Prosecutors: Rezko sought cash to avoid lien on gov's home

[maddezmom]

BY NATASHA KORECKI AND CHRIS FUSCO Staff Reporters
Tony Rezko asked an official in Gov. Blagojevich’s administration to pay him $25,000 so Rezko could use the money to keep construction contractors from putting a lien on the governor’s home, federal prosecutors said in court this afternoon.

Prosecutors got a judge’s OK for Ali Ata — former executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority — to be allowed to tell jurors in Rezko’s corruption trial about the cash payments.

Rezko told Ata “this is going to be embarrassing to him ” if the contractors put a lien on Blagojevich’s Ravenswood Manor home, Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Hamilton told U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve.

Rezko’s defense team was seeking to limit what Ata can tell jurors about Rezko, who is accused of manipulating votes on state boards to enrich himself, associates and the governor’s campaign fund.

more:http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/rezko/921771,rezkotrial042908.article

[Adelante]

1. The trial is supposed to end in a couple of weeks

I read today.

[maddezmom]

2. That will be a good thing, but I'm betting there's going to be a Blago trial after this one

or maybe a recall.

[madrchsod]

3. recall is in the wind today in illinois

he`s not that well loved here in illinois...