The committee responsible for looking into possible impeachment proceedings against Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich will not subpoena advisers to President-elect Barack Obama. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has stated that subpoenaing Valerie Jarrett and Rahm Emanuel, along with Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) and Nils Larsen, a Tribune Company executive, would interfere with the criminal investigation into the governor. (Washington Post)
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration can be added to a list of government agencies apparently undermined by political appointees of the Bush administration. The resignation of an agency epidemiologist, after a report on the hazards of beryllium was shown, before publication, to lobbyists for beryllium producers, has drawn attention to the excessive influence of business interests at OSHA. (Washington Post)
Two airlines are preparing to dispute fines imposed on them by the Federal Aviation Administration. Southwest Airlines and American Airlines both claim that fines levied against them are unfair. Southwest faces $10.2 million in fines for flying planes that hadn’t been inspected for fuselage cracks, while American may face penalties of up to $30 million for operating planes with potentially faulty wiring. (Wall Street Journal)
A law intended to reform Illinois’ Health Facilities Planning Board may have inadvertently helped Governor Rod Blagojevich in his alleged scheme to extract donations from businesspeople of that state. A law meant to shrink the size of a board intended to approve future projects may have allowed the governor to fill the board with appointees friendly to him, thus enabling him to collect donations from those seeking state approval for projects. (Wall Street Journal)
The most recent victims of Bernard Madoff’s alleged fraud include Swiss investment bank Credit Suisse, which may have lost up to $925 million dollars. The loss came from investments connected to Madoff’s fund, despite the fact that “Credit Suisse did not actively recommend or sell products invested with” Madoff, according to a spokesman for the bank. (Reuters)
