Rezko stain tars gov and Obama
January 30, 2008
BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist
Tony Rezko is a story that is just not going away. This was made abundantly clear Tuesday night when Sen. Barack Obama announced that his U.S. Senate campaign is now returning almost double the money it had already given to charity from its former, now-indicted fund-raiser, Tony Rezko. The grand total of returned cash now stands at about $150,000.
There is no suggestion that the Democratic presidential contender is connected to the kind of illegal dealings for which Rezko will stand trial next month. But his judgment with regard to Rezko is distinctly in question.
Obama has admitted it was "boneheaded" to enter into a land deal with Rezko that allowed the senator and his wife to buy a $1.65 million mansion on the same day Rezko's wife bought the lot next door. But there are a host of unanswered questions. Here are just a few:
• • Exactly how were the terms and timing arrived at that allowed Obama to buy the house at a $300,000 discount, while Mrs. Rezko paid full price?
• • Given that Rezko was already publicly known to be under investigation, what persuaded Obama to still deal with him?
• • When did Obama realize that Rezko, a low-income housing developer, had 11 failed properties in Obama's state Senate district alone? Or that Rezko was defaulting on taxpayer-funded deals at the same time he was still an Obama political benefactor?
• • Was there, at the least, the appearance of a conflict of interest between Obama's legal work for low-income Rezco-connected developers and Obama's responsibilities as a state senator?
There are similar, even more urgent questions for Illinois' governor, Rod Blagojevich. And they deal with Rezko's influence on state government.
The governor, according to government documents, appears to have vastly more exposure in whatever it was that Rezko was doing. Blagojevich's unanswered questions include:
• • How many appointees to state boards and commissions were Rezko recommendations?
• • How many people did Rezko interview for those jobs?
• • Why does there appear to be a connection between big Blagojevich campaign contributors and people who either got appointments or won lucrative state pension business?
• • On how many occasions did first lady Patti Blagojevich partner or consult with Rezko on real estate or other deals?
• • What was earned from those transactions?
Rezko is a man who dresses immaculately, charms people easily and is an absolute genius at spotting and supporting raw political talent. Over the years, that has included a host of other national and state politicians besides Obama and Blagojevich.
On Tuesday in federal court in Chicago, the Syrian-born businessman, real estate developer and political power broker had to accept the government's version of sartorial splendor. He was dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, white T-shirt, blue canvas Keds and leg shackles. He had spent the night in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in a tiny cell with a metal bunk beside a steel toilet.
It was a long way from his stately Wilmette mansion.
Bad enough that he goes on trial in a few weeks on influence peddling and fraud charges involving his connections to state government.
Now it is worse.
It's never a good idea to provoke a federal judge by having a shadowy Middle Eastern billionaire quietly wire you millions while you claim to be destitute.
Rezko's bond stands revoked. His base of operations will now be the dismal concrete fortress that houses federal prisoners in Chicago. Mobsters. Dope dealers. Bank robbers. Gang-bangers. And, last but never least, political operators.
Rezko is not talking to us.
Then again, we did not elect him to serve us.
But we did elect Obama and Blagojevich. And they're not talking to us nearly or clearly enough.
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