Obama Likely To Come Up In Rezko Trial

Chicago Tribune:

The name of Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama is likely to brush up against the impending federal corruption trial of Antoin "Tony" Rezko as the result of a judge's ruling Monday.

U.S. District Court Judge Amy St. Eve, who is presiding over Rezko's trial, told prosecutors they could introduce evidence to support allegations that Rezko used straw men to make political contributions on his behalf.

Read the whole story: Chicago Tribune

Comments

[kaafir]

mmm

[Susan1968]

Aiham Alsammarae (Ahyam al Sammarai) was appointed July 13, 2003, as Iraq's Minister of Electricity by L. Paul Bremer, Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq.

A Sunni Muslim and a citizen of both Iraq and the United States, he is under investigation for setting up a deal to loot Iraq's powerplants with Rezko....

Alsammarae became the "only cabinet-level Iraqi official to be convicted and jailed for misusing money during his time in office." ...

...On December 29, 2006, Baar reported that Aiham Alsammarae's daughter, Dania Alsammarae, had contacted the offices of Sens. Dick Durbin (R-Ill.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) "for help securing her Father's release." Additionally, Baar wrote, "The next question for Senator Obama to consider, should the Senate start investigating post-War Iraq, was why in the world Bremer appointed Alsammarae as Electricity Minister in the interim government given his [2000] pre-War position towards sanctions?"

...The "security company" that helped Alsammarae to escape was the controversial private military corporation Blackwater USA, headquartered in North Carolina but which has a facility in Mount Carroll, Illinois. McClatchy Newspapers wrote September 17, 2007

Eight months after Aiham Alsammarae escaped from a Baghdad jail and returned to his home in suburban CHICAGO.....

http://rezkowatch.blogspot.com/2008/02/rezko-and-alsamarrae-corruption-in-iraq.html

OBAMA'S POLITICAL FAVORS FOR REZKO:
http://rezkowatch.blogspot.com/2008/02/obama-rezko-davis-political-favors-well.html

[Susan1968]

Presidential candidate Barack Obama claims to have returned all the tainted money associated with a jailed financial supporter charged with corruption, but the Illinois senator’s figure doesn’t account for more than $50,000.

Indicted for extortion, influence peddling and conspiracy, Chicago businessman Antoin Rezko is a longtime Obama backer who has given the Illinois senator at least $200,000. After being indicted for plotting to squeeze millions of dollars in kickbacks out of firms seeking state business, Obama decided to distance himself from the shady businessman.

http://rezkowatch.blogspot.com/2008/01/did-obama-return-all-rezko-cash.html

[Susan1968]

First, it was revealed on February 10, 2008, that for a period of two years —during 2004 and 2005—FBI "mole" John Thomas, a key prosecution witness against indicted political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, "logged frequent visits to Rezko from Gov. Blagojevich and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.)."

... Rezko took multiple trips to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Qatar. In particular, Rezko spent two months in the Middle East prior to his return to the United States in October 2006 after being indicted in this instant case. During that two month trip, Rezko's family members came to visit him. Rezko's overseas ties and interests are further confirmed by his role in assisting the Emir of Qatar's visit to Illinois in 2005. Several of Rezko's overseas trips included Rezko traveling through, and spending time in, Syria and Lebanon. The United States does not have extradition treaties with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Syria, or Lebanon.

http://rezkowatch.blogspot.com/2008/02/follow-money-rezkos-middle-east-travel.html

[Susan1968]

The junior senator from Illinois has been answering questions on Rezko's involvement in the house purchase since news of it broke in 2006. In the 2005 deal, Obama purchased a house for $300,000 less than its owners were asking, and Rezko simultaneously bought the adjacent lot from the same seller at full price....

Obama called it "bone-headed" to have engaged in financial dealings with the wealthy Chicago political operative, particularly as federal agents were reported to have been investigating Rezko for alleged corruption.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4315880&page=1

[hank48188]

This is an example of Obama's claim of having such superior judgement, getting a guy under investigation by the FEDS to help you buy your house. Even a 12 year old street kid would have better judgement than that.

[JanetMK]

Obama bought his home for 1.65 million and Rezko bought the ajacent, undeveloped land for 625,000. The house was bought from a doctor at the University of Chicago. This is from and article from the Chicago Suntimes dated Novemer 5, 2006. Obama bought a piece of Rezko's land for 104,500. There wasn't a sweetheart deal. As for the contributions, Rezko has contributed to an awful lot of campaigns, including George W Bush in 1999 and 2003. You can check this out on Newsmeat or just do a google search. Obama has since donated the contributions by Rezko to a charity, as did a lot of people who got contribution's from him. People will only believe what they choose to, as one of his supporters and people who donate to his campaign, I have no doubt that the money he raises is done on a grassroot level.

[allhailmary]

Well, it really doesn't matter what comes up about Obama in the trial. The press won't cover it.

[Cunningham]

Oh boo hoo, allhailmary. Of course the press will cover it if anything comes up about Obama. The media is about making money.

You said, "I am leaving the party if Obama gets the nomination."

...and "If Obama gets the nomination, Nader has my vote."

You're a tantrum-throwing fair weather Dem.

[trailrunner9]

They're covering it right now.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3433485.ece?token=null&offset=24

Apparently so is the Chicago Tribune.

I just really do belive they are all the same pretty much, the Dems just a little less war mongering.

[nihilon x]

"Media Targets

But a question needs asking: What are the standards used by the press to determine who gets caught in the cross-hairs? And does this standard get applied evenly or does it (like so many in the public believe) vary from target to target?

Consider the contrasting coverage of DeLay with that of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Virtually every detail of alleged DeLay transgressions gets reported and in very great detail. But scant coverage has been given to equally serious allegations against the junior senator from New York.

There have been no front-page stories in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald or any other so-called major daily with respect to serious allegations of wrongdoing on the part of Hillary Clinton and her Senate election campaign committee.

While tens of thousands of inches (and scores of hours on broadcast and cable TV) have been used up to discuss allegations that DeLay "laundered" about $190,000 from corporate donors in Texas through the Republican National Committee and then back to GOP candidates in Texas races, there's been virtually nothing mentioned about accusations that Hillary Clinton and senior Democrats "laundered" nearly $2 million of improper or illegal gift-giving during the summer of 2000 when she began her run for the Senate."

http://www.aim.org/aim-report/aim-report-the-scandal-that-could-sink-hillary-november-b/

[hank48188]

Isn't that the truth, If you take the time to examine the House deal at all you will see corruption. When you are a Public Official and you accept the "Favor" of Tony Rezko buying a vacant lot for $625,000 that is corruption, pur and simple. The MSM won't cover this story for, maybe it's because Obama has the backing of the ultra-rich eastern liberals and media.

[Ides]

So this is the time when we go from "Hillary is worse" to "McCain is worse." Because both of them are, even if Obama's guilty of anything, which the FBI says he's not, both of the alternatives are already definitively worse.

[Cunningham]

Are they going to highlight Hillary's ties to Rezko, too?

[VOTER]

He even donated money to Bush.

[vippy]

Obama did not get a sweetheart deal with Rezko!
This was in the press just last week but rumors
spread because some people cannot keep up with the news. Why argue over who will win when both candidates are lousy candidates for change.
We know Hillary's record and she has not been on the side of the middle class EVER! She abstained from voting against the Bush FISA Bill, what does that tell you; and neither did Obama. We let Kucinich go, he would have followed through with his promises.

[rollingdivision]

No sweetheart deal! Some indicted Chicago operator buys the half of the estate you can't afford and let's you use that piece of land he bought for $650,000 whenever you want for free! You get to use the Rezkos' property just like you owned it and it is your yard. Oh and by the way the only access to the land is through your yard. What do you call that, just a good neighbor???? And just to be a good neighbor Obama pays to maintain Tony Rezko's property! Good neighbors. What a neighbor!

[hank48188]

Getting Tony Rezko involved to buy the vacany lot and getting the property split to do that was the sweetheart deal. Michelle Obama has the City Hall connections, she is on the Historical Commission where she learned about the house being for sale, to be able to get the split done very quickly. They have quite a bit of Political corruption in the Chicago area, that is why Tony Rezko goes on trial next week, should be interesting.

[Researchguy66]

Never one to discourage insightful political discourse...I do have to point out that the "Hillary is worse" defense to everything disappears when Obama wins the nomination.

I atually remember in the old days of "conventional logic", we weren't actually allowed to use the "fallacy of the lesser evil" in argument, anyway...thank God those days are over.

[nihilon x]

"McCain is worse" will be even easier to prove.

[Cunningham]

Not to the Hillary fans who will be throwing temper tantrums. Fair weather Dems.

[AnninCA]

Here it comes, too late for Democrats.

But they certainly can't say they were not warned.

And this also clearly supports Clinton's comments that he made a deal to hide the financial contributions.

I knew that internet donations didn't fund this campaign. That was too good of a fairy tale.

Clinton had a HUGE warchest going in, and he outspent her by 5 times in Wisconsin?

You're about to see why.

[VSamuels]

Yeah, Hillary accusing Obama of having shady friends will have alot of traction. And, tell us again why Obama's Rezko connections are say more relevant than Hsu or any number of crooks that Hillary has been associated?

You're a poor advocate for Hillary overall, but in this matter its clearly a pot/kettle dispute.

[jeffhas]

I thought Barack Obama was "a different kind of politician"

[Zhonni]

Here it comes and there it goes! Obama has been cleared of wrong doing. Don't think the Clintons and the Republicans haven't done their research. There is nothing there.

The "unnamed official" is not Obama but the Gov. of Illinois.

[Researchguy66]

and yet, it somehow keeps coming up...

[hank48188]

Cleared by who? maybe by Obama, but accepting the "favor" of your largest fundraiser to buy a vacant lot for $625,000 doesn't sound like political corruption to you? Wake Up!

[nihilon x]

"Disgraced fund-raiser Norman Hsu did a lot more than just pump $850,000 into Hillary Clinton's campaign bank account: He also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local, state, and federal candidates who have endorsed Clinton or whose support she courted.

A major fund-raiser for Democrats since 2003, Hsu became one of Clinton's biggest bundlers - gathering scores of individual checks and sending them to her campaign. But since revelations last month that Hsu was a fugitive in a 15-year-old California fraud case, Clinton has said she would return the $850,000 she has taken from him and his associates.

In at least some cases, Clinton or her aides directly channeled contributions from Hsu and his network to other politicians supportive of her presidential campaign, according to interviews and campaign finance records. There is nothing illegal about one politician steering wealthy contributors to another, but the New York senator's close ties to Hsu have become an embarrassment for her and her campaign."

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/09/26/hsu_raised_big_money_for_clinton_supporters/

[foreffectivegovernment]

I call your "Bundler" and raise you two.

Obama is getting his money from these people.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/05/us/politics/05obama.html?ei=5090&en=d45c54c42290ee99&ex=1322974800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print&adxnnlx=1204052513-w/pT9IsOcyE5fZamSEPcNw

[nihilon x]

"What was Marc Rich's alleged crime?

In 1983, Rich was indicted in federal court of evading more than $48 million in taxes. He was also charged with 51 counts of tax fraud and with running illegal oil deals with Iran during the hostage crisis.

So does the pardon mean that if Rich leaves Switzerland (where he's been living for 17 years and seems quite happy to stay) and comes back to the U.S., that he won't face any legal proceedings at all?

Possibly. He's free of any criminal charges in connection with the case, but Rich can still be charged in civil court on, say, tax evasion charges.

In fact, when Clinton finally signed off on Rich's pardon, the President stipulated that Rich waive the statute of limitations normally placed on as yet unspecified civil charges."

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,99302,00.html

[nihilon x]

"What does Denise Rich have to do with all this?

Marc Rich's socialite ex-wife has donated an estimated $1 million to Democratic causes, including $70,000 to Hillary Clinton's successful Senate campaign and $450,000 to the Clinton presidential library fund.

She also lobbied heavily for Marc's pardon. Investigators want to know if Denise's contributions led to a direct quid pro quo exchange for her ex-husband's pardon. Clinton has denied any connection, saying he relied solely on the information provided by Jack Quinn (former White House counsel and Rich's current lawyer) when he was weighing the pardon request."

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,99302,00.html

[Jazz42]

Drinking KOOL-ADE again.

[Jazz42]

Corrections
(AnninCA)

[coonce]

I sincerely hope those that are watching for Obama's name to appear also check out Bill and Hillary Clinton's name. They TOO have been SEEN standing WITH this man in a very PERSONAL picture (not just a simple campaign stop picture). He did'n't GET that for doing NOTHING.

[Marrob]

Hey ya dumbass...that was one of those white house pictures that people stand in line and pay for.

[AnninCA]

That is completely silly. He was at a fundraiser where all the participants got a photo with Bill and Hillary as a gift.

[VSamuels]

More silliness from Ann in CA. So on the one hand you admit Rezko was in attendance at a fundraiser for the Clintons, and at the same time you are disagreeing that he actually gave anything to receive a photo op with the Clintons.

Btw, just Hillarious how you say, 'participants got a photo with Bill and Hillary as a gift'---Oh, yeah those Clintons are just so generous, while expecting nothing in return.

[Jazz42]

Drinking KOOL-ADE again
(AnninCA)

[hank48188]

The picture of the Clinton's with Tony Rezko was taken at a fundraiser for Carol Mosley- Braun when she was running for the Senate

[personalpolitical]

Well considering the Chicago media had "vetted" this whole issues last year, and the Clintons haven't been able to come up with anything, and both his political ties with Rezko and his real estate deal have been debunked (you know, for those paying attention, whereas it may have been missed by Hillary supporters only getting their news from HillaryClinton.com), he has nothing to hide. I doubt he will even come up.

Oh, and regardless, the Clintons both have 100 times the dirt on their hands than Obama does, so once again, not a good tactics for desperate Hillary supporters to try to push.

[rollingdivision]

Read today Chicago Tribune.

[AnninCA]

No, just like I'm seeing how Obamamaniacs are not concerned at all that he suppresses the press...they just also aren't concerned that the money is coming from Rezko.

In short, Obama supporters really don't care much about ethics, free speech, etc.

Progressive? NOT.

Regressive? YES

And they have swarmed the registered Democrats who disagree quite a lot.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

I'm afraid that YOU are missing the point. It doesn't matter whether Obama is guilty or not. Just like 45 million dollars spent to prove that the Clintons did ANYTHING wrong. Other than a blowjob, it was money thrown down the trash. Repubes don't care if he's guilty or not. Their base, and the majority of the people in this country, don't read for detail. They read headlines. His name will be tied to this guy over and over again. With a large part of the population, it will stick. Get used to it. The Clintons sure are.

[KarenZipdrive]

If the sweetheart deal Obama got on his million dollar mansion via his Rezko connections is okay with his followers, that's on them.
But if Hillary had gotten that kind of deal from some indicted scumbag, they'd be burning her in effigy.
Obama's a good candidate whom I'll support over ANY Republican, but I don't for a moment consider him to be even slightly more honest or decent as any Democratic candidate.

[rollingdivision]

The presidential race will go to the candidate who wins the moderates and independents. How will Rezko and the Chicago kick-backs, bribes and payoffs scandal play among moderates? The trial is current and will be in court during the election campaign with real live indicted Obama friends, benefactors and cronies. Republicans will have a hay day just presenting the facts without having to exaggerate or embellish. And now that Democratic Illinois Governor Blagojevich, an Obama cronie, has been identified as 'Public Official A' Obama is tied in to the scheme even tighter. BTW Blagojevich knowingly lied, denying he was the infamous public official A throughout his reelection campaign. What did Obama know about this scheme? If he didn't, how? If Obama knew he was under investigation would he hide it just like his friend Gov Blagojevich? And of course, fully explain how Rezko helped you select and buy your current home?

[Marrob]

Obama has lied several times regarding this matter has well. I look for him to be on the witness stand just like Karl Rove was in the Scooter Libby trial. Fitzgerald will make Obama show up and clear name in this matter if it looks as if he lied. Amy St. Eve the U.S. District Judge in the case is a Bush appointee. Remember why the other U.S. District Judges lost their jobs? That's right, they wouldn't bring cases against Democrats running for office. I wonder if Amy St. Eve, is a "loyal Bushie"? Will she call Obama to the witness stand in the case if he gets the nominee? If so, that could peel off just enough support to give McCain the White House.

[AnninCA]

Moreover, his relations with the Press, which fawning on one hand, are sour on the other hand because of his tactics. They aren't even allowed to wander at rallies without an Obama escort? *gulp*

He's not been accessible.

So SOME of them will most definitely follow the story and each link to him.

And he'll have only himself to blame, really.

[trailrunner9]

Hello. You also need the bulk of the Democratic Party. What are you thinking. There are millions of Democrats that support Hillary Clinton. Keep insulting and trashing them and then see what happens in November. The strategy you are engaging in will take you through the primary, but not through general election. But you think you're going to win soley with half the Democratic Party and independents and Republicans? Good luck. And the Republicans haven't even started on Obama yet.

[AnninCA]

Reading this article, it's quite clear that it's a whole lot more than just a deal on a house.

[VSamuels]

And, you're scheduled to testify to what the is 'is' when and to whom?