Rezko asked for $10,000 check to Obama campaign: witness
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 7:59:37 PM · 9 of 11
maggief to STARWISE; hoosiermama; penelopesire; Liz; onyx
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Gov fund-raiser linked to man in indictment
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Sunday, August 7, 2005
Author: Dave McKinney, Chris Fusco and Steve Warmbir, The Chicago Sun-Times
SPRINGFIELD — A Glenview businessman who federal investigators believe received a $250,000 kickback in a state teacher pension scheme has had past business dealings with gubernatorial fund-raiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko , the Chicago Sun-Times has found.
Records in three Wisconsin cities show that companies linked to Rezko turned over ownership of at least six Papa John’s pizza restaurants in 2001 to a company owned by Joseph Aramanda , who surfaced in last week’s federal indictment alleging corruption at the Teachers’ Retirement System of Illinois.
Neither Aramanda nor Rezko , a close associate of Gov. Blagojevich who has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the governor, have been accused of criminal wrongdoing by federal investigators.
Aramanda , however, received $250,000 of a $375,000 finder’s fee that prosecutors say was illegally arranged by indicted former TRS board member Stuart Levine, who was reappointed to that board by Blagojevich months before his July 2004 resignation.
Levine, according to a 14-count indictment released Wednesday, arranged for Aramanda to get the money from a financial consultant who had been representing a company that secured a $50 million investment from TRS.
Levine and two Chicago lawyers were charged Wednesday with allegedly shaking down investment companies seeking TRS business for hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks.
Aramanda , who did not return a message left at his Neenah, Wis., corporate office and could not be reached at his Glenview phone number, was named as “Individual C” in the indictment. The Sun-Times confirmed his identity through multiple sources.
Several telephone messages left at Rezko ‘s main office were not returned.
Aramanda owned 22 Papa John’s pizza restaurants in Wisconsin, according to a 2001 business filing with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.
At least six of those restaurants, located in Madison, Eau Claire and La Crosse, were owned by Rezko ‘s companies up until 2001, when Aramanda ‘s firm — JAA Enterprises — took over ownership, according to restaurant licensing documents maintained by health departments in each of those cities.
Details about the ownership shift, including how much JAA paid for the restaurants, were not available. A spokeswoman at Papa John’s Louisville, Ky., headquarters declined to comment on the matter, citing privacy concerns.
Whether Aramanda ‘s tie to Rezko extends beyond this particular transaction is not completely clear, but Aramanda has a link to the governor, having given Blagojevich’s campaign fund $10,000 in 2002, state election records show.
Aramanda also has been a donor to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who received $11,500 from him between 2000 and 2004, according to federal election records.
One of the Obama contributions hints at another possible business tie between Rezko and Aramanda . A $1,000 donation from Aramanda to the fund Obama set up for an ill-fated 2000 congressional bid identifies Aramanda ‘s employer as “P.J. Chicago.” The initials “C.O.O.” appear next to the entry, federal election records show, suggesting Aramanda was the chief operating officer of P.J. Chicago.
P.J. Chicago was managed by Rezko Enterprises, according to Illinois Secretary of State records. P.J. Chicago is listed on the sixth floor at 409 W. Huron St. in Chicago, home to several of Rezko ‘s businesses, according to regulatory filings with the Wisconsin and Delaware secretary of state offices.
(snip)
//
Internship also links Obama, Rezko : Fund-raiser asked senator to hire contributor’s son
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Sunday, December 24, 2006
Author: Frank Main, The Chicago Sun-Times
In addition to a land deal, Sen. Barack Obama’s ties to indicted dealmaker Antoin “Tony” Rezko include an internship the senator provided the son of a contributor at the request of Rezko , an Obama spokesman confirmed Saturday.
John Aramanda served as an intern for Obama for about a month in 2005, said Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs. His father is Joseph Aramanda , a Rezko business associate who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal corruption case against Rezko . Aramanda has contributed $11,500 to Obama since 2000, Gibbs said.
“Mr. Rezko did provide a recommendation for John Aramanda ,” Gibbs said. “I think that it’s fairly obvious that a few-week internship is not anything of benefit to Mr. Rezko or any of his businesses.”
The internship revelation comes after Obama acknowledged he erred in buying property from Rezko in January. The transaction took place when it was widely known Rezko was under investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office.
“It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else, to believe that he had done me a favor,” Obama — a likely presidential candidate — told the Chicago Sun-Times in November.
(snip)
Obama and Rezko have been friends since 1990, and the Wilmette businessman has raised as much as $60,000 in campaign contributions for him.
After Rezko ‘s indictment, Obama donated $11,500 to charity — the amount Rezko contributed to the senator’s federal campaign fund.
Gibbs said no decision has been made on whether Obama will return any contributions from Aramanda , given his alleged role in the federal corruption cases against Rezko and former Teachers Retirement System board member Stuart Levine.
(snip)
Aramanda was identified by the Sun-Times as “Individual D,” who allegedly received a $250,000 kickback tied to a scheme to steer lucrative state pension deals to firms and consultants that donated to Blagojevich. Aramanda is not specifically named or charged with criminal wrongdoing in the court papers. He did not return a call seeking comment Saturday.
Gibbs said John Aramanda served in Obama’s Capitol Hill office from July 20 to Aug. 26, 2005.
//
Rezko pals in state posts - Records reveal vast influence with governor
Chicago Tribune (IL) - Thursday, June 15, 2006
Author: David Jackson and John Chase, Tribune staff reporters.
EXCERPT
Blagojevich pal’s reach into state government
Newly obtained public records show deep ties between state government and several financial backers of businessman Antoin “Tony” Rezko , confidante and political fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
NAME
Imad Almanaseer
TIE TO REZKO
Member of LARC Realty, a Rezko business
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Health Facilities Planning Board member; son Ahmed worked for Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
NAME
Abdelhamid Chaib
TIE TO REZKO
Chief operating officer of Rezko Enterprises
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Wife Lori on Board of Review for Department of Employment Security
NAME
John “Jack” Lavin
TIE TO REZKO
Former chief financial officer of Rezko Enterprises
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Director of DCEO
NAME
Alber Najjar
TIE TO REZKO
Investor in Rezko Enterprises, LARC Realty member
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Daughter Claudine works for DCEO
NAME
Michel Malek
TIE TO REZKO
Investor in Rezko Enterprises, Roosevelt/Clark development
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Health Facilities Planning Board member
NAME
Fortunee Massuda
TIE TO REZKO
Investor in Rezko Enterprises
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Health Facilities Planning Board member
NAME
Ali Ata
TIE TO REZKO
Investor in Roosevelt/Clark
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Former executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority
NAME
Joseph Aramanda
TIE TO REZKO
Co-owned Papa John’s pizza franchises with Rezko
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Got loan from state tollway contractor
NAME
Velma Butler
TIE TO REZKO
Investor in Roosevelt/Clark
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Illinois Housing Authority member
NAME
Muhamad Dabbouseh
TIE TO REZKO
LARC Realty officer
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Daughter Amy works for the DCEO and daughter Huda for the DES
NAME
Kelly King Dibble
TIE TO REZKO
Former vice president for business development of a Rezko real estate company
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Executive director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority
NAME
David Gustman
TIE TO REZKO
Attorney for Rezko and companies
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Unpaid chairman of Illinois Finance Authority
NAME
Anthony Licata
TIE TO REZKO
Rezko attorney
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Chairman of the Capital Development Board
NAME
Michael Rumman
TIE TO REZKO
CEO of Heritage Development Partners, and investor in Roosevelt/Clark
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Former director of Central Management Services
NAME
Ed Wynn
TIE TO REZKO
Heritage lawyer
STATE GOVERNMENT TIE
Former general counsel of CMS
Sources: State records, court filings, corporate reports
Keepin it all together ...sort of...
FROM:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2543150/posts?page
Judge James Zagel denies a defense request to gain access to the FBI report summarizing then President-Elect Obama’s 2008 interview with federal investigators.
Defense lawyers argued in a filing last week that the government minimized Obama’s knowledge of the then-Governor’s attempts to horsetrade for the Senate seat appointment.
They said that testimony by government witness John Harris contradicted that portrayal by federal prosecutors.
Harris testified last week that Blagojevich believed Obama knew about the then-governor’s request for a presidential cabinet appointment in exchange for appointing Valerie Jarrett to the Senate seat.
Zagel said there was nothing relevant concerning Harris’s testimony that would allow the defense access to Obama’s interview.
..snip..
One wonders if Ald. Ed Burke’s omniscient political power also extends to federal judges and prosecutors, in this city of SOP massive corrupt political tentacles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Real Mayor of Chicago
Excerpt:
But, Alderman Burke’s control of Chicago’s financial purse strings isn’t his only lever of power.
Cook County has the largest unified court system in America. In heavily Democratic Cook County, 100% of all of the judges are Democrats. The Chairman of the Democratic Party Judicial Slating Committee is none other than Alderman Burke.
The Chicago Reader astutely observed Burke’s “Seat on the Democratic Party judicial slate-making committee ensures that Cook County judges owe him their jobs.” Alderman Burke’s influence goes beyond the Cook County level:
his wife Anne is a justice on the Illinois Supreme Court.
Along with all of Alderman Burke’s power to control Chicago’s tax code and Cook County’s judicial system comes campaign contributions. Alderman Burke doesn’t represent a wealthy ward, nor has he ever faced a serious political opponent, but he still has amassed an eye popping campaign fund. The Chicago Tribune explains:
~~~
“But the state’s richest political family was Ald. Edward Burke (14th) and his wife, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke. Together, their political committees held $8.3 million in cash.
The Tribune reported Monday that Anne Burke’s campaign was returning a large portion of her cash to donors because she is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Mayor Richard M. Daley, who traditionally ceases fundraising after elections, raised just $43,000 in the last six months, but had $3.1 million in cash on hand.”
~~~
In terms of cash at the very least, Burke is already more potent not only than Daley but has more in his coffers than Daley and all 49 Aldermen combined.
But, the ever active Alderman Burke is also a businessman, not surprisingly a rather successful one.
The state of Illinois has rather lax ethics laws, and since being an Alderman is a “part time” job, Alderman Burke has outside employment. Burke runs a successful property tax appeals business.
Burke’s latest ethics form filed with the city of Chicago shows his impressive list of clients. Such big corporations as AT&T, American Airlines, Bank of America, Northern Trust, Harris Bank, T Mobile and many others have done at least $5000 in legal business with Alderman Burke’s law firm in the last year.
They also – I am sure readers will be shocked – do business with the city of Chicago. WBBM, the local CBS affiliate, even has Alderman Burke handle some of its legal business.
Occasionally, Alderman Burke’s conflicts get reported on.
When Obama ally and Blagojevich influence peddler Tony Rezko was looking to get his taxes cut on a big land deal the Chicago Sun-Times explained:
~~~
“Why did Ald. Edward M. Burke vote to approve Tony Rezko’s plans to develop the South Loop’s biggest piece of vacant land even as he was working for Rezko on that same deal?
Burke says: I forgot to abstain.”
~~~
When Rod Blagojevich first decided to run for Governor in 2001, he got important backing from Burke. Blago’s father-in-law, by the way, is Alderman Dick Mell, a colleague of Alderman Burke’s who got the ball rolling.
The Daily Herald unearthed this revealing statement from Alderman Burke in 2001 concerning Blago:
~~~ “I am with Rod 100% because he has what it takes to win – money, message and an army of supporters,” said Burke, referring to a rousing announcement speech given by Blagojevich to a reported throng of 10,000 people on August 12. Burke also mentioned filings with election officials that show Blagojevich with over $3 million in his campaign fund, double the amount of cash on hand of all of his potential Democratic opponents combined.”
~~~
In the coming years, as Chicago style politics seeps into America’s mainstream, remember Alderman Burke.
Thirty of Burke’s colleagues on Chicago’s City Council went on to become convicted felons since 1970. But Alderman Burke is still standing, and still dominating in the shadows, atop much of what happens in the Windy City.
..snip...
The Cost of Corruption in Illinois: $500 Million a Year
***
Excerpt:
People in Illinois pay over $500 million a year because of government corruption. That’s according to a new study from the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Political Science Department.
Professor Dick Simpson is a co-author. He says Illinois lawmakers might be ready to enact some of the reforms needed to curb that corruption.
SIMPSON: I think this is our best opportunity because of all the excitement that’s been created by the Blagojevich scandals. They’ve really focused the attention of the world, and in addition, in a time of recession, we see how important it is to make those savings.
Simpson says lawmakers should start by implementing anti-corruption measures outlined by the Illinois Reform Commission.
http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=34204
__________________________________________________________
Friday, December 12, 2008
Why is Illinois So Corrupt?
###
Watch the videos on this site:
http://www.crimefilenews.com/2008/12/chicago-corruption-fighter-and-author.html
Robert Cooley is a former mafia lawyer who worked with corrupt Illinois officials and judges. He turned state’s witness and he explains how the Chicago “Machine” still run by Alderman Ed Burke who “picks” the judges and controls the Chicago City Finance Committee and his wife, corrupt Illinois Supreme Court Justice Ann Burke, still are up to their ears in corrupt politics as usual. He talks how this cabal of corruption:
1- controls the media,
2-pays off the U S Attorney (former and probably still pays off his middle men, hired during this super corrupt era, who hide stuff from present US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald so the only people prosecuted are fall guys like Blagojevich so as to take the heat off the real top dog crooks like:
A- Jim Thompson (former Gov X 16 years, Director of CIA oversight committee under 1st President Bush and member of 911 Commission under W)
B-Madigans (Speaker of the House Michael and his daughter Attorney General Lisa, who launder all the bribery money kicked back from State, County and City contracts through their political fund “friends of Madigan”),
C-the Burkes, and
D-the Daleys(Richard - Chicago Mayor and partner of John
Burge [the torturer to get murder confessions] while he was
state’s attorney, John - Cook Co. Commissioner who
controlled Co. Board President John Stroger Sr and his Son
Todd who replaced him, and William former Commerce Sec under Clinton and now wants to be Gov of IL and therefore needs to discredit Blagojevich and Lisa Madigan).
A summary of the “system” running Illinois in my view is as follows:
Illinois for too long has been under the control of the:
1- Kingdom of former Gov. Jim (Prince John) Thompson and
2-his Lords, Chicago Mayor Richard M. and Cook Co. Commissioner John Daley (sons of former Mayor Richard J.), County Board Pres. John Stroger Jr. (son of former County Board Pres. John Stroger),
3-House Speaker Michael and his daughter Atty Gen. Lisa Madigan,
4-Alderman Ed (buddy of Fast Ed[dy] now convict Vrydoliak - both of them were leaders against African American Mayor Washington in the “counsel wars” 20 years ago) and IL. Supreme Court Justice Ann Burke,
5-former Sheriff (of Nottingham) Sheahan, and
6-State’s Attorney Richard (Gisbourne) Divine, as well as
7-other Lords such as former Sen. President Emil Jones and now his son Emil Jones Jr.
Political office is inherited in Illinois, elected by political patronage paid for by bribery (10% of all contracts SHALL be donated (kicked-back) to political funds such as “Friends of Madigan” and “Friends of Blagojevich”), and decided in closed back room “deals” (bribes, tit-for-tat, nothing to do with competency or experience, etc.).
It’s time we have a truth commission in Illinois to give clemency to low level players so that we can reveal the true extent of the corruption, encourage witnesses to come out of the woodwork and reveal their evidence, as well as start anew with a high level of transparency.
We desperately need new blood in Illinois and help from the U.S. Attorney in breaking the cycle of corruption, bribery, kick-backs, patronage, and nepotism.
A UIC professor said:
Patronage breeds corruption like garbage breeds flies. SOOO true in Illinois.
Other examples of inherited office in Illinois include US Representative Lipinsky and his son who replaced him in Washington DC, and Illinois Senate President Emil Jones and his son who has replaced him in the Senate.
Kim Long who authored a book about government corruption talks how corruption started in the colonial days and has continued with pockets of intense corruption in Illinois, Louisiana, and New Jersey.
For the early days of the “Chicago Machine” and corruption see:
http://hickeysite.blogspot.com/2008/12/theres-sucker-born-every-minute-michael.html
__________________________________________________
Curing Corruption in Illinois:
Anti-Corruption Report Number 1
February 3, 2009
Authored By:
Thomas J. Gradel
Dick Simpson
And
Andris Zimelis
With
Kirsten Byers
Chris Olson
University of Illinois at Chicago
Department of Political Science
*****
Excerpt:
Public corruption has been an unfortunate aspect of Illinois politics for a century and a half.
Even before Governor Blagojevich tried to sell the vacant senate seat to the highest bidder, the people of the state were exposed continuously to outrageous corruption scandals.
The state history of political corruption features Paul Powell, a former secretary of state, who died leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars hoarded in shoeboxes in his closet, 13 judges nabbed in Operation Greylord for fixing court cases, and a state auditor who embezzled more than $1.5 million in state funds and bought two planes, four cars, and two homes with the money.
Since 1972 there have been three governors before Governor Blagojevich, state legislators, two congressmen, 19 Cook County judges, 30 Aldermen, and other statewide officials convicted of corruption.1
Altogether there have been 1,000 public officials and businessmen convicted of public corruption since 1970.
The history of public corruption in Illinois goes as far back as 1860s when the state’s largest city, Chicago, was growing rapidly and with much disorder which provided ample opportunities for corruption.
This time period is characterized by several corruption cases in the city including a city council ring of aldermen on the take known as McCauley’s Nineteen, and county commissioners involved in a City Hall painting contract scandal.
Of the 14 aldermen and public official indicted in that scandal four were convicted and several others lost their reelection bids in the elections of 1871.
At the same time, a gambling kingpin, Michael Cassius McDonald, created Chicago’s political machine.
Public officials were handing out contracts, jobs and social services in exchange for political support. McDonald is credited with “electing aldermen who lorded it in the city council and county commissioners who stole everything in sight and for providing contracts for public works that had thievery written between the lines.” 2
Machine politics and corruption have been directly linked ever since the late 1860s following the civil war and the Great Chicago Fire.
The possibility for corruption and its persistence can also be explained by the Chicago’s large immigrant population which made it easier for a political machine to grow in power.
Millions of Irish, German, Jewish, and Slavic immigrants settled in the cities of America and these ethnic groups had difficulties getting jobs. The immigrants would come to local officials for housing and work, thus turning public office into the market for jobs, contracts, and a place to reward “friends”.2
By responding to citizen demands and requesting political support in return, political machines continued to expand a system based on the politics of personal obligation. Businessmen also found this system useful so they paid bribes in order to receive lucrative contracts from the city and avoid troublesome city inspectors.
Patronage politics and corruption dominated Chicago and its suburbs regardless of political party in charge. After “reform” Republicans began controlling the city council in the late 1890s, they became as corrupt as the ousted Democrats. Through both periods, a notorious group of Chicago aldermen known as the “Gray Wolves” sold municipal
contracts and franchises to enrich themselves.
They even awarded the city’s gas business to a fictional company they had created, and forced the real gas company to buy it from them.4
Other examples of brazen corruption include two aldermen who ruled Chicago’s first ward from the late 19th century until 1940s.
Hinky Dink Mike Kenna was first elected in 1897 and Bathhouse John Coughlin first won election in 1892. They controlled police, zoning, prostitution and gambling in the central city Levee District for decades employing extortion, personal favors, and voting fraud to stay in power and to enrich themselves and their allies.
In 1896, businessman Charles Yerkes offered Aldermen Coughlin and Kenna a $150,000 bribe (worth more than a million dollars today) to support a fifty year extension of his streetcar franchise. They turned him down, but not for moral reasons.
Bathhouse told Mayor Carter Harrison II: “Mr. Maar, I was talkin’ a while back with Senator Billy Mason and he told me, ‘Keep clear of th’ big stuff, John, it’s dangerous. You and Mike stick to th’ small stuff; there’s little risk and in the long run it pays a damned sight more.’ Mr. Maae, we’re with you. And we’ll do what we can to swing some of the other boys over.”
With their backing the mayor defeated Yerkes’ ordinance by a vote of 32-31 in the then seventy member city council.5
Then there is William “Big Bill” Thompson, who served as the Republican mayor of Chicago from 1915 to 1923 and from 1927 to 1931.
He was a demagogue who had ties to the infamous criminal Al Capone. The Capone mob is said to have provided Mayor Thompson with hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions.6
http://www.uic.edu/depts/pols/ChicagoPolitics/Anti-corruptionReport.pdf
...snip...