Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the prosecutor in the federal case against Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, is no stranger to high-visibility prosecutions.
He’s already successfully prosecuted another Illinois governor, George H. Ryan. He also built the case that convicted I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, on perjury charges.
In addition, Fitzgerald has taken on the mob, Osama Bin Laden and The New York Times.
In light of these and other cases, Fitzgerald, a 47-year-old Harvard Law graduate, has developed a reputation as a no-nonsense, relentless and apolitical prosecutor.
“Pat keeps the blinders on and goes forward to where the facts lead him,” David Kelly, then the acting U.S. attorney in New York City, told The Washington Post in February 2005. “He is not influenced by anything except those things that ought to influence him. I wouldn’t call it zeal. I would call it courage.”
Fitzgerald established his reputation as a hard worker during his 13 years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York.
Reportedly, he spent so little time away from the office that he didn’t even have his gas stove hooked up.
In 1993, he took part in the successful prosecution of mobster John Gambino.
He was part of the team that helped convict Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and other defendants charged with the 1993 bombings of the World Trade Center.
And in 1998, Fitzgerald obtained an indictment against Osama bin Laden for global terrorism.
Given his track record, Fitzgerald seemed an ideal candidate to take over as U.S. Attorney in Chicago.
“There were no levers that anyone had over him,” Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (no relation), a Republican, told the Post. “He had no desire to become a partner in a private law firm. He has no interest in electoral politics. He wanted to be a prosecutor.”
Since he became the U.S. attorney in Chicago in September 2001, Fitzgerald has been involved in a series of high-profile cases.
He prosecuted Ryan, the former governor, gaining a conviction in 2006 for fraud and money.
In 2007, Fitzgerald successfully prosecuted Lord Conrad Black, the newspaper publisher, on fraud charges.
This year, Fitzgerald gained a guilty verdict against Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a Chicago real-estate developer and Blagojevich associate, on charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
Rezko is waiting sentencing and reportedly cooperating with authorities as they build other cases.
Fitzgerald may be best known for his work away from Chicago as the special counsel appointed in late 2003 to investigate the leak of the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame to columnist Robert Novak.
In the summer of 2005, Fitzgerald argued that Judith Miller, a reporter for The New York Times, should testify before a grand jury about her possible knowledge about the leak.
Miller, with the support of the Times, refused. Held in contempt of court, she went on to spend 85 days in jail. She was released after Libby made it clear that she could acknowledge that he was her source.
Libby was convicted in March 2007 of obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements to FBI agents. President Bush later commuted his 30-month sentence.
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2 Comments
#1. genny 12.14.2008
Mr. Fitzgerald, goooooooooood job!!! Please take that same broom and sweep some of the other states. Please take a look at this website www.justiceforwandaspann.com
#2. Troy Leonberger, lnbrgr@verizon.net 01.06.2009
Mr. Fitzgerald, I have information that will be of interest to you in the Rod Blago and Sam Flood investigation that will further your interests. 618-842-4114.
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