Here's some of why Obama's Rezko Problem is So Serious

[amborin]

Obama's problem is not just that he accepted donations from a sleaze developer.....

it's way worse than that.....it's about possible influence peddling, and being beholden to a sleaze:

The New York Times

June 14, 2007 Thursday
Late Edition - Final

An Obama Patron and Friend Until an Indictment in Illinois

"Years earlier, as a state legislator, Mr. Obama wrote letters to city and state officials supporting efforts by Mr. Rezko and a partner to build apartments for the elderly with $14 million in government money, The Chicago Sun-Times reported in its June 13 editions. The developers received $855,000 in fees.]"
*****************************************

Newsweek

March 10, 2008
U.S. Edition

Man In The Middle;
His name might sound familiar. But who is Tony Rezko, and what's his connection to Barack Obama?

"Obama has acknowledged that, as an Illinois state senator, he once wrote a letter to a state agency urging financial support for a senior-citizens project in which Rezko was an investor. But Obama says he wrote the letter based on the project's merits. Even so, by Obama's own account his real-estate entanglement with Rezko was a "boneheaded" mistake. It's a chapter that the candidate, who is running on the strength of his good "judgment," would just as soon put behind him."

*************************************************

Targeted News Service

March 3, 2008 Monday 11:59 PM EST

MEMO: Questions Sen. Obama Should Answer:

"The Obama campaign has returned money from people who are publicly associate with Mr. Rezko. But they have not revealed who much Mr. Rezko bundled for Sen. Obama in total. The Chicago Sun Times reported that the Obama campaign "declined to say" whether they maintained a list of the money that Mr. Rezko raised for Mr. Obama over the course of his career.

4. Much of the upcoming trial involves Mr. Rezko's efforts to control state boards as a means to defraud the state government. Have Sen. Obama and Mr. Rezko ever communicated about potential appointments to Illinois boards and commissions? It's been publicly reported that Sen. Obama lobbied these same state boards to secure contracts for campaign donors. Did Sen. Obama ever confer with Mr. Rezko concerning how to successfully lobby state boards?

The indictment alleges that Mr. Rezko manipulated state government boards to defraud the people of Illinois. At the same time, "Mr. Obama met with three state pension boards," urging them to give contracts to specific firms. Later, employees of these companies "donated more than $300,000 to help Mr. Obama win his seat in the United States Senate in 2004 and set fund-raising records early in the 2008 presidential race." "

[Seeker30]

1. Simply amazing

Sounds like something Bush would do.

[LulaMay]

2. I'm worried about it, and how forthcoming he's been. It's serious business.

[cali]

3. LOL!! Desperate little hillydroids

In light of Hilly being the one who was spotlighted yesterday in the Rezco trial, the panicking hillbots are a riot. There's no there there for Obama haters in the Rezco trial. Read Greenwald's piece posted yesterday. Oh, and so sad that the best you can do is dig up an article that's 8 months old.

Poor, pitiful hillbots.

[LeftCoast]

5. You should take a break from DU

You didn't used to be this filled with hate. Makes me sad.

[cali]

12. I'm responding to hate

with derision. that's not hate. You didn't used to to tolerate the kind of stuff you're buying into. I don't hate Hillary. I've been clear that if she's the nominee, I'll vote for her. I've defended her numerous times. The hypocrisy of those yapping about Rezco when Fitzgerald has cleared him of any wrongdoing is sick making. Glenn Greenwald wrote a great piece about it comparing it to Whitewater. It's the same kind of witch hunt but this time it's the Clintons and their followers doing the witch hunting. And considering that Hillary and Bill have their own connections with corrupt people and their money, this is particularly egregious hypocrisy.

[LeftCoast]

16. I wouldn't say I'm 'buying into' rezko

I just think it's going to be one of the many things republicans throw at Obama. For the record, I feel that it's a moot point to argue that one candidate will be either immune or more immune to the rw scandal/outrage machine.

In terms of responding with derision rather than hate, it just seems to me to be highly unhelpful to refer to all supporters of one candidate as 'bots'.

[JoFerret]

23. Good response. Helpful

I think we all need to do what we can to raise the tone around here. I don't mean changing heartfelt positions and opinions. But rather refusing to engage in name calling.

On the Rezko thing.i am not quite sure what to think. I think one very boneheaded mistake - is not a deal breaker. But it should give pause to those who want to deify Obama as some new breed of human - above mere mortal behavior. He is a politician. He is a good politician. He may make a good president if elected. That's it.

[Saturday]

20. March 3, 2008 and March 10 ,2008 are 8 months old? Whatever. nt

[BzaDem]

22. Cali, is there anything that might come out about Obama that might give you pause?

It seems that no matter what negative light gets shed on Obama, you just call Hillary supporters more and more desperate. Obviously, Fitzgerald clearing him doesn't erase it as HUGE general election fodder for the republicans. With Kerry, they were able to tank him with lies; with Obama, they don't even have to lie. They just need to string true statements together more and more out of context to make it look like Obama is corrupt.

Reasonable people can disagree about the significance of Rezko and the fodder it provides to the Repubs. But is there anything that could come out about Obama that might change your mind? Or no matter what comes out, will you increasingly call Hill supporters desperate?

[grantcart]

4. do you really want to go down this road will all of the transactions Bill and

hillary have been into lol

[FrenchieCat]

6. Well, that's strange that you are so worried about Obama, when the

information is now coming out that the Clintons may have their own association to Rezko....via their own shady donor who is being named as "Individual H" in the indictment.

Rezko has a tie with one of Clinton's biggest donors.
The inhouse atty. of a corporation headed by Clinton's big ($180,000) donor, IPA, is identified as "Individual H" in the Illinois criminal indictment of Rezko. This atty. is also a Clinton donor. Here's the link & the info
www.reversespin.com/?m=200709



From a letter sent to HRC:
The company’s attorney, Myron “Mike” Cherry, also a contributor of yours(Clinton's), has been identified in published reports as “Individual H” in the Illinois criminal indictment of businessman Antoin “Tony” Rezko. Cherry has acknowledged in published reports that he was the conduit for some of the IPA campaign contributions.
(The whole letter follows.)

Hillary Clinton for President
4420 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA. 22203

Dear Senator Clinton:
We, the undersigned small business owners from across the country are deeply offended that you continue to accept campaign contributions from top officials of a business consulting company, International Profit Associates (IPA), Buffalo Grove, IL., that defrauded us. As we struggle in federal court via a civil racketeering lawsuit to recover the thousands of dollars this company took from us illegally, you continue to use political donations that might have come directly from our pockets.

We also are appalled because you accepted the money amid dark clouds of fraud allegations, a criminal past by the company’s founder, and one of the largest sexual harassment lawsuits ever filed by the federal government.

We are trying to fight back against this company and you, Senator Clinton, are enabling it. We ask that you immediately donate to charity the more than $150,000 the New York Times says you’ve accepted from IPA’s top officials, a figure that includes a ride on IPA’s corporate jet and a donation from a high school age son of an IPA official.

Surely, now, in the wake of the Norman Hsu scandal, your political staff will turn up the background we’ve known about for some time, including:

IPA is being sued by the federal government’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for widespread sexual harassment. In a New York Times article May 7, 2006 titled, “Rubbing Shoulders with Trouble, and Presidents,” EEOC lawyer Diane Smason called the allegations “probably the most egregious” ever filed by the agency’s Chicago office. She said the investigation found that “sex harassment is the standard operating procedure for this company.” That case is pending in U.S. District Court.

The Illinois Attorney General’s office has acknowledged publicly that it is investigating IPA for alleged fraud.

The Better Business Bureau says IPA has an “unsatisfactory record” based on reoccurring complaints that total 427 in the last three years. The BBB has issued “alerts” in various states to warn businesses that IPA was soliciting work there.

The company founder, John Burgess, is a convicted criminal, according to numerous published reports. He was convicted of attempted grand larceny and of soliciting a 16-year-old prostitute, those reports state. He was disbarred as a lawyer in New York state in July 1987 for “failing to answer charges which involved perjury, larceny, a conviction for patronizing a 16-year-old prostitute, possession of drugs and engaging in a pattern over a six-year period of lies and deceit,” according to The Lawyers Fund for Client Protection of New York state. Burgess also is named as a key defendant in the sexual harassment lawsuit.

The company’s attorney, Myron “Mike” Cherry, also a contributor of yours(Clinton's), has been identified in published reports as “Individual H” in the Illinois criminal indictment of businessman Antoin “Tony” Rezko. Cherry has acknowledged in published reports that he was the conduit for some of the IPA campaign contributions.



Already, politicians across the country have returned donations from IPA because of the company’s checkered past. Illinois Senator Barack Obama, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and former Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager are among those who have returned contributions from IPA.

We have made our fraud allegations in a federal racketeering lawsuit pending in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

Mrs. Clinton, we see from published reports that you have identified yourself as a champion for women’s rights and an advocate for small business owners. We cannot fathom, in light of those self-labels, how you could possibly accept campaign contributions from a company accused by the federal government of sexually harassing scores of women and one that has left behind a long trail of fraud complaints from small business owners. Do you believe the 114 women who were allegedly sexually harassed at IPA are not telling the truth about that harassment? Do you believe the Better Business Bureau is wrong? Do you think the state Attorney General is unjustified in her investigation of IPA?

We believe this is our concern because the campaign contributions you continue to accept came from the money that we believe was taken from us illegally. We do not believe you should continue to further your political career with such tainted cash.
We are not singling you out in this request. We plan to make the same request to other public officials who continue to accept and hold IPA-related campaign contributions. We wrote you first because you are running for President and certainly should be setting an example for other politicians.

Sincerely,
Amari Company, Inc., Amherst, NH.
Amazing Productions, Inc., Tamarac, FL.
Precision Painting and Decorating, Inc., Elmhurst, IL.
All About Construction, Inc., Fort Myers, FL.
Capital Removal, Gold River, CA.
BBQ Island, LLC., Gilbert, AZ.
Compsolution VA, Inc., Richmond, VA.
JRP Construction, LLC., Yuma, AZ.
Evco Commercial Construction, Corp., Lake Elsinore, CA.
Gunnison Metal Shop, Inc., Gunnison, CA.
Captains Select Seafood, Minneapolis, MN.
MSI Redimix Inc., Mesquite, CA.
Joseph E. Clouse, Inc., Lehigh Acres, FL.
Kyles Discount Stuff, McPherson, KS.
Dames Air, LLC., Warrenton, MO.
Home Theater Design Group, Carrollton, TX.
Gigs Inc., Tewksbury, MA.
Cool Access LLC., Mesquite, TX.
Philipsburg Electric & Supply, Inc., Philipsburg, PA.
Gilbert-American Companies, Rockwall, TX.
Hinsdale Sales and Rental, Inc., Hinsdale, NH.
Hitech Fire Detection, Inc., Houston, TX.



www.nytimes.com/2006/05/07/nyregion/07company.html
Read the whole article to get the juicy details of the close relationship between Bill and the IPA CEO ever since, including moneys promised to Clinton's "foundation" which never made it to NOLA relief as promised. Now you make sure you check this out. There's just a super duper color photo of Bill with the convicted, disbarred, currently charged with sexual harassment by 103 female employees, IPA CEO. Please someone with better computer skills than me, post that picture on this thread.


Myron M. Cherry, a Chicago lawyer who represents I.P.A. in several legal matters, said that he believed Mr. Burgess first met Mr. Clinton at a fund-raising event that Mr. Cherry held at his home in 2000.

Mr. Cherry, who raises money for many Democrats and helped arrange at least some of the I.P.A. contributions to Mrs. Clinton, said Mr. Burgess's background was irrelevant to determining whether to accept his money or services.


Story entitled.... Rubbing Shoulders With Trouble, and Presidents
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/07/nyregion/07company.html

Video Link - http://nytimes.feedroom.com/?fr_story=a15c80a4f43b9bfbd7de0fe87dffc3d84e8b16ca

Bill and his "friend", John R. Burgess, CEO of I.P.A. !

[Seeker30]

13. That picture couldnt be more obvious of a photoshop

Do you think we are stupid? Look at the shadows.

[amborin]

17. not the point....in obama's case, the problem is potential influence peddling

not simply unknowingly getting donations from a bad actor

[MrSlayer]

7. I wouldn't trust a man who wouldn't try to steal a little.

[Snowbot]

8. And???????

[FedoraLV]

9. Still trying to make this stick?

It isn't true:

"Media ignore key details in Obama/Rezko letter story"

"In reporting on this story, however, several media outlets omitted statements included in the Sun-Times article that challenge the paper's assertion that Obama performed a "favor" for Rezko -- specifically, Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton's claim that "I don't know that anyone specifically asked him to write this letter," and Rezko's attorney's claim that Rezko "never spoke with, nor sought a letter from, Senator Obama in connection with that project.""

Read the entire article at: <http://mediamatters.org/items/200706140007>

-FedoraLV

[LulaMay]

14. There's no need to try and 'make it stick'. It will be in the news, and we should know more...

He wasn't nearly forthcoming about his relationship with Rezko as he should've been early on....we need to know what to expect, how bad it is or isn't.

It is not a little thing.

[sandnsea]

10. The Clinton Foundation & Clinton Library

Do you have any idea how many influence peddling suspicions there are connected to the Clintons? The Republicans are salivating at the thought of it.

[LulaMay]

11. ad: Rezko has befriended and helped him since law school. He gave Obama his 1st seed money to run

for political office....2,000.00, and started fundraising for him too.

He has much more involvement and personal friendship with Rezko than he's alluded to.

I wonder how deep it goes, and what could come out of it too.

[saracat]

15. And the LA Times has an article which states Obama actually represented Resko's partner in court

He did a LOT more than just 5 hrs work and writing a letter!

[amborin]

18. oh my word, a new twist and turn:

The Associated Press State & Local Wire

June 27, 2007 Wednesday 4:27 PM GMT

Report: Son of Nation of Islam founder says Rezko swindled him

A son of Nation of Islam founder Elijah Muhammad is accusing Antoin "Tony" Rezko of swindling him out of a home, an allegation the indicted businessman strongly denies, according to a published report. Jabir Muhammad said Rezko swindled him out of eight properties, including the home he currently lives in, the Chicago Sun-Times reported in its Wednesday editions.
"He had taken it without my knowledge and didn't pay me for it," Muhammad, 78, told the newspaper.
Rezko called the accusations "preposterous" in a statement to the Sun-Times, saying that he has "generously supported Mr. Muhammad" in their close to 30 years as business partners and friends.

The newspaper reported that Rezko's lawyers produced a contract signed by Muhammad and his wife showing they sold their home and three adjacent lots to Rezko in 1993 for $519,000. Rezko's attorneys also showed the Sun-Times copies of checks from Rezko to Muhammad totaling $186,500.
Rezko resold the property nine years later for $2.8 million.The newspaper reported that public records show a company owned by Rezko paid Muhammad $225,000 for four other lots in 1998, but Muhammad said he didn't receive any payment.

Muhammad's attorney, Joseph Morris, said Wednesday that his client "never knowingly signed anything to convey ownership of property and never received payments," and is considering filing a lawsuit against Rezko.

snip

Morris said Muhammad brought Rezko into his businesses in the 1980s and, after Muhammad became sick in 1992, turned over most of his private and business affairs to Rezko.
"He trusted Mr. Rezko like a son ... they were extremely close," Morris said.
There was no mortgage on the property because Muhammad had paid cash, and he was assured that Rezko was paying the taxes with Muhammad's earnings from his businesses, Morris said.
Morris said Muhammad periodically received money, which he was told were profits from his businesses.
"Mr. Rezko may now be trying to recharacterize the payments not as profits Mr. Muhammad was entitled to from his own businesses, but instead as payments by Rezko personally to buy (Muhammad's)land," Morris said. "If so, in Mr. Muhammad's view, that was absolutely fraudulent."
In 2005, a fast-food company that listed Muhammad as its president lost its minority business certification and closed its restaurants after city officials alleged that Rezko was using it as a front. Muhammad and the company's other principals were disqualified from participating in the city's affirmative action contracting program.

[bowens43]

19. Oh the irony of Hillary supporter

spreading this kind of sleeze. My guess is you're not old enough to remember the Clinton administration and the shit your candidate was involved in.

[Saturday]

21. An actual court case is spreading sleaze? LOL nt

[JoFerret]

24. Get a grip.

Please. Discuss the issue. Don't dredge.

Don't turn this into a mud slinger and bottom dredger.
It's a court case. it is of concern. And there are plenty of Clinton issues that give concern too.
The GOP is researching all of them right now. we don't have to.

[WDIM]

26. We don't have to?

So we have to discuss Rezko but "we don't have to" discuss the sleaze that the Clinton's associate with?
Why don't you look up Paul V. Clinton. Thats a court case that is going on right now that the Clinton's are involved in.
Clinton's have dealings with some of the worst kinds of sleaze. So its hypocritical to say we have to exam Obama's political dealings. But lets just ignore the Clintons. They get a free pass because we already know from 8 years of this crap that they are untrustworthy liars.

You know what you're right! Obama is claiming to be different to be change so maybe we should hold him to higher standards. We already know the Clinton's are old Washington bureaucratic lying untrustworthy politicians that accept money from large corporate backers and do their bidding while in office. We do already know this about the Clinton's so I guess it can go unsaid. And we won't feel lied to or mislead when they take us down the same road we've been on for the last 20 years.

There is a reason people felt Gore wasn't anything different than Bush in 2000 (which we now know was completely wrong) because people were really looking at Clinton's policies in actuality there is no difference between Bush and the Clinton's.

I'd rather buy something and hope it doesn't break. Instead of buying something I know is already broken!

[JoFerret]

28. Whatever

We all know that both Clinton and Obama are a VAST improvement on Bush/Cheney/McCain.
I am sure you recognize the truth of that. Your relish and zeal in tearing down does not appeal to me
So I am happy to leave it at that.

Whoever emerges as our nominee will win in November. On that I am filled with buckets of HOPE for the future and etc.

Go democrats and wipe the floor with the GOP!

[MojoMojoMojo]

29. "hope it doesn't break" What if Obama breaks DURING the GE?

"I'd rather buy something and hope it doesn't break. Instead of buying something I know is already broken!"

What if Obama breaks DURING the GE?
Then we have nothing.
Do you know how Obama got elected to the Senate?
2 out of 3 Republican opponents of Obama self destructed.

I want to know everything bad about Obama now.Im not talking about swiftboat lies.I want the truth.
If you Obama supporters cant stand to hear the truth, then your candidate is obviously not viable in the GE.
You owe it to yourselves,to the Democratic Party and to the Country ,to Vet Obama before the GE.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

34. How ironic would it be if Clinton got the nomination

And got tanked by the very "Rezcogate" that she dredged up to defeat Obama?

[kikiek]

25. I think the Democratic party will make sure they know where this is going before the primaries are

done. It might affect the SD's decision.

[Hope And Change]

27. Hmmmm....

[amborin]

30. someone with time needs to sort out these tangled connections:

The Associated Press January 22, 2008 Tuesday 6:46 PM GMT

Obama's relationship with alleged fixer goes back 17 years

BYLINE: By MIKE ROBINSON, Associated Press Writer

Real estate developer and fast-food magnate Antoin "Tony" Rezko spent years pouring thousands of dollars in campaign contributions into Barack Obama's climb from the Illinois legislature to Capitol Hill and helped him raise tens of thousands more.

snip

On Oct. 11, 2006, the day federal prosecutors unsealed the major corruption charges against Rezko, Obama immediately sent $11,500 in contributions to charities ranging from Habitat for Humanity to the Boys and Girls Clubs. Obama aides say that is all the money that Rezko has contributed to Obama's campaigns since he first ran for the Illinois Senate in 1996.

They say there's no telling for sure how much additional money Rezko has raised for the senator over 15 years by putting the arm on friends and business associates. Obama's aides estimate the amount at about $60,000, though the Chicago Sun-Times reported last year that Obama has received at least $168,000 from Rezko and his associates over the years.

Federal prosecutors say a Rezko associate used ill-gotten money to give $10,000 to an unidentified candidate in 2004. The associate was businessman Joseph Aramanda, according to a source familiar with the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing. Election records confirm a $10,000 contribution from Aramanda, which Obama's campaign has since given to charity. Aramanda, whose son worked as an intern in Obama's Washington office in 2005, has been accused of no wrongdoing.

snip

The Obama-Rezko relationship goes back a long way. Fresh out of Harvard law school, Obama worked at the Chicago firm of Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland. Rezko was among clients of the firm, a fact Clinton noted during the debate.

snip

Rezko needed the nonprofit organizations as partners to get what eventually added up to $43 million in subsidies for such projects. Judson Miner, a partner in the firm, said that Obama's role was small. He said Obama did perhaps six or seven hours of work on such projects, mainly filing incorporation papers for the nonprofit groups.

But in October 1998, Obama wrote to state and city officials urging them to provide money to New Kenwood LLC, a company formed by Rezko and a former partner in the law firm, Allison Davis, to construct an apartment building for senior citizens. "This project will provide much needed housing for 4th Ward citizens," Obama said in a letter on Illinois Senate stationary to an official of the Illinois Housing Development Authority. The campaign and Rezko's attorney later said Rezko never sought the letters from Obama.

snip

******************************

is it all just dirty Chicago politics? why associate with a known sleaze?

The Associated Press State & Local Wire

November 17, 2006 Friday 1:26 PM GMT
Rezko got state posts for associates months after deal with first lady


Within months after first lady Patti Blagojevich earned nearly $50,000 in a real estate deal with an indicted political fundraiser, several of his associates were appointed to state boards and hired by state agencies, according to a published report.
Gov. Rod Blagojev's office acknowledged last year that Patti Blagojevich has had a business relationship with developer and fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko for at least eight years. Records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times for Friday's editions reveals for the first time that a deal between her and Rezko and the state's hiring of Rezko's associates occurred around the same time.

snip

Rezko has pleaded not guilty to squeezing millions of dollars in kickbacks out of investment firms seeking state business. He also has pleaded not guilty to obtaining a $10.5 million loan from GE Capital by swindling investors.

snip

On Dec. 16, 2002, Rezko's development company bought land in Chicago that Patti Blagojevich's real estate firm was hired to sell, according to property records. Her firm, River Realty Inc., earned $47,557 from the sale. On Jan. 20. 2003 Lon Monk, then the governor's chief of staff, faxed to the Blagojevich home a list of people who Rezko wanted appointed to state boards and commissions, according to documents obtained by the Sun-Times. An accompanying note from Monk read, "Rod, Here is a list of candidates that Tony Rezko wants to be put on nonpaying boards. What are your thoughts?" Blagojevich appointed 10 of the 19 people listed, or their spouses, to state boards or commissions. Others received state contracts or got state jobs for their children.

The governor also hired two of Rezko's former employees as state agency directors in January 2003.
In June, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald confirmed officials were investigating Blagojevich's administration, saying Fitzgerald's office has found credible witnesses to "very serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud."

[AZBlue]

31. So he wrote a letter YEARS ago about a development and

someone involved in that project turned out to be no-good LATER ON? Is that the issue?

Seems like much about nothing to me. Let's get more relevant and recent - like the long list of current Hillary Clinton donors who include thieves, crooks, liars and sexual harassers. Let's chat about that...

[amborin]

32. it's not about gettting donations

it's what may have been done in EXCHANGE for them

influence peddling....

the beholdenness

it's already clear Rezko got help getting the 14 million govt aid for his apartments....

and lots more

it's the Obamas' continued association and personal friendship with a sleaze.....

donations are one thing, this is something else

[AZBlue]

33. Your're right - so what has Clinton promised in exchange for her donations?

Including the ones from Rezko - you're aware of those, right?

[amborin]

35. no one can prevent donations from a sleaze, but you don't have to buy a house with a sleaze

but remaining friends with a sleaze

and remaining involved with a sleaze

entering into your house and yard purchase with help from a sleaze

etc......

suggests much more to come