Posted on 01/19/2008 9:10:04 AM PST by IrishMike
Source confirmed Obama is the unnamed "political candidate" referred to in document which outlines case against Rezko
For the first time, Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama has surfaced in the federal corrupton case against his longtime campaign fund-raiser, Tony Rezko, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
The Illinois senator isn’t accused of any wrongdoing. And there’s no evidence Obama knew contributions to his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign came from schemes Rezko is accused of orchestrating.
The allegations against Rezko that involve Obama are contained in one paragraph of a 78-page document filed last month in which prosecutors outline their corruption and fraud case against Rezko, who was also a key money man for Gov. Blagojevich and other politicians.
Rezko is set to go to trial Feb. 25. The revelation that Obama’s name could come up in court is a political headache he doesn’t need as he heads into a round of primaries that are likely to determine his party’s nomination for president.
Obama is not named in the Dec. 21 court document. But a source familiar with the case confirmed that Obama is the unnamed “political candidate” referred to in a section of the document that accuses Rezko of orchestrating a scheme in which a firm hired to handle state teacher pension investments first had to pay $250,000 in “sham” finder’s fees. From that money, $10,000 was donated to Obama’s successful run for the Senate in the name of a Rezko business associate, according to the court filing and the source.
Rezko, who was part of Obama’s senatorial finance committee, also is accused of directing “at least one other individual” to donate money to Obama and then reimbursing that individual — in possible violation of federal election law.
(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...
There is a connection between the two other than the piece of property fiasco. In Chicago politics corruption is the norm, not the exception. There is not a chance if you dug deep enough that somewhere these two haven’t had dealings together that they didn’t want the light of day to expose.
Ah the part of the campaign Clinton told us she was looking forward to getting to.
Hilary’s at it again. When the heat is on and they are about to have something uncovered - they put the same stuff out about their political enemies
Drug use = Hilary’s drug use
Campaign finance scandal = Hilary’s campaign scandals
Then when it does come out about Hilary they can claim it is Obama getting back at them and hope the voters think it is just mud slinging and will ignore it.
what did he know and when did he know it
Barack Obama:
Well, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve known him for 20 years — well, let me make sure I’m not exaggerating here, 1991, so, 15 years, I’ve known him for 15 years. He had never asked me to do anything, had never behaved in any untoward way with me. And, the, you know, I wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about these various issues that he was involved with, but as I’ve said before, there’s no doubt that I should have seen some red flags in terms of me purchasing a piece of property from him. Again, my focus was just making sure that the purchase itself met ethical guidelines, but there’s no doubt that the optics of it I think – partly – well, no, I’ll just stick to that, there’s no doubt I should have been more attuned to it.
One fairy tale that touches close to home for Obama (literally, Obama’s home) is the story of his real estate fairy, the indicted fixer Tony Rezko, who helped the Obamas buy their dream house.
Rezko is scheduled to stand trial in late February in Chicago, on federal political corruption charges that worry Democrats and Republicans. His lawyers on Tuesday tried to stall the trial — saying there was too much evidence to process — but they failed.
Hillary did better than expected in New Hampshire, but to win she’ll still have to rip Barack’s fairy tale to shreds. And the Clintons know how to do that.
I don’t have any doubt that Obama is a poll and a big city Dim poll at that. I am just always amused that everyone else’s scandals but the Clintons seem to count.
He's done it with his drug use and now he's doing it with this.
The only thing he forgot to do, was tie the leak to a Hillary campaign staffer.
... now that Norman Hsu has been put away for the duration of the campaign.
You think maybe this informations ISN’T being leaked out, oh, so discreetly, by the campaign staffers working for the coronation of Herself, the Cold and Joyless?
Not even the presence of Oprah on the scene will dilute the shock value behind this grenade attack.
You know, perhaps these attacks by Herself would not be so ugly to behold, if only Herself and her gang weren’t so jubilant when they actually score. That is one of the reasons they look downward with seeming contrite demeanor - they think nobody can see the smirks on their faces.
“Nothing to see here folks, so just move along.”
Ah the part of the campaign Clinton told us she was looking forward to getting to ... now that Norman Hsu has been put away for the duration of the campaign.”
But the Paul case, the campaign finance scandal from CA, is still cooking. And whatever happened to those orthodox Jews who raised cash illegally and voted 100% for her when she ran for the Senate?
Hillary will have a hard time making hay out of Obama’s cozy deal with Rezko, with all the smelly skeletons clanking around in the Clinton closet.
Was this one of the real estate deals brokered by Patricia Mell Blagojevich?
Gee, Hillary’s name is going to come up at the status conference in Los Angeles on Feb. 21. Apparently, the Clinton suck-up press doesn’t want to talk about that.
“Arab-American activist, Tony Rezko “
The things you miss when you only read the news, not see it. This is the first I heard of the Arab thing. But one thing I can’t help but wonder... The instinct on this board seems to be that this is a Clinton dirty trick. Are we automatically to assume that any negative story about Obama is untrue? I can see that really biting us in the butt if he’s the nominee.
Scooter Libby says this smear / leak / innuendo smells of Clinton Inc.
.
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