Rezko's Corruption Trial Put Obama's Ties to Him in Spotlight
Although Obama isn't named in the indictment his name came up in trial because of Rezko's fundraising
Antoin Rezko has plenty of connections to Barack Obama. A Chicago businessman and real estate developer, Rezko was a longtime fundraiser for Obama's political campaigns. He helped rally support for the young state senator and came to the Obamas' aid in 2005 when they were attempting to buy a home. Their favorite house was being sold together with an empty lot next door—a combination Obama has said he couldn't afford. Enter Rezko, who was already under federal investigation. To help the Obamas satisfy the seller, Rezko had his wife purchase the adjoining lot at the same time. Not long after, she sold the Obamas a 10-foot parcel of land to expand their yard. It was an arrangement that led some to question whether the Obamas got a special deal.
Though Obama has since called these dealings "boneheaded," they are not the subject of the federal criminal trial now underway against Rezko.
Influence. Instead, the case against Rezko centers on his influence with another prominent politico: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, one of many state politicians Rezko helped to raise campaign cash. Charged with fraud, attempted extortion, money laundering, and aiding bribery, Rezko is accused of trying to extort millions of dollars from firms attempting to do business with the teachers' pension board and state hospital regulatory panel. Prosecutors allege that Rezko used his influence to get friends on the government boards, who then demanded kickbacks from potential contractors. One of his main allies, Stuart Levine, pleaded guilty to the scheme and is now the government's main witness against Rezko.
Testimony from the criminal trial, which began in March, has so far painted an unflattering portrait of favoritism under Blagojevich's tenure, although the governor is not charged with any crime. Obama's name, too, has come up during the trial but mostly as a side note. Prosecutors have said some of the money Rezko gained from the scheme ended up in Obama's campaign coffers. He has since donated that money to charity.
Still, the indictment of a onetime ally—someone Obama says he once trusted—has cast a shadow over the senator's judgment. At least, Obama can console himself that he was hardly the only Illinois politician to get snookered.
Reader Comments
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Adelaide2886@yahoo.com
Oh for Pete sakes! Obama let all the reporters from two major Chicago newspapers grill him on this until they had asked everything they wanted to--three hours. Their conclusion was that he passed the clean test. But the bigger point would be that the Clintons would have to pass the same test. Hillary was the only first lady ever criminally investigated and Bill was disbarred for lying under oath. Their administration became famous because more people connected to it were indicted then any presidential administration ever. And then there's that thing where Bill pardoned Marc Rich and it just happened that his wife donated $450,000 to the Clinton library and $100,000 to Hillary's senate campaign. Also, on April 24,2008 the Clintons are ordered to appear in California Superior Court on charges of fraud. And that's just the tip of the Clinton iceberg. Obama has done nothing wrong. And his connections are squeaky clean in comparison.
What's Obama still doing here?
John Kerry had gotten all but disqualified because he made one controversial statement over the Iraq war. Barack Obama has been caught in so many bold faced lies and He surrounds himself with everyone who hates America, the very country He is hoping to run. By the same standard that Kerry was driven out of the primary, Shouldn't he have been gone, like.................... months ago?
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