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Larry Walsh: Corn Farmer. Poker Player. Crooked Politician.
The FBI on Wednesday raided the county offices of a former Illinois state senator who is a poker-playing buddy of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.
According to Chicago authorities, the FBI visited the offices in Joliet, Ill., of Will County executive Larry Walsh, a longtime friend of Obama's, and his chief of staff Matt Ryan.
"Don't Forget, you still owe me that $20."
Walsh, who served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2005, was endorsed by Obama in his county executive election bid. With the support of some of Obama's U.S. Senate volunteers, he easily defeated incumbent Republican Joseph Mikan.
Will County auditor Steve Weber confirmed that his office had been asked by the FBI to assist in an investigation, but he did not elaborate on the specifics.
In 2006, Obama requested that Will County receive $1.3 million to support its Flood Studies for Unincorporated Will County.
In 2006, Obama requested $800,000 for the Will County Sheriff’s Office Wireless Communications Technology Upgrades.
In 2006, Obama requested $1,953,331 for Will County’s Ridgewood Water and Sewage Project.
In 2005, Obama requested $2 million for the Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, to establish a Center for Academic and Community Learning, which is designed to address the significant educational needs of the less advantaged in the Will County region by providing academic assistance not only for students on campus but also for residents of the surrounding communities.
"I'm just writing some crooked legislation for a special interest. You know, a regular day at the office."
Two FBI agents out of Chicago reportedly spent more than an hour in the Will County offices on Wednesday morning.
According to sources, the Walsh investigation may be tied to lobbying firm Smith Dawson and Andrews, which was hired in 2006 for $10,000 per month to help Will County acquire federal grants.
"See, what we are going to do is push legislation to mandate a certain amount of biofuels being used by government vehicles. Why? Because I am a corn farmer."
The firm, which is registered with the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, assists clients with communications and legislative strategies that better their public policy agendas, according to its Web site. Last month, Walsh announced that Will County was the recipient of a $750,000 federal government grant that would allow law enforcement and prosecutors to fight against domestic violence.
One of the firm's partners, James P. Smith, contributed $2,000 to help Walsh's county executive election bid.
A corn farmer from Joliet, Walsh has supported his friend's presidential bid, and campaigned for him in rural and farming areas of the state.
Larry Walsh and his poker whore.
The two men became very close friends during their tenure in the Illinois Senate and bonded over games of poker. According to a report in Time magazine, Walsh lost to Obama once with what he thought was a winning hand, and then slammed down his cards and said: "Doggone it, Barack, if you were more liberal in your card-playing and more conservative in your politics, you and I would get along much better."
If this is another indication of the sort of acorns around the base Obama's tree, America may want to devote some more effort to unearthing Obama's volumnuous past.
"Sir, ACORN called. They want more money. And they said something about some 'free houses' or something like that. I don't know. It was hard to understand them threw the bullhorn and all."
