Obama fundraiser, convicted of fraud, spills beans

AP ^ | 11 Oct 2008 | MIKE ROBINSON

[Rokke]

CHICAGO - Jailed political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, the Chicago real estate developer who helped launch Barack Obama on his political career, is whispering secrets to federal prosecutors about corruption in Illinois and the political fallout could be explosive.

Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose administration faces multiple federal investigations over how it handed out jobs and money with advice from Rezko, is considered the most vulnerable.

Rezko also was friendly with Obama — offering him a job when he finished law school, funding his earliest political campaigns and purchasing a lot next to his house. But based on the known facts, charges so far and testimony at Rezko's trial, there's no indication there'll be an October surprise that could hurt the Democratic presidential nominee — even though Rezko says prosecutors are pressing him for dirt about Obama.

[Puppage]

and the political fallout could be explosive

Don't count on it.

[SlowBoat407]

there's no indication there'll be an October surprise that could hurt the Democratic presidential nominee

The General Desk at AP headquarters breathes a collective sigh of relief.

[jimmur281974]

WOW this is an APO Article!

[Jeff Head]

Obama is wholly corrupt. Financial corruption, voter fraud corruption, economic crisis corruption, and his long term wholly militant anti-American associations.

Obama's rising poll numberts are, IMHO, manufactured and represent push polls (for the most part when you look at sampling data) by many in the MSM to try and counter the fallout from this.

Obama and his cronies in ACORN, the DNC, and the MSM are all corrupt and desperate to steal the election if they cannot win it through intimidation and tomfoolery.

Obama has been directly tied and involved with ACORN, for a long time, and through his instrumentality we are seeing our free market and our voting process subverted and deconstructed before our very eyes.

But there is hope, despite what the push polls are saying, and Obama and his campaign and the MSM all know it, and fear it.

I'M VOTING FOR SARAH

[Proud2BeRight]

If there was any chance of this being bad for Hussein, AP would not have covered it.

[snarkytart]

Forget this, what about that trooper report on Palin. Now THAT is really the important issue. /S.

[patriot08]

CALLING OBAMA A RESPECTABLE FAMILY MAN THAT WE NEED NOT FEAR IS OUTRAGEOUS!

McCAIN TAKING THE ABUSE AND INSULTS FROM OBAMA AND REFUSING TO FIGHT BACK IS OUTRAGEOUS!

WE’RE NOT TURNING THE WHITE HOUSE KEYS OVER TO BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA- NOT IF WE ON FR, RUSH, HANNITY AND FOX HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT!

FReep McCAIN/ MSM OUT.

HOW LONG CAN THEY IGNORE A MILLION EMAILS??

.

McCain is losing this campaign because he refuses to fight Obama and his lies, and dirty tactics such as ACORN voter fraud. He’s just been rolling over (or bending over, I should say) and accepting the abuse heaped upon him- and expecially Sarah Palin.
The anemic attempts by the McCain camp to fight back within the last few days just ain’t gonna get it.
He should have been hitting Obama back hard months ago.
He needs to get out there every day and FIGHT BACK.
Email Republican headquarters/McCain.

FReep ‘EM OUT!

CAN THEY IGNORE A MILLION EMAILS?

REMIND McCAIN THAT HE HAS AN OBLIGATION AS OUR CANDIDATE TO FIGHT BACK!
To h*ll with bipartisian BS!
To h*ll with PC!
To h*ll with ‘conducting a respectful campaign’as McCain has said, and vowed to do.

RESPECTFUL CAMPAIGNING WENT STRAIGHT OUT THE WINDOW WITH OBAMA’S NASTY, BRUTAL COMMENTS SUCH AS;
‘lipstick on a pig’ and ‘You can wrap AN OLD FISH in a piece of paper called change. It’s still going to stink after eight years.’

Take off the gloves, McCain!

Hit the Marxist/Muslim hard with Ayers, Acorn, Violation of Logan Act, abortion, 2nd admendment, Campaigning for Odinga!!
Get off the d*mned economy issue. State that Obama/Democrats/ACORN caused this meltdown. State McCain offered a proposal to avert the meltdown and GET OFF IT.
Obama is counting on keeping this going to take the spotlight off his sordid past and dirty dealings!
NOTHING is more important than waking America up to this Marxist/Muslim!! DO IT. EXPOSE HIM!

FReep ‘EM!!!!

MCCAIN/REPUBLICAN PARTY
Fax: 202-228-2862

Send a fax FREE: https://faxzero.com/

rickdavis@johnmccain.com, ameese@mccain08hq.com, anickel@mccain08hq.com,
johnmccain@gop.com, info@gop.com,
RNCommunications@gop.com, Chairman@gop.com, Political@gop.com
info@McCainPalinVictory2008.com

Meghan McCain http://mccainblogette.com/contact/

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(all the Republican movers and shakers)
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.
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[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I’ve asked this ? a few times, but no one has answered.
Can Rezko’s lot be developed? He sold about 20% of it to zer0. I believe it’s in an historic area. Is it large enough to be built on? What are the building code requirements? If it cannot be developed, it’s 100% pure Rezko/zer0 scam, and should be exposed as such!

[zwerni]

this report if any will come out well after Nobama is ensconced in the most powerful office on the globe. and you wont hear even a faint murmer from the Nobama Media.

[boomop1]

I’ll believe this Nov 5th, maybe.

[Oldpuppymax]

But will anyone hear about it? Bwaahhaahhaahaha

[OneWingedShark]

Hm, a historic area you say... I had no idea.

[Calpernia]

This should be very interesting

Nadhmi Auchi co-conspired with fellow Baathist Saddam Hussein in 1959 to assassinate then Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim. Rezko and Obama are both financially connected to him. Rezko backed other politicians. Was it with Auchi's money?

[Calpernia]

Fintrade Services, a Panamanian company run by Nadhmi and Ibtisam Auchi, are involved in Chicago land development. Developers know there way around zoning codes. I’ve seen Green Acres designated land developed. They are above zoning.

[muggs]

If it cannot be developed, it’s 100% pure Rezko/zer0 scam, and should be exposed as such!

I'm not the brightest bulb around. Please explain the significances.

[teletech]

The AP must sense victory for Obama if they are running articles like this one. They can now rub our noses in the Obama corruption knowing we can do nothing.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“Please explain the significances.”
The rezko lot is in an historic area, of large, old mansions. Zoning requirements in these designated areas are very, very strict. If the lot, because of where it is, and it’s reduced size, because of the sale to the zer0 family, cannot be built upon, it proves that the whole deal was a scam. If it can’t be developed, Rezko would just hold onto it, pay the taxes due, and, when the heat died down, sell the remainder of the lot to zer0. If it can’t be developed, it would prove that it was rezko pandering to, and trying to influence, zer0.

[maggief]

This does not directly answer your question, but the interview offers more clues ...

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/124171,CST-NWS-obama05.article

Q: The seller of your house appears to be a doctor at the University of Chicago . Do you or your wife know him? If so, did either of you ever talk to him about subdividing the property? If you ever did discuss the property with him, when were those conversations?

A: We did not know him personally, though my wife worked in the same University hospital. The property was subdivided and two lots were separately listed when we first learned of it. We did not discuss the property with the owners; the sale was negotiated for us by our agent.

Q: Did you approach Rezko or his wife about the property, or did they approach you?

A: To the best of my recollection, I told him about the property, and he developed an interest, knowing both the location and, as I recall, the developer who had previously purchased it.

(snip)

Q: A Nov. 21, 1999, Chicago Tribune story indicates the house you bought “sits on a quarter-acre lot and will share a driveway and entrance gate with a home next door that has not yet been built.” Is this shared driveway still in the mix? Will this require further negotiations with the Rezkos?

A: The driveway is not shared with the adjacent owner. But the resident in the carriage house in the back does have an easement over it.

//

Also from the link:

Q: Did Rezko or his companies ever solicit your support on any matter involving state or federal government? Did Al Johnson, who was trying to get a casino license along with Tony Rezko, or Rezko himself ever discuss casino matters with you?

A: No, I have never been asked to do anything to advance his business interests. In 1999, when I was a State Senator, I opposed legislation to bring a casino to Rosemont and allow casino gambling at docked riverboats which news reports said Al Johnson and Tony Rezko were interested in being part of. I never discussed a casino license with either of them. I was a vocal opponent of the legislation. (http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/srollcalls91/pdf/910SB1017_05251999_001000C.PDF)

(no link)

Obama ‘s letters for Rezko - As a state senator, he went to bat for now-indicted developer’s deal
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - June 13, 2007
Author: Tim Novak, The Chicago Sun-Times
As a state senator, Barack Obama wrote letters to city and state officials supporting his political patron Tony Rezko ‘s successful bid to get more than $14 million from taxpayers to build apartments for senior citizens.

The deal included $855,000 in development fees for Rezko and his partner, Allison S. Davis, Obama ‘s former boss, according to records from the project, which was four blocks outside Obama ‘s state Senate district.

Obama ‘s letters , written nearly nine years ago, for the first time show the Democratic presidential hopeful did a political favor for Rezko — a longtime friend, campaign fund-raiser and client of the law firm where Obama worked — who was indicted last fall on federal charges that accuse him of demanding kickbacks from companies seeking state business under Gov. Blagojevich.

The letters appear to contradict a statement last December from Obama , who told the Chicago Tribune that, in all the years he’s known Rezko , “I’ve never done any favors for him.’’

(snip)

[maggief]

Link for above post:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/425305,CST-NWS-obama13.article

Obama’s letters for Rezko
NOT A FAVOR? | As a state senator, he went to bat for now-indicted developer’s deal