Obama surfaces in Rekzo's federal corruption case

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Forum Name General Discussion: Politics
Topic subject Obama surfaces in Rekzo's federal corruption case
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4152068#4152068
4152068, Obama surfaces in Rekzo's federal corruption case
Posted by BenDavid on Tue Jan-22-08 12:39 AM

January 20, 2008
BY DAVE MCKINNEY, NATASHA KORECKI, CHRIS FUSCO AND TIM NOVAK Staff Reporters

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.

A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald declined to comment.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/749138,obama20web.article

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1. Topic subject Obama's troubling relationship with Rezko

Forum Name General Discussion: Politics
Topic subject Obama's troubling relationship with Rezko
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4156809#4156809
4156809, Obama's troubling relationship with Rezko
Posted by Proud2BAmurkin on Tue Jan-22-08 01:24 PM

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8UB3IVG0&show_article=1

The Democratic presidential hopeful has also been forced to explain how Rezko got tangled in the purchase of the Obama family home and other ties to Rezko—some of them going back more than 15 years. If federal prosecutors are right, his ties to Rezko may even mean Obama's campaign unwittingly accepted money generated by illegal activities.

Whether the matter will fade in the heat of a national campaign or turn into a headache for Obama in the months ahead is anybody's guess.

State Sen. Christine Radogno, a Republican, said voters are guaranteed to hear more about Rezko if Obama continues to make headway on the campaign trail.

"Obviously, the better he does, the more scrutiny he receives," Radogno said. "So I think there is going to be some discussion of that."

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2. Obama donates money

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/749966,oside_012008.article

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/749966,oside_012008.article
Obama donates more money from contributors linked to Rezko

January 20, 2008

.............

''Recent public information has called into question contributions to the Obama campaign from a donor and fund-raiser,'' Obama spokesman Bill Burton said. ''It is the policy and practice of the campaign to review all such new information and dispose of questionable funds such as the potential illegal 'straw donations' that campaigns, like other presidential campaigns this cycle, must address as new facts emerge."

The decision to dispose of the money came after the Chicago Sun-Times reported on its Web site Saturday and in today's early edition that Obama is the unnamed ''political candidate'' mentioned in a prosecution document in the Rezko case as having received at least two tainted campaign contributions for his 2004 Senate race. Obama previously gave $44,000 in campaign contributions to charity.

The money his campaign said Saturday would be given away includes three $10,000 contributions from donors the campaign identified as having connections to Rezko: Michel Malek, Craig Morgan and Elie Maloof. Malek is a neurosurgeon who Rezko recommended for appointment to a state board involved with Rezko's alleged wrongdoing.

AP, Chris Fusco

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3. Obama's statement today on Rezko (not a clue)

Forum Name General Discussion: Primaries
Topic subject Obama's statement today on Rezko
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4168622#4169374
4169374, Obama's statement today on Rezko
Posted by zulchzulu on Wed Jan-23-08 11:08 AM

"My relationship is he was somebody who I knew and had been a supporter for many years, he was somebody who had supported a wide range of candidates all throughout Illinois," the Democratic presidential candidate said in an interview with CBS' "Early Show." "Nobody had an inkling that he was involved in any problems. When those problems were discovered, we returned money from him that had been contributed."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080123/ap_on_el_pr/obama