According to Google there are 679 news articles about Andy Stern's resignation. Tasty, for one, is ALMOST sick of talking about it--but there remains one big question: why now?
There are a lot of rumors that Tasty has heard--among them: new jobs, presidential appointments, general desire to screw around with his $19,000/mnth pension, DOL probes regarding the SoCal shenanigans with Alejandro Stephens..and then there is Andy's old friend, Mr. Celebrity Apprentice Rod "the hair" Blagojevich.
Could this be what caused Andy's hasty exit stage right?
It turns out that yesterday (April 14), a federal judge released a 91-page “evidentiary proffer” that lays out "the path federal prosecutors plan to take at [former Illinois Governor Rod] Blagojevich's scheduled June trial on corruption charges," according to the Chicago Tribune. The proffer gives new details about Blago’s secretly recorded phone calls and other evidence collected by prosecutors, including... you guessed it: Blago's effort to cut a deal with SEIU officials to sell Obama's Senate seat.
As many readers know, Stern has a long (and expensive) history with Blago. SEIU was reportedly candidate Blago’s biggest campaign contributor, giving him $1.7 million. Soon after Blago was sworn into office, he returned the favor by signing an Executive Order in 2003 that gave SEIU the right to organize 25,000 homecare workers in Illinois. Two years later, Blago signed another Executive Order that allowed SEIU to organize 49,000 childcare workers.
Above see a picture of Andy at Blago’s signing of one of the Executive Orders.
So what have feds revealed in their “evidentiary proffer?” A quick look reveals dozens of references to SEIU officials (including Tom Balanoff) and their apparent involvement in Blago’s multiple schemes to sell Obama’s vacant Senate seat. It is important to note that, according to multiple sources, Balanoff is now "campaigning hard" in support of Anna Burger to succeed Stern as SEIU President. Balanoff used to "hate" Burger, but the speculation is that she knows (as the President of Change to Win) even more damning evidence on Balanoff than the feds have made public, and Balanoff has bought her silence with his support.
One scheme involved a “three-way” quid pro quo deal to put Blago, or his wife, in a highly paid position at Change to Win (making it the least hot "three-way" ever blogged about.) Another scheme involved pouring millions of dollars into a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization that Blago would set up to lobby for health care legislation. Another involved getting Blago a job at a private foundation funded by SEIU.
Tasty has pasted excerpts from the “evidentiary proffer” below. It’s long, I know, but I thought readers would want to see the details. It includes some real gems, like: “Blagojevich responded that the Change to Win idea was a ‘fucking great idea.’’ You can see the entire proffer at this link. Here are the excerpts:
Later on November 3, 2008 (Blagojevich Call #149), Blagojevich talked to Harris again. During the call, Blagojevich stated his belief that individuals associated with Service Employees International Union (“SEIU”) were coming to meet with Blagojevich that day to push for Senate Candidate B’s appointment…
On the afternoon of November 3, 2008, Blagojevich met with Labor Union Official and another representative of SEIU. During the meeting, there was a discussion about a number of different candidates for the Senate seat. Both SEIU representatives expressed their view that Senate Candidate B would be a good choice for the Senate seat. Blagojevich stated that he assumed that if Obama was interested in Senate Candidate B being named to replace Obama, then Obama would be in touch with Blagojevich…
“On November 5, 2008 (Blagojevich Call #255), Blagojevich informed Deputy Governor A that Labor Union Official, who was one of the officials who had met with Blagojevich on November 3, 2008 to discuss the Senate seat, was coming back to meet with Blagojevich to discuss the Senate seat. Labor Union Official was set to meet with Blagojevich the following day. Blagojevich talked through jobs he could request in exchange for naming a candidate to the Senate seat and noted that none of them would be attainable if it were not for the fact Blagojevich had the right to fill the Senate seat.
Later on November 5, 2008 (Blagojevich Call #261), Blagojevich talked to Harris. They discussed what Blagojevich should say to Labor Union Official regarding what Blagojevich wanted in exchange for naming Senate Candidate B to the Senate seat… Harris stated that if Blagojevich’s goal was to trade the Senate seat for a job elsewhere, then Blagojevich needed to “put it on the table” with Labor Union Official…
Based on Harris’s prior conversations with Blagojevich, Harris informed Blagojevich that Harris had told Deputy Governor A that they were looking for a “reasonable ask” in exchange for the Senate seat that “takes care” of Blagojevich’s family and keeps Blagojevich’s future political ambitions open. Harris stated they were now looking at private foundations in which the president-elect might have influence and would not appear to look like a “deal” for the Senate seat. Harris suggested they look at private foundations that were “heavily dependent on federal aid.” … Blagojevich suggested to Harris and Deputy Governor A that it was difficult to see this kind of deal coming together, but told Deputy Governor A and Harris to find the foundations that SEIU funded. Deputy Governor A agreed that they should find the foundations SEIU funded because then SEIU could help broker the deal with Blagojevich. Again, Blagojevich told Deputy Governor A and Harris to “look into those ones that are funded by labor.”
Later on November 5, 2008 (Blagojevich Call #281), Blagojevich spoke to Advisor B about Blagojevich’s interest in getting a private foundation job. Blagojevich told Advisor B that SEIU and the president-elect could remove the head of a particular foundation and give the position to Blagojevich…
On the morning of November 6, 2008 (Blagojevich Calls #317, 319, and 321), Blagojevich talked to Harris. Blagojevich had arranged a meeting with Labor Union Official for later that afternoon. Harris and Blagojevich discussed the meeting with Labor Union Official and how Blagojevich could ask for what Blagojevich wanted from Labor Union Official…
Later in the call, Harris suggested that Blagojevich request a position as the paid national coordinator for Change To Win, an organization partially funded by SEIU, in exchange for naming Senate Candidate B to the Senate seat. Harris suggested to Blagojevich that the Change to Win idea might be better than a private foundation because the Change to Win job is controlled by SEIU and Blagojevich would not necessarily have to step down as governor to take it immediately, like he might have to do with a private foundation job. Blagojevich responded that the Change to Win idea was a “fucking great idea.” Later, Blagojevich stated he would like to be on some “corporate boards” in addition to taking the Change to Win job. Harris responded that Harris thought Change to Win would be a full-time job. Blagojevich asked “would I be able to get a little extra income though.” Harris responded that he did not think Blagojevich would want to sell himself to SEIU as a part-time employee. Blagojevich responded “No, but if I could sit on a couple a boards, that’s not much time, or teach a class.” Later Blagojevich asked how much the Change to Win job would pay. Harris suggested it probably paid at least what Labor Union Official made working for SEIU. Blagojevich responded “I betcha he makes, well he lives on the north shore, you gotta think he makes more than the governor, right?”
…Blagojevich informed his wife that Blagojevich was meeting with Labor Union Official that afternoon. Blagojevich talked to his wife about becoming the national director of Change to Win and that “hopefully you get paid decent.” Blagojevich also informed his wife that Change to Win would allow him to form a national network of low wage workers to help in his future political career. During the conversation, Blagojevich’s wife looked up information about Change to Win on the internet, in part to determine “what they paid their people in 2006.” Blagojevich’s wife had trouble finding the salary information on-line. Blagojevich responded “Don’t worry about it. Yeah, that’s, you negotiate that. I’d like a 4-year contract for a million a year or somethin’. . . . Or 750 or whatever. It’d have to be good. Obama’s got excess money, he just gives them more money.” Blagojevich told his wife he was not sure the Change to Win idea would happen, but it was one of several options.
On November 6, 2008, Blagojevich met with Labor Union Official alone… Thereafter, Blagojevich made clear to Labor Union Official that he would name Senate Candidate B to the Senate seat in exchange for being named Secretary of HHS…
Later on November 7, 2008 (Blagojevich Calls #403, 405, 406, and 408), Blagojevich spoke to Harris and Advisor A, a political advisor, about, among other things, Blagojevich’s request for the Secretary of HHS position and the possibility of obtaining a job with Change to Win… Advisor A told Blagojevich that Advisor A liked the Change to Win idea. Blagojevich asked whether the Change to Win idea was better than trying to work out a deal to provide the Senate seat to Individual L. Advisor A indicated the Change to Win idea was better to help Blagojevich financially and his future politically. Blagojevich agreed…
Later on November 12, 2008 (Blagojevich Calls #533, 535, and 537), Blagojevich spoke to Advisor A. Blagojevich explained his 501(c)(4) idea to Advisor A and stated it would be a place for Blagojevich to get a job after he was governor, like Change to Win. Advisor A told Blagojevich that Advisor A liked Change to Win better because it had “fewer fingerprints.” Blagojevich stated his concern with Change to Win was that it might not be there in two years while the 501(c)(4) was something Blagojevich could “control.” …
Immediately after learning that Senate Candidate B may have taken herself out of consideration for the Senate seat, Blagojevich made a direct effort to obtain money for his 501(c)(4) in exchange for naming Senate Candidate B to the Senate seat. Blagojevich called Labor Union Official (Blagojevich Call #541). During the call, Blagojevich informed Labor Union Official that “one thing” Blagojevich would be interested in was the creation of a “501(c)(4)” issue advocacy organization. Blagojevich stated the organization would be there if he were not governor anymore. Blagojevich stated that right now it would be run by people he trusts and it would be a health care organization. Blagojevich told Labor Union Official that certain wealthy individuals could put $10, $15, or $20 million into the organization over night. Blagojevich then stated that he and the organization could “help our new Senator, [Senate Candidate B], go out” and push an agenda. Labor Union Official understood that Blagojevich was connecting the funding of the 501(c)(4) organization to Blagojevich naming Senate Candidate B to the Senate…
