Posted on 02/26/2008 4:58:29 AM PST by Libloather
Judge reveals Blagojevich is 'Public Official A'
Rezko allegedly sought donations for governor
By Jeff Coen, Bob Secter and John Chase | Tribune reporters
11:25 PM CST, February 25, 2008
Laying to rest the latest parlor game of Illinois politics, a federal judge on Monday made it crystal clear that "A" stands for Rod Blagojevich in the public corruption case against the governor's indicted fundraiser, Antoin "Tony" Rezko.
A ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Amy St. Eve dispensed with an array of pseudonyms that had cloaked the identities of several people who allegedly benefited from Rezko's financial schemes, including Blagojevich. He had previously been referred to in court documents only as Public Official A.
The nine-page ruling was heavy on political names and dealmaking, revealing for the first time what Robert Kjellander, Illinois' Republican national committeeman, allegedly did with a controversial $809,000 finder's fee he got as part of a Blagojevich administration bond deal. Prosecutors contend much of the windfall ended up with Rezko associates, according to St. Eve's ruling.
Blagojevich has repeatedly denied that he was Public Official A, but St. Eve underscored the link Monday by saying prosecutors claimed he was the intended beneficiary of an alleged attempt by Rezko to extort a $1.5 million campaign donation from Chicago financier Tom Rosenberg.
The governor has not been charged with any wrongdoing, and St. Eve did not suggest that he was aware of the alleged extortion attempt. In earlier court filings, however, prosecutors have alleged that Blagojevich told a former political operative now cooperating with federal authorities that he could steer contracts, legal work and investment banking their way in exchange for fundraising.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Obama donations may surface in political fund-raiser's trial
February 25, 2008
BY NATASHA KORECKI AND CHRIS FUSCO Staff Reporters
There’s a strong chance the name of presidential contender Barack Obama will surface at indicted political fund-raiser Tony Rezko’s trial, which begins next week.
In a nine-page ruling this afternoon, U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve said she would allow federal prosecutors to present evidence about a portion of a $375,000 finder’s fee that a Rezko associate, Joseph Aramanda, obtained through an alleged kickback scheme orchestrated by Rezko.
She also ruled that prosecutors can ask questions about how money from that fee allegedly was used “to make a political contribution” in Aramanda’s name “because Rezko had already donated the maximum amount by law and he could not make the contribution himself.”
The ruling does not identify Obama as the recipient of that contribution. But sources have identified Obama as the “political candidate” who prosecutors say received a $10,000 contribution from Aramanda — at Rezko’s direction — during his 2004 run for U.S. Senate. Obama has donated that contribution to charity.
In addition, Rezko allegedly directed another associate, Elie Maloof, “to donate for the same reason,” St. Eve wrote, “and allegedly previously directed Aramanda and Maloof to make other poltiical contributions.
“For the same reasons, the evidence is admissible,” she ruled.
As with the Aramanda contribution, Obama has donated a $10,000 contribution from Maloof to charity. The two contributions are among a total of $157,835 in Rezko-linked donations that Obama has given away.
Rezko was once part of Obama’s senatorial finance committee.
Informed of the judge’s ruling, Obama presidential campaign spokesman Bill Burton said, “We had no knowledge of any straw donations and have returned any of the donations about which we have any reasonable question.
“By now it is well established that Sen. Obama is not involved in the matters at issue in the [Rezko] trial.”
Rezko is accused of orchestrating a scheme in which a firm hired to handle state teacher pension investments first had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in finder’s fees to Rezko and others.
Separately, St. Eve said she would also allow evidence about an alleged transaction where Rezko promised a businessman an appointment to a state post in exchange for a $50,000 donation to Gov. Blagojevich.
Jury selection in Rezko’s trial is scheduled to start Monday. Rezko is accused of scheming with Stuart Levine to shake down firms seeking to do business with the state.
St. Eve said last week that with the trial days away, “there should be no more secrets.” And that was true of her ruling today, which uncloaked names of some highly influential people in state government who did business with Rezko and Levine. The government only named the individuals by letter in previous court documents.
Also Monday afternoon, the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals denied Rezko’s request to overturn his bond revocation. Rezko was arrested and put in jail Jan. 28 after he allegedly took an undisclosed $3.5 million loan from an Iraqi-born billionaire and moved the money into various accounts.
Contributing: Dave McKinney, Tim Novak
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/812207,morerez022508.article
First article says the judge dispensed with an array of pseudonyms. Seems Barack’s name would have surfaced if she dropped all the aliases.
Business as usual in this here People's Republic.
And yeah, the above apparently works for both Parties.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.