Obama camp says 5 times.
Chicago Sun-Times says 21 times.
Rather more than a minor discrepancy.
From HotAir -
George Stephanopolous reports for ABC that Barack Obama’s incoming team will reveal that Rahm Emanuel only had one direct contact with Governor Rod Blagojevich during the latter’s attempts to sell the Senate seat, and that the replacement of Obama barely got mentioned. Earlier, the Chicago Sun-Times’ sources said that the FBI had 21 separate calls from Emanuel on the wiretaps. The numbers will not match up, even comparing apples to apples:
Sources tell me that the Obama team’s review of contacts with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will show that Rahm Emanuel had only one phone conversation with Blagojevich.
The contact, described as a “pro-forma” courtesy call, came as Emanuel was named Chief of Staff for Obama. Most of the discussion concerned Emanuel’s Congressional seat (which had previously been held by Blagojevich), with only a “passing reference” to the Senate vacancy, according to these sources. No deal for the Senate vacancy was discussed.
However, Emanuel had closer contacts and deeper conversations with Blagojevich’s chief of staff John Harris:
The sources add that the report will show Emanuel also had four phone calls with Blagojevich Chief of Staff John Harris. During those conversations, the Senate seat was discussed. The pros and cons of various candidates were reviewed, and the sources say that Emanuel repeatedly reminded Harris that Blagojevich should focus on the message the pick would send about the governor and his administration.
Sources also confirm that Emanuel made the case for picking Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett during at least one of the conversations. In the course of that conversation, Harris asked if in return for picking Jarrett, “all we get is appreciation, right?” “Right,” Emanuel responded.
That adds up to five conversations, not 21. The sources of the Sun-Times appear to come from the investigation, while the Stephanopolous report almost certainly come from Team Obama. It seems unlikely that Emanuel would directly deal with anyone at a lower level than Harris; a White House chief of staff does not talk to assistants and clerks, not even during a transition. How those numbers get resolved may demonstrate the extent to which Emanuel might find himself a focus of the probe later.
