As Barack Obama plotted his ascent into Chicago politics, he needed a ‘spiritual mentor’ and church (Rev. Wright and Trinity), but also a chief benefactor.
Showing the bad judgement evident in all of his chosen associations in Chicago, Obama picked Antonin ‘Tony’ Rezko as the financier to cozy up to.
The Chicago Sun Times estimates Rezko gave Obama $160,000 (possibly only a portion of which Obama has since given away) and they confirm that Obama has had an ongoing relationship with Rezko since interviewing for a job at Rezko’s development company in 1990.
And of course there’s the matter of the suspect housing deal the Obamas made with Rezko in 2005, among other shady dealings in the course of the Obama/Rezko relationship.
Rezko is facing some sky-high legal bills and a stiff federal prison sentence – surely Obama is having the audacity to hope Tony doesn’t rollover on him.
The AP claims Obama has given 150K of Rezko’s ill-gotten money to charity; perhaps my counterpart can provide evidence to confirm that.
CHICAGO (AP) — 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.
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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.
