obama transition team's internal review of contacts with the office of disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected to be released on Tuesday.

In line with earlier reports below, the New York Times is told by three sources that the review found that Obama's advisers "were not involved in any inappropriate talks about the Senate seat."

In addition to incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, the Times reports that Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett and one of Jarrett's top aides, Michael Strautmanis, will be listed as having had conversations with Blagojevich's office. Obama reportedly wanted Jarrett to be appointed to his former Senate seat, but she ended up accepting a senior White House position.

The Times notes some other key details:

It is unknown whether one of the leading unanswered questions will be resolved: Did Mr. Obama, through his aides, give Mr. Blagojevich a list of preferred candidates for the Senate seat?

At a news conference three days after the election, Mr. Obama said he was staying out of the matter. "There are going to be a lot of good choices out there," he said, "but it is the governor's decision to make, not mine."

The Obama report may not be the final word on the case. The review was compiled from memory by Mr. Obama's aides, rather than from recordings of any phone calls.

* * * * *

From 12/21: Aides to President-elect Barack Obama will release a report this week exonerating incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel of any wrongdoing in the controversy surrounding Gov. Rod Blagojevich, ABC's George Stephanopoulos reports.

According to the report, Emanuel had only one "pro-forma" courtesy call with the embattled Illinois governor. Also, Emanuel is on tape telling Blagojevich's chief of staff that Obama would not offer any favors to induce the governor to choose Obama's favored candidate.

More from Stephanopoulos:

Sources also confirm that Emanuel made the case for picking Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett during at least one of the conversations [with Blagojevich's chief of staff John Harris]. In the course of that conversation, Harris asked if in return for picking Jarrett, "all we get is appreciation, right?" "Right," Emanuel responded.

Bottom line: these sources say that Obama's report, which is expected to be released this week, will confirm what Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald and President-Elect Obama have said -- and what Governor Blagojevich clearly believed: that Obama officials were not open to any kind of deal for the Obama Senate seat.

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Comments

[jeremyemilio]

Hmmm... which is the more inane logical proposition:

1. Blagojevich is a Democrat from Illinois; Obama is a Democrat from Illinois; ergo, Obama is just like Blagojevich.

2. The Obama team investigated the Obama team; the Obama team found that the Obama team did nothing wrong; ergo, the Obama team is completely exonerated.

I call this one a toss-up. Oh well, who needs logic when we've got partisanship?

[BelGazou]

There has been no evidence to prove that there have been any deals between Obama and team with Blagojevich. All suggestions otherwise are pure conjecture and wishful thinking on the part of the neocons who continue to grasp at straws in trying to unseat Obama. (They so remind me of Monty Pythons legless and armless knight, proclaiming a mere flesh-wound and continuing to loudly threaten.)

[Chillya]

Please people no one is perfect, however not everyone gets there hands dirty I believe tha PREZ ELECT O. is a differnt kind of politician,. Why can't people try and see that , some of you people want to think the worse. Hey what if he is a good man, there are a few out there you know

[iggy06]

I have been hearing on liberal talk shows that progressives are over-reacting and that we all want Obama to be the left's version of Bush by "punishing" all rightwing whacko's. They all say this is bad. Well normally I would tend to agree. THe problem is that, no matter what Obama does. No matter how "center-right" he governs, the O'Reilly's, Hannity's, Savages, Reagan's, Limbaugh's, Hagee's, and Pat Robertson's, are still going to attack him and lie about him just as bad whether he governed like Bobby Kennedy or Barry Goldwater. Since Kennedy, the rightwing has had their way, irregardless of Carter or Clinton being in office over the past 40 years of steadily growing American fascism. Carter's foreign policy team were neocons (Brezenski), and so were Clinton's (McCafferty, Reno, Albright, etc.)

SO I think it is very important that Obama makes a huge statement. I think we were all hoping for that. This is why so many are upset with his cabinet picks. They're absolutely horrible and many of them might very well have been picked by a President McCain, Giuliani, Huckabee, etc. Obama should have hired many of the career patriots who became whistleblowers or just plain quit under Bush after experiencing first hand the criminal machinations of the Bush regime. People like Lt. Col Karen Kiatowski, Ray McGovern, Cynthia McKinney, etc. There are many to pick from who've proven to be genuine heroes, many risking their lives3nv BTW, many of these patriots are republican.

[jaydeedub]

Funny how Emanuel being exonerated is not generating the media coverage it deserves. I think this should be covered just like the wild gossip of his involvement was overcovered.

[strugglingteens1]

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[rickey56]

I first thought, now I truly believe Fox News, Politico & Republicans were behind the Verizon workers peeking into Obama's cell phone records. Right now they are clammering for Obama to release emails & documents as though he is guilty of something. Fox News does not want to see Obama even make it to the White House because of the questions they're asking about safety points during his inauguration. This Morning that Republican named King from NY gave out part of Obama's phone number then they tried to get him to tell the whole phone number on air.

[rickey56]

I first thought, now I truly believe Fox News, Politico & Republicans were behind the Verizon workers peeking into Obama's cell phone records. Right now they are clammering for Obama to release emails & documents as though he is guilty of something. Fox News is trying to get Obama killed before he can make it to the White House because of the questions they're asking about safety during the inauguration. This Morning that Republican named King from NY gave out part of Obama's phone number then they tried to get him to tell the whole phone number on air. Fox wants Obama dead!

[DontSpin]

You guys should read this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sam-sedaei/on-abortion-pro-choice-is_b_152744.html

[PhysicsProf]

If I had time to burn, I'd flag as abusive half of these inexcusible posts. It's funny how conservatives assume liberals are crooks until proven innocent, while their own are frickin misunderstood martyrs being unfairly judged by elitist liberals. GET A BRAIN.

[FirstShirt]

I, for one conservative, do not. I believe in letting politicians of any stripe swim in their own scum. Obama is a southside Chicago politician. Anyone who believes he did not have to associate with turkeys to get to be an eagle is simply ignorant or naive.

[Ric NYC]

Oh... Nice... A self investigation.

[lizziekw]

Yeah, because Patrick Fitzgerald clearing Rahmbo and the entire Obama team was such an inside job.

Forget it, crackers, find another Faux scandal. We'll enjoy tossing that one on the trash heap as well.

[reshas1]

Yes, we're going to believe an Obama report... NOT... He's not the Rahm I knew.. The wheels on the bus are stuck by all the people that's been thrown overboard. Is Rahm next???

[lizziekw]

LOL Sorry, sweetie, but everyone who isn't a Republican shill already believes not only the Obama report but the Patrick Fitzgerald report.

Rahm is safe, everyone on the Obama team is safe - including Obama himself. The Blago thing is a non-event.

Try again, pumpkin, and better luck with your next Faux issue.

[g35]

It"s par for the course for Obama and Biden, the men who promised "change" but in every step of their preparations for assuming office have pursued nothing but continuity, to acknowledge that they will protect cri minals in the Bush administration from prosecution for authorizing to rture, a complete viol ation of both the U.S. constitution and the Geneva Conventions.
When asked by ABC host George Stephanopoulos if top level Bush administration officials would be prosecuted for mandating prisoner abuse, Biden said that he and Obama would be "focusing on the future," adding "I think we should be looking forward, not backwards."
Such rhetoric goes to the very heart of the gigantic con job the "Obama change" hoax has wrought upon millions of befuddled Americans who naively presumed that voting for the lesser of two e vils would result in anything other than more e vil.

[eddieknoll]

Democrats are the biggest Crooks in the world. They start out just wanting to steal your money (Taxes), then find that graft and influence peddeling pay pretty good as well...

[lizziekw]

Yeah! How dare they do that??!!??

Love,
Jack Abramoff

[Harrygton]

Let me guess.... Ron Paul?! Hey, I would have voted for Dennis or him if I thought they had a chance!

[rabiddog6708]

Man, you really are a Repug tro//.....i've been checking out your sli.me-ridden posts.....Taxes do not steal your money.....it takes money to run the government....to pay the police, fire dept....maintain roads....make sure the air and water doesn't kill you before the greasy hamburger does....Repugs like you are selfish and don't want to pay their way in this world.

[Lion24]

Any reports as to whether R a h m is still an @ s. s. h. o. l. e.?

[lizziekw]

Is his boot up your behind yet? If so, then he's still doing his job exactly the way we want him to do it. If not, he'll get around to it soon.