"Key Points" That Obama "Neglected" To Mention When Asked About His Dealings w/ A Chicago SlumLord

[DaLittle Kitty]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obam... Exclusive: Obama surfaces in Rekzo's federal corruption case

Source confirmed Obama is the UN-NAMED "political candidate" referred to in document which outlines case against Rezko

January 19, 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.

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FROM THE SUN-TIMES ARCHIVE

* Barack Obama and his slumlord patron
* Why didn't City Hall stop him?
* Obama's letters for Rezko
* Rezko cash triple what Obama says
* Obama: I didn't know about Rezko problems
* Obama ducks the questions
* City should have cut off Rezko: aldermen

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.



Obama campaign aides said Friday he was unaware Rezko was behind the contributions cited in last month�s court filing or that the document referred to the senator.
�We have no way of knowing he is the politician named here,� spokesman Bill Burton said, �but we returned this money months ago for other reasons.�




Obama donated more than $44,000 in Rezko-linked contributions to charity last year, including the $10,000 donation mentioned in the court filing. Hmmmmmmmmmm?




That money was donated to Obama by Joseph Aramanda, a Glenview businessman and Rezko associate who, sources have said, is the �Individual D� prosecutors say received the $250,000 in finder�s fees demanded by Rezko. Individual D did nothing to earn those fees, according to prosecutors.

The $10,000 contribution to Obama was given in Aramanda�s name on March 5, 2004, records show. While Obama�s camp has said the senator did not know Aramanda, Obama�s office hired Aramanda�s son as an intern in 2005, at Rezko�s urging.

Repeated attempts to reach Aramanda, who was involved in pizza franchises Rezko owned, were unsuccessful. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
A longstanding relationship

*************************************************In Tonights Debate Among The Three Leading Candidates************************************************


************************************Some KEY Points That Obam "Neglected" To Mention When Questioned About His Dealings WITH A Chicago SLUMLORD!!!!!!!********************


*Rezko is one of Obama�s earliest political patrons. Long known as a prolific fund-raiser, the Syrian-born businessman helped raise money for Obama�s political campaigns beginning in 1995, when Obama was running for the Illinois Senate.




*In 13 years in politics, Obama has gotten at least $168,000 in campaign donations from Rezko, his family and business associates. The Sun-Times reported that figure last June. Obama�s �best estimate� seven months earlier had been that Rezko had raised no more than $60,000 for him.




*When Obama ran for the U.S. Senate, Rezko held a June 27, 2003, cocktail party in Rezko�s Wilmette mansion, picking up the tab for the lavish event. Obama�s campaign staff has said it has no records to show who attended that party, or how much it cost.




*Obama�s relationship with Rezko dates to 1990, when Obama, then a Harvard law student, interviewed for a job with Rezko�s development company, Rezmar Corp. Obama turned down the job, instead going to work for a small Chicago law firm � Davis Miner Barnhill

************************************************Davis Miner Barnhill Law Firm***********************

"THAT" Law Firm did work on more than a dozen low-income housing projects i.e., (SLUM RENTAL PROPERTIES),Rezmar rehabbed with government funds.



*Eleven Rezmar buildings were in the state Senate district Obama represented between 1996 and 2004. Many of the buildings ended up in foreclosure, with tenants living in squalid conditions, the Sun-Times reported last year. TENANTS LIVING IN SQUALID CONDITIONS)

In one instance, Rezko�s company left tenants without heat for five weeks.

Obama said he was unaware of problems with the buildings and minimized the legal work he'd done.???????????????

Obama�s relationship with Rezko grew closer in June 2005, when Obama and Rezko�s wife bought adjoining real estate parcels from a doctor in the South Side Kenwood neighborhood. Obama paid $1.65 million for the doctor�s mansion, while Rezko�s wife paid $625,000 for the vacant lot next door.


Obama�s purchase price was $300,000 below the asking price; Rezko�s wife paid full price.???????????????????????????? $300,000 BELOW THE ASKING PRICE AND THE REZKOS' WIFE PAID FULL PRICE....????

Six months later, Obama paid Rita Rezko $104,500 for one-sixth of the vacant lot, which he bought to expand his yard. In November 2006, he expressed regret about the transaction. ?????????????

�It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else,� Obama said, �to believe that he had done me a favor.�

SOME POINTS THAT BARACK "NEGLECTED" TO MENTION............... :shrug:

[CyberPieHole]

1. When Obama is NOT pandering to homophobic bigots he's in bed with slumlords...

how very classy of him.:eyes:

:kick: and recommend

[DaLittle Kitty]

4. Yep... "Genuine and Unfiltered" Barack Obama!

Nominate John Edwards... TRUE BLUE!!!!!!!!! :patriot:

[avaistheone1]

6. Why would a smart guy from Harvard, and civil rights attorney do business with a slum lord?

That just isn't right. Something is more than a little stinky here.

[CyberPieHole]

7. Because he and Michelle wanted to move into a giant house...GREED IS THE ANSWER...

to that question.

[GalleryGod]

14. Nice Arrival date, Rook! We've been here 7 1/2 years...I smell a Hillbot

Paid troll.

[papau]

2. You forgot Obama going along with his wife getting a 160% raise after his Senate election.

[emilyg]

3. Thank you.

[2rth2pwr]

5. kicking for comments by Obama supporters. nt

[mojowork_n]

8. Okay, even though I'm currently leaning Edwards,

I have more respect, affection and admiration for Obama than I do for HRC. Here's an article that makes the stuff in Chicago seem tame or moot, by comparison.

From the 'people who live in glass houses' file:



October 1, 2007 Excerpt:

The Clinton Campaign's Reckless Race for Big Money Donors

By AL GIORDANO

The $850,000 that conman Norman Hsu bundled for Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign are the gifts that Clinton will have to keep giving back, harming her presidential hopes not just monetarily, but also morally and politically.

Hsu's upcoming court hearings together with a newly filed civil suit in California, plus the criminal (and likely civil) complaints pending against him in New York, will soon blast in stereo from the media capitals of both coasts. The courtroom fireworks will take away a considerable amount of the message control that the Clinton campaign has, until now, been able to deploy.

It's a story with sizzle and steak. Major media organizations including The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek have put many of their top investigative reporters on the trail through which a fugitive from justice rose to become one of the Clinton campaign's top 15 fundraisers. With each new report, new lines of investigation open; the story has so many legs it's a caterpillar. Although very potentially harmful to Clinton's ambitions, the increasing scrutiny on those that provide and raise the millions required to win election to national office is long overdue and should be cleansing for democracy.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

9. If both these stories are true, then Edwards is right to stay in the race

He may become the nominee by default.

[DaLittle Kitty]

13. Precisely The Point... Just Gave Another $50 Bucks! Match Me!

:)

[ClericJohnPreston]

10. Because you NEVER have more than a one-liner.

Too bad you have to rely on links from a website for your answers. I guess you'll just have to wait until tomorrow, when a spokesperson pens your response.

Obamatons.......geesh...

[2rth2pwr]

11. I provide links to back up my assertions. I like to keep it short and to the point. nt

[ClericJohnPreston]

12. K&R

[MethuenProgressive]

15. Very well done. Kicked and recommended

:kick:

[Maribelle]

16. Republicans will have a field day with this.

They wouldn't, of course, go near the smear Obama is trying to paint on Hillary regarding Wal-mart, not with a ten-foot pole, for three valid reasons.

(1) Wal-mart back then was an inspiration to the big guys of today, such as Target, Kmart, Macy's.
(2) Hillary worked for women and higher-pay issues while she was on the board.
(3) They would look like complete idiots if they did.