UK Times: "Exclusive: Obama fundraiser is 'close friend' of corrupt Iraqi businessman"

[bidenista]

January 31, 2008
Exclusive: Obama fundraiser is 'close friend' of corrupt Iraqi businessman
James Bone in New York, Dominic Kennedy in London

An undeclared payment of $3.5 million (£1.75 million) from a corrupt Iraqi-British businessman has landed Barack Obama's former fundraiser behind bars. The payment, disclosed in court papers, is the first time Mr Obama's long-serving bagman Tony Rezko, a Syrian immigrant to the United States, has been linked as a friend to the Iraqi-born billionaire Nadhmi Auchi, one of Britain's richest men.

The relationship is a potential embarrassment for Mr Obama, who has made his opposition to the Iraq war a central plank of his campaign.

Court papers describe Mr Rezko as a “close friend” of Mr Auchi. The two are involved in a large Chicago land development together, but it is unclear how long they have known each other or whether they were linked before the 2003 Iraq war. Neither side would discuss the relationship. The Times has, however, discovered state documents in Illinois recording that the Panamanian company Fintrade Services SA lent money to Mr Obama's fundraiser in May 2005. Fintrade's directors include Ibtisam Auchi, the name of Mr Auchi's wife. Mr Auchi's spokesman declined to respond to a question about whether he was linked to this business.

More: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3284825.ece

[KennedyGuy]

1. Oops...

[emilyg]

16. HeeHee

[KittyWampus]

2. So? Since he's not implicated WHO CARES except frightened Hillary supporters who know

she's bleeding support nationally.

[sunonmars]

3. Oh that line is bad

Oh shit, i told you this was going to expand.

The Times has, however, discovered state documents in Illinois recording that the Panamanian company Fintrade Services SA lent money to Mr Obama's fundraiser in May 2005. Fintrade's directors include Ibtisam Auchi, the name of Mr Auchi's wife. Mr Auchi's spokesman declined to respond to a question about whether he was linked to this business.

[REDFISHBLUEFISH]

4. Seems to me a campaign based on being "different" is collapsing quickly.

Obama sure has some bad connections!

[Occam Bandage]

5. And yet we haven't a single link between Obama and this guy.

I know a guy who ended up being convicted as a pedophile. I gave Obama money. OMG OBAMA LINKED TO PEDOPHILE.

[golddigger]

6. Oh, shit!

I keep on saying, this is going to bite Obama on the ass. This is going to make what the M$M did to Dean and Kerry look like a family picnic.:wow: :nuke: :dilemma:

[bidenista]

9. they'll keep digging. i think this'll run and run. nt

[sunonmars]

10. it seems the more journalists have become aware, everyday its a new piece

of the jigsaw.

Want to know something else interesting, the corrupt iraqi and his background is not good, held the vice chair of the Kennedy School of Govt at Harvard from 1996 to 2000. I mean how?

I wonder who else he made friends with there, I wonder?

[bidenista]

11. well, we'll see. "follow the money". nt

[Lucinda]

7. Bookmarking. Thanks for the link!

[golddigger]

It looks like the rising star

is going to be a fallen star. And we know what a fallen star is, "A meteorite crashing to earth.":popcorn:

[sunonmars]

8. The octopus tentacles are spreading

I have a feeling his campaign is riddled with dodgy money.

[UALRBSofL]

12. The thing about it is

It looks like Obama might be the nominee but with all these things popping up, I feel sure it wont help him a lot in the GE. Anyway, I'm still hoping for Hillary in the GE. At least all her skeletons have been exposed by the repugs.

[FrenchieCat]

13. Oh boy!

ANd Cheney is a cousin 8 times removed. :crazy:

[golddigger]

14. Oh shit!

The plot thickens.:evilgrin:

[CyberPieHole]

15. I am sure that if Barack Obama gets the nomination the repubs won't bring this up...

A Syrian named Antoin Rezko, an Iraqi named Nadhmi Auchi and an American named Barack Hussein Obama all linked together. Things that make you go "Uhm".:shrug:

[sunonmars]

17. I never looked at it that way but yeah, those red states will really go for Obama