Review's Findings of Obama Team’s Contacts with Blago on Hold Until Next Week

Note: Below is an update to an earlier article by the AP in which it noted the public will have to wait until next week for details from the Obama Team's internal review, "when few will be paying close attention because of Christmas and Obama's plans to celebrate in Hawaii _ far away from Chicago, the focal point of the federal investigation."


The AP reported today at 5 P.M. EST:

‘“CHICAGO — President-elect Barack Obama had no direct contact with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about the appointment of a Senate replacement and his aides had ‘no inappropriate discussions,’ a spokesman for the transition office said Monday in disclosing the results of an internal review.

‘“The spokesman, Dan Pfeiffer, said the review itself would be kept confidential at least until the week of Dec. 22 at the request of federal prosecutors ‘in order not to impede their investigation of the governor.’

“Controversy has swirled around the president-elect and his incoming White House chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, following Blagojevich's arrest last week on charges he schemed to trade Obama's Senate seat for personal gain.

“As governor, Blagojevich has sole authority to appoint a replacement, although fellow Democrats have demanded he refrain from doing so and Illinois lawmakers may consider legislation stripping him of his power.

“State lawmakers also took the first step toward possible impeachment during the day.

‘“In the statement, Pfeiffer said incoming White House counsel Gregory Craig has kept federal prosecutors informed of the internal review ‘in order to ensure our full cooperation with the investigation’ into allegations against the governor.

“Yet the brief statement left several issues uncovered.”

Read more.