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Obama Hosts Union Official Involved in Blago Scandal at the White House

10:08 AM, Mar 18, 2009 • By JOHN MCCORMACK
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Union boss Tom Balanoff was on the guest list for yesterday's St. Patrick's Day bash at the White House. As the Wall Street Journal reported in December, Balanoff was allegedly a player in Blago's attempted bribery scheme:

One effort apparently involved the head of the Service Employees International Union in Illinois, Tom Balanoff. He approached Ms. Jarrett and related the governor's desire to be named Health and Human Services secretary while also mentioning the governor was considering her for the Senate seat, according to the Obama memo. Mr. Balanoff didn't say Mr. Blagojevich was linking the two, the memo said.

"Ms. Jarrett viewed that as a ridiculous proposition and waved it off," said Gregory B. Craig, Mr. Obama's choice for White House counsel

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