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Conrad Black to George Bush: Pardon me?

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Thu, 2008-11-20 11:35

#1

aka Mycroft

Conrad Black to George Bush: Pardon me?

Conrad Black pursued clemency from Bush as way out

Quote:
Conrad Black is pinning his hopes on clemency from U.S. President
George W. Bush as a last-ditch effort to get out of jail early, and he
wants his former publishing company to foot the legal bill.

Lawyers for the deposed press baron, who is serving a 61/2-year prison
sentence in Florida for fraud and obstruction of justice, recently
submitted legal bills to Sun-Times Media Group, Inc., some of which
referred to work done in pursuit of a clemency plea, according to
sources familiar with the matter.

Quote:

Lord Black did not respond to questions this week about the clemency
request, and his lawyer, Andrew Frey, was unavailable. In e-mails to
The Globe and Mail earlier this month, Lord Black said he was doing
fine in prison, but added that he had been “horrifyingly busy with one
thing and another, which is why I am late replying.” When asked what
was occupying his time, Lord Black replied: “Writing and reviewing
legal initiatives, as well as dealing with my students.”

Lord Black and three other former Hollinger executives, John Boultbee,
Peter Atkinson and Mark Kipnis, were convicted last year of fraud over
the diversion of $6.1-million from the newspaper company.

Lord Black was also convicted of obstruction of justice. All four lost
two appeals of their convictions, but there have been reports Lord
Black planned to go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Quote:
In June, just weeks before he lost an appeal, Lord Black said he had no
plans to request clemency, and had “nothing to do with any such
initiative.”

Thu, 2008-11-20 14:18

#2

remind

remind's picture

Quote:
“Writing and reviewing legal initiatives, as well as dealing with my students.”

Black has students?

___________________________________________________________
"watching the tide roll away"

Thu, 2008-11-20 14:37

#3

ElizaQ

ElizaQ's picture

remind wrote:

Black has students?

I know I was wondering the same thing. Students of what?

On the actual topic. I guess I can't blame him for trying. I expect that the Prez is getting swamped with people trying. Of course I hope he gets denied, but with Bush who the heck knows.

Thu, 2008-11-20 14:57

#4

DrConway

Unfortunately, Bush has ample precedent for last-minute stuff like this.

Thu, 2008-11-20 15:06

#5

George Victor

quote:

Unfortunately, Bush has ample precedent for last-minute stuff like this.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But does Bush have the nerve?

And then, I wonder what M'lord Black "has on him." I've often wondered how that factor weighed in these pardons.

Thu, 2008-11-20 15:35

#6

Star Spangled C...

ElizaQ wrote:
remind wrote:

Black has students?

I know I was wondering the same thing. Students of what?

Actually, apparently, he gives lectures to fellow inmates in the prison educational program, mainly on U.S. history and is very popular. Good for him, I suppose.

Thu, 2008-11-20 16:25

#7

George Victor

Is he , then, becoming a well-known figure in American media, SSC? Does he have the Midas touch? (popularity-wise).

Thu, 2008-11-20 17:33

#8

Star Spangled C...

George Victor wrote:

Is he , then, becoming a well-known figure in American media, SSC? Does he have the Midas touch? (popularity-wise).

Not that I'm aware of. I still read Canadian papers online and the National Post did this story on his life behind bars and mentioned that he had started giving these informal talks about U.S. history and I guess the guy in charge of educational programming at the prison organized it into some sort of more official sessions where he teaches classes as his work duty instead of working in the kitchen or doing laundry or something.

Thu, 2008-11-20 17:39

#9

kropotkin1951

Star Spangled Canadian wrote:

Not that I'm aware of. I still read Canadian papers online and the National Post did this story on his life behind bars and mentioned that he had started giving these informal talks about U.S. history and I guess the guy in charge of educational programming at the prison organized it into some sort of more official sessions where he teaches classes as his work duty instead of working in the kitchen or doing laundry or something.

Even in US prisons the white collar criminal gets a break. I'll bet you there are other inmates in his prison with the educational background to teach but they aren't rich and famous. He should be cleaning toilets not brainwashing prisoners about American history. I suspect his viewpoint will be extremely biased towards right wing ideology.

___________________________________________________________________________________________ From North of Manifest Destiny

Thu, 2008-11-20 17:46

Star Spangled C...

Well, I think he's in a minimum or medium security prison, so it's probably not like the rest of the prison population is comprised of murderers, rapists and child molestors.

Say what you will about Black, he's obviously very smart and knowledgeable about history. If he can better contribute to society by teaching people who didn't ahve his opportunities instead of cleaning toilets, i'm okay with that. Not for his sake but for the sake of the people who could benefit.

Thu, 2008-11-20 17:57

George Victor

quote:

Say what you will about Black, he's obviously very smart and knowledgeable about history. If he can better contribute to society by teaching people who didn't ahve his opportunities instead of cleaning toilets, i'm okay with that. Not for his sake but for the sake of the people who could benefit.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

His biography on F.D.R., written as a eulogy to a president who saved us all from communism, is, in fact, not a bad bio, if you allow for that bias. Sure like to know what his history lessons look like. (His biography on Nixon stinks).

Thu, 2008-11-20 17:58

kropotkin1951

Most of those prisons have a "high" percentage of people in on minor drug charges. I think the last thing anyone needs is being propagandized by a right wing zealot. I can't imagine him being anymore educational than the Na%$ Post. The prisoners will get to hear how great the captains of industry are and how the invisible hand is to be trusted and not your fellow citizens.

___________________________________________________________________________________________ From North of Manifest Destiny

Thu, 2008-11-20 18:05

Tommy_Paine

If Conrad the con gets pardoned by the Worst President Ever, I wonder if he cares enough to visit his former cell mates to continue their edification?

My guess is, he'll run away with Babs to the nearest country that doesn't have extraditon treaties with the U.S., Canada or Britain. A jungly kind of country, where he can teach the newspaper business to natives-- which will eventually grab the attention of the main stream media, who will send an intrepid editor on a long river journey to make the final edit.

The Horror.

The Horror.

Fri, 2008-11-21 11:19

aka Mycroft

Black's bid for leniency will likely be opposed

Quote:

The former district attorney who put Conrad Black behind bars for
cheating shareholders said yesterday prosecutors are highly likely to
oppose the disgraced media mogul's request to U.S. President George W.
Bush to commute his sentence.

Now in private practice, Eric
Sussman said the prosecuting office in Chicago where Black was tried
believes that, if anything, he got off lightly with a 6 1/2-year prison
term.

"The Chicago office spent the time and the resources in
this case because they believed ... that Mr. Black's conduct was
criminal and he deserved to go to prison for it for at least the length
of time that he was sentenced," Sussman said.

Quote:

Experts rated Black's chances of success minimal, particularly in light of the financial crisis.

"Black is just not worth it to Bush," said Peter Henning, a law professor at Detroit's Wayne State University.

What I'm wondering is whether Harper or any other senior Canadian officials are going to lobby Bush on Black's behalf?

It would be rather outrageous if they did given that a) Black isn't a Canadian citizen b) the Harper government has refused to meet its obligation to assist Canadians imprisoned in the US to the point of actively refusing requests by Canadians in US prisons to transfer to Canadian prisons.

Fri, 2008-11-21 14:26

thorin_bane

Exactly you will seeconrad befor khadr one would think. Nice and fair justice, the way his lordship would want.

______________________________________________________________________________________
"Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it."
Noam Chomsky

Sun, 2008-11-23 17:27

Papal Bull

Tommy_Paine wrote:

If Conrad the con gets pardoned by the Worst President Ever, I wonder if he cares enough to visit his former cell mates to continue their edification?

My guess is, he'll run away with Babs to the nearest country that doesn't have extraditon treaties with the U.S., Canada or Britain. A jungly kind of country, where he can teach the newspaper business to natives-- which will eventually grab the attention of the main stream media, who will send an intrepid editor on a long river journey to make the final edit.

The Horror.

The Horror.

Hopefully Lord Black will be put on the guano harvesting duty. No Patusan for him.

Sat, 2009-01-31 18:45

NorthReport

Poor Conrad. Nothing seems to be going right for Canada's National Post hero these days.

Lord Black will be Lord Black no more.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5627618.ece

PEERS who avoid tax or have criminal convictions - such as Lord Archer and Lord Black - are to be expelled from the House of Lords in the wake of the lords for hire scandal.

The reforms are being drawn up by Jack Straw, the justice secretary, in an attempt to restore the Lords’ battered reputation after last weekend’s revelations in The Sunday Times. He plans to enact the legislation necessary to expel them before the general election, which has to be held by May next year.

Peers who are “non-domiciled” or “non-resident” for tax purposes - there are thought to be at least seven - will lose their seats, as will those who have been convicted of a serious criminal offence.

Sat, 2009-01-31 19:30

Boom Boom

Boom Boom's picture

yay! So we can go back to simply calling him "Tubby".

Sat, 2009-01-31 22:42

aka Mycroft

Any guesses on what Black will lose first - his ermine robes or his Order of Canada?

Mon, 2009-02-02 17:47

thorin_bane

Go with the robes, harper would probably give him another.

Tue, 2009-02-03 10:13

aka Mycroft

I'd be willing to let Conrad keep his seat in the House of Lords if he was required to wear his orange coveralls in the chamber.

I find it quite interesting that Black's social standing is at the mercy of the whims of a Labour government.

Tue, 2009-05-19 16:04

remind

remind's picture

So Conrad Black has won a chance to appeal to the US Supreme Court, eh?!

Tue, 2009-05-19 16:48

Boom Boom

Boom Boom's picture

I think it`s just a formality for SCOTUS, nothing will come of it.

Tue, 2009-05-19 19:17

Ken Burch

NorthReport wrote:

Poor Conrad. Nothing seems to be going right for Canada's National Post hero these days.

Lord Black will be Lord Black no more.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5627618.ece

PEERS who avoid tax or have criminal convictions - such as Lord Archer and Lord Black - are to be expelled from the House of Lords in the wake of the lords for hire scandal.

The reforms are being drawn up by Jack Straw, the justice secretary, in an attempt to restore the Lords’ battered reputation after last weekend’s revelations in The Sunday Times. He plans to enact the legislation necessary to expel them before the general election, which has to be held by May next year.

Peers who are “non-domiciled” or “non-resident” for tax purposes - there are thought to be at least seven - will lose their seats, as will those who have been convicted of a serious criminal offence.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ Our Demands Most Moderate are/ We Only Want The World! -James Connolly

That's a good start, but why doesn't the Labour Party do the genuinely sensible and radical thing and finally ABOLISH the Lords?

You could put in an elected upper chamber to replace them. like the Australian Senate.

Wed, 2009-05-20 10:10

Doug

remind wrote:

So Conrad Black has won a chance to appeal to the US Supreme Court, eh?!

Shows what happens when you know people. For every case they decide to take, they reject 500.