Mell retracts Blagojevich allegations

[Freddie Stubbs]

By Maura Kelly Lannan
The Associated Press
Published January 20, 2005, 4:11 PM CST


With the threat of a defamation lawsuit looming, powerful Chicago Ald. Richard Mell on Thursday recanted allegations that the chief fund-raiser for his son-in-law, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, traded government appointments for campaign contributions.

"When I said that you, as the governor's chief fund-raiser, traded appointments to commissions and state boards for $50,000 donations I knew that to be inaccurate,'' Mell wrote in a letter to Christopher Kelly, who had been Blagojevich's campaign finance director.

"My comments were based upon my misreading of earlier published reports and were an exaggerated extrapolation made by me in the heat of the moment,'' Mell wrote.

Paul Levy, Mell's attorney, said Kelly signed a legal document that prevents him from suing Mell over the issue. Kelly, in a statement read by his lawyer, said he insisted Mell acknowledge he misspoke "or be forced to tell his story in a court of law.''

more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-050120mell,1,4233249.story?coll=chi-news-hed

[Rowdyboy]

1. Its high time the ignorant, asshole machine politician retracted his

"remarks". Now he can STFU for the rest of his pathetic career. What a whining, sad old POS. I can't imagine having him for a father-in-law. Bet family gatherings are few and far between for quite a while.

[Tweed]

2. Man a lawsuit would have been embarrassing for the party

Make us start looking like the Illinois GOP.