Rezko found guilty on some charges

[sinkingfeeling]

Source: CNN.com and ABC

Political fundraiser Antoin 'Tony' Rezko has been found guilty on some counts of corruption charges related to a kickback scheme for companies that do business with the state.
The jurors reached a verdict after 13 days of deliberations. A judge read it at 3:45 p.m. in federal court.



Guilty on 12 of 15 counts mail/wire fraud
Not Guilty on 1 count attempted extortion
Guilty on 2 of 6 counts corrupt solicitation
Guilty on 2 counts money laundering

Read more: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6185320

[jody]

1. Will Rezko become state's evidence for a lesser sentence?That could affect several elected officials

[joanmj]

3. Maybe they should start digging up that.....

:argh: yard he helped Obama buy.

[hokies4ever]

9. Bill's library donor list is still secretive

so I disagree with you. They're not going to find anything by digging and smearing more.



Oops, sorry, wrong photo.



:rofl:

[aquart]

26. Vicious in victory, the hallmark of the Obama campaign.

And still prone to lies and distortion.

[KSinTX]

32. No kidding? hokies4ever holds what position with Obama's

campaign. I guess I'm new enough here to not quite know all the players. How is this guy connected with the Obama campaign? Maybe I've seen him during volunteer briefings.

[aquart]

28. That's usually the way it works.

Prosecutors use the little fish to get the big ones.

Especially since white collar crooks do not like prison. In exchange for a lesser sentence, Rezko may well spend the next few years going back and forth from one grand jury to another.

Does anyone know what the maximum sentence for all his convictions might be?

[VeraAgnes]

2. ABC News has an article about this.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4999942&page=1


The jury's deliberations on the fate of the 52-year-old Chicago developer and political fixer stretched over 13 days, as they weighed the evidence and testimony on whether and how Rezko had illegally trafficked in access to politicians and political favors.

Rezko's ties to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. have created image problems for the White House hopeful. Rezko, a longtime friend and supporter of Obama's, raised tens of thousands of dollars for his campaigns, much of which Obama has since returned.

[saracat]

4. Heh. Theres more But La! la! la!

[Algorem]

5. amazing timing.

[QUALAR]

6. THE HAMMER IS ABOUT TO FALL

There's something fishy about Rezko's certainty that Karl Rove was going to intervene on his behalf with Patrick Fitzgerald before Rezko was indicted. Rezko was much more than fundraiser - he was Obama's benefactor. There are a lot of people who believe that Rezko brought Obama to Illinois to just do social work in South Chicago. That would be awfully big of him especially if he didn't expect something in return. Hard to believe.

The Democrats may have been set up for a big fall that will enhance McCain's chances of winning. I do not believe the Bush Justice Department would hesitate to indict Obama if Fitzgerald is able to turn Rezko. If I was to bet, I think I'd choose Fitzgerald.

[hokies4ever]

7. Sorry that your hitjob on Obama fell flat. Please try harder next time.

:rofl:

[ryanmuegge]

15. I don't think that was meant as a "hitjob."

He was stating how this could come back to affect Obama in the election because of the Bush Justice Department. With the corporate press and the Bush Justice Department, no bad legal news for people associated with Obama can be estimated as it pertains to implications for public opinion (and thereby the election).

Remember, many ardent Obama supporters on here thought that the Rev. Wright story would be dead in a day, and it's still going three months later. And that wasn't even a legal matter.

[earth mom]

39. Yep, the denial by the kool aid drinkers around here is of mammoth proportions. nt

[joanmj]

8. Obama....

supporters are quiet on this on.....:freak:

[hokies4ever]

10. Welcome to DU

[a la izquierda]

11. tee hee hee...

nice comeback.:toast:

[madrchsod]

13. maybe cause it`s bullshit... but don`t let that stop you posting

what you no nothing about.

[madrchsod]

12. you have no idea what the hell you are talking about

[shenmue]

14. Most of the charges, actually.

:rofl:

Go home, there's nothing to see! We must continue the nonstop worship of St. Obama!

Don't let a little thing like corruption stop you. Of course this doesn't reflect on anyone else. Of course nothing else could be wrong.

Show's over, nothing to see...

:sarcasm:

[shenmue]

16. Jury: Rezko guilty of 16 counts in corruption case

Source: Associated Press

"CHICAGO - A prominent fundraiser for Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted Wednesday of fraud and money laundering after a high-profile federal trial provided an unusually detailed glimpse of the pay-to-play politics that has made Illinois infamous."

Read more: http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20080604/48461340_3ca6_1552620080604-1349187249

---

All those who were gloating over how Obama's campaign supposedly exudes the aroma of saintliness-- good luck with this one!

:rofl:



;)

Think this is going to rub off on him?

[BlooInBloo]

17. tick tick tick tick

[Benhurst]

18. Tell us it ain't so, Tony!

[mucifer]

19. Hillary has had her share of sleazy friends

Remember Hsu? He's in jail too:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/norman_hsu_clinton_fundraiser/index.html

Hsu, an apparently wealthy apparel magnate, had pleaded no contest in 1992 for what authorities have called a Ponzi-like fraud scheme involving latex gloves that cost investors more than $1 million, but never showed for his sentencing hearing at the time.

The old 1992 criminal case is pending and will be handled by the courts in due course, his lawyer said.



Hsu reportedly raised well over $1 million for Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign by eliciting donations from others and giving generously from his own pockets. Questions have been raised in the last few days about many big contributions from Hsu's contributors, which appeared incommensurate with the modest incomes of the individuals and families who gave them

[emilyg]

20. She never ran as a saint.

[a la izquierda]

21. omfg.

neither did he!
i'm fixin' to blow a gasket down here...i swear to god.:argh:

[emilyg]

23. Go right ahead.

[a la izquierda]

24. self-righteous HRC supporters...

need to learn some fucking history.
go read a damned history book about your saint, okay, before trying to pin some shady dealings on Obama without proof that he actually had anything to do with Rezko's criminal activities. Or do you simply get all of your news from what your hear on the teevee?
Whitewater, anyone? I could sit here and point fingers about that. Nyah, nyah, nyah! Hsu?
Really, grow up or go join the darned Republicans. Your behavior is fucking shameful.

I will be thrilled on Friday when she finally "suspends" her campaign, whatever the hell that means.

[Tellurian]

27. It means she not dropping out!

you can look up the word "suspend" in Websters, before you "drop out"...

[aquart]

31. You mean, if Hillary did it, then Obama didn't?

Your logic is so bad, no wonder you support Obama.

[emilyg]

35. Funny - why are you replying to me?

If I grow up any more I'll be in my next life. Seems you need to grow up if all you can use is foul language.

[a la izquierda]

36. Sorry, wasn't meant to be a general reply just to you...

but to a bunch of people as a group.

And potty mouths are a cultural quirk where I grew up. We cuss like sailors. Meh. Living in the pseudo-south hasn't tempered it and probably won't.

Edit for a typo.

[emilyg]

37. You got my attention

What's pseudo-south?

[a la izquierda]

40. Oklahoma.

I'm fairly certain some people think it's the south. Others swear its the west. Then others think it's the south-west.

[emilyg]

41. ty

[joanmj]

22. So, what you are saying is: he does too?!?

Rezko, a real estate developer and fast-food entrepreneur, had been friendly with Obama for years, even offering him a job after Obama finished law school. Obama turned down the offer, but a political friendship developed.

For Obama's campaigns in Illinois, Rezko personally donated more than $21,000 and raised far more. Rezko did not personally donate to Obama's presidential campaign, but he helped raise $150,000. Obama has donated that amount to charity.

He also advised Obama on the purchase of a new Chicago home and, in his wife's name, purchased a vacant lot next to the new Obama home at the same time from a couple who insisted on selling both pieces of property simultaneously. The purchase raised questions about the extent of his help.

[aquart]

29. So the "monstrous" Hillary is your standard for Obama? They're the same?

That's going to be your excuse for 4 years? Hillary and/or Bill did it too?

Well, that sure is a lot of moral change, ain't it?

Hypocrites for Obama!

[stillcool]

34. rinse and repeat, and repeat, and repeat...

and repeat. You exude the aroma of horse shit.

[AZ Criminal JD]

25. Patrick Fitzgerald will immunize Rezco

He will then march him before a federal grand jury and sweat him for information about Governor Blago and Obama. Both should be worried.

[aquart]

30. Immunize? He's already convicted.

This is absolutely all they were able to get him on. Now it's bargaining over his sentence.

[AZ Criminal JD]

33. You are not familar with grand juries.

He will be immunized for other crimes he has participated in but has not been charged. In return for the information he will be given a break on his sentence. Without immunization he could not bargain on his sentence. No competent lawyer would allow that.

[Seabiscuit]

38. The OP title would have been more appropriately "Guilty On 16 Counts" n/t