The Feds Are Going to Have To Slap Rezko, To Shut Him Up: *Rezko Trial Watch: Rezko CAN Sing!!!* <http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2008/09/28/rezkotrialwatch-rezko-can-sing-2/>
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2008/09/28/rezkotrialwatch-re... Looks like convicted political fixer, and Obama's personal real estate fairy, Antoin "Tony" Rezko is well-tuned and singing<http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rezko-flip28sep28,0,5691387.story>with the choir. <http://therealbarackobama.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/blagojevich-rezko-blago-split-screen-1.jpg> *Recap*: A few days ago news arrived that the Feds might indict Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (right),1 followed by word from the Chicago Sun-Times' Michael Sneed2 that Rezko (left) was reportedly singing like a canary to the Feds: • •*To wit*: "I'm told by a close friend of Rezko that he's cooperating with the feds," said a Sneed source. "I don't know whether he's talking about Gov. Blagojevich or Barack Obama or anyone else," the source said. • •*The shocker*: Rezko, a Wilmette businessman who was a top adviser and fund-raiser for Blago, has been locked up at the Metropolitan Correctional Center awaiting an Oct. 28 sentencing — one week before the presidential election. • •*Background*: Convicted in June of wide-ranging fraud tied to kickbacks on state deals, Rezko's involvement in real estate deals with Gov. Blago's wife, Patti, are also under federal scrutiny. • •*The backshot*: Rezko's name has continually surfaced as a friend of Obama, who benefitted from a real estate deal involving Rezko — which involved Obama's Kenwood home. Thus far, no serious paint has been splashed on Obama by the Rezko brush. But rumors abound that the feds have their eyes fixed on Blago and his wife, who firmly maintain their innocence. • •*The buckshot*: Being locked up at the MCC has been known to be a sure way to break a felon's silence. Tweet. Tweet. Chicago Tribune reporters David Kidwell, John Chase and Jeff Coen wrote<http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rezko-flip28sep28,0,5691387.story>September 27, 2008, that, according to "sources", Rezko "has met with federal prosecutors and is considering cooperating in the corruption probe of the governor's administration." (This was confirmed<http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/rezko/1189480,rezko092808.article>by the Chicago Sun-Times' Natasha Korecki.) Rezko's possible change of heart—after years of steadfast refusal—has sent ripples through a tight circle of prominent defense attorneys who represent dozens of potential witnesses and targets in the wide-ranging probe. His cooperation would give prosecutors investigating the governor and his wife access to someone they have described as an ultimate political insider at the center of a pervasive pay-to-play scheme. <http://therealbarackobama.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/b-rezkobama-new4.jpg>Rezko's trial this year laid bare a culture of scams, bribes and backroom deals stretching from City Hall to the Statehouse. It even became fodder in the presidential campaign of Democratic nominee Barack Obama, whose fundraising and personal ties to Rezko go back more than a decade. The Chicago Tribune reporters write that, although Rezko has not made a deal since his June 2008 conviction on corruption charges, "sources familiar with the situation" report Rezko "has had preliminary talks with prosecutors" ahead of his October 28 sentencing date: Still, there are indications Rezko has already provided investigators with information. Four attorneys have told the Tribune in recent days that federal prosecutors have telephoned them and other attorneys either with news Rezko is talking, or armed with details only Rezko could know. The lawyers speculated prosecutors are using the preliminary talks with Rezko to shake loose more cooperation from other witnesses. [...] The U.S. attorney's office in Chicago declined to comment, as did Rezko's attorney William Ziegelmueller. Rezko's potential worth to federal authorities extends to every aspect of their investigation, including probes of state hiring and real estate deals involving the governor's wife. Prosecutors have portrayed Rezko, a former restaurant magnate and real estate developer, as intricately involved in some of the most guarded decisions since the earliest days of the administration. During his trial, prosecutors described Rezko as having a direct line to the governor and his top aides on issues including policy and the appointments of key department heads and members of state regulatory boards. And, they charged, Rezko traded those positions and favors for some of the millions in campaign contributions he raised for the governor, and for the allegiance of those he lifted to influential posts. Korecki adds "one source who spoke on the condition of anonymity, warned it's too early to call the discussions full-fledged cooperation." Already, however, Rezko has provided information to the feds, who are in the process of vetting it, sources said. [...] The implications of Rezko's cooperation are innumerable. His reach as a businessman, political adviser, real estate mogul and political fundraiser has the potential to take federal authorities from Springfield to Iraq. Rezko not only was privy to inside meetings with the governor, but engaged in numerous real estate dealings with his wife, Patti. The governor's office has denied that the first lady's business dealings with Rezko had anything to do with his influence in her husband's administration. Federal authorities have long sought Rezko's cooperation in their ongoing probe into the governor. A few months before his conviction, Rezko wrote a letter saying prosecutors were pressuring him to give them information on Blagojevich and White House hopeful Barack Obama. At that time, Duffy told the Sun-Times that Rezko had never met with, or spoken to prosecutors. One source with knowledge of the investigation into the governor and into his wife Patti Blagojevich's real estate dealings say the probe is going "at top speed." <http://therealbarackobama.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/mo-cbc-michelle-2005.jpg> *Why Michelle Obama should worry*: Abraham H. Miller3 wrote<http://www.suntimes.com/news/blogentries/index.html?bbPostId=B8UStjLAxnCZCz1kqwcBg1kcOB4eS6tf6YnANB5tBY2ib8ODJ&bbParentWidgetId=B8k88rWwXopuz5STgLeVwBLu>July 5, 2008, in a Chicago Sun-Times' blog entry: Michelle Obama spent just three years at the Chicago Law Firm of Sidley Austin, far less than a typical associate on the career path to be partner. In a move incongruous with the alleged iconic credentials that are a mainstay of the Michelle hagiography, she took a job with the Democratic machine. Probably some people think you leave a high- powered, prestigious law firm like Sidley Austin to take a job with the Chicago machine to save the world. But no one who knows how Chicago works is going to buy that! Michelle was subsequently hired by the University of Chicago, ultimately ending up as the University of Chicago Hospital's Vice President for External Affairs. Barack was chair of the Illinois Senate's powerful Health and Human Services Committee, the position tied by some to the Rezko scandal. If you don't get the picture, you are definitely not from Chicago. In 2007 the not-for-profit University of Chicago hospital turned out a profit of 143 million, and is up 118 million for 2008. The hospital is scheduled to receive a 30 million infusion from Medicaid, and will be turning some of its Medicaid patients to another hospital to free up space for its private insurance paying patients. According to the (London ) Daily Mail (online), in 2006 the hospital turned away an indigent man, who died. When Michelle exhorts young people to turn down the profit system and do something meaningful with their lives, apparently this is not the example she means to convey. Now you might ask what does a community relations director at a university do? That's really a naive question. The question is who does the community relation's director know? The answer became apparent when Barack was elected to the U.S. Senate and Michelle's salary more than doubled. Barack and Michelle were a power couple hooked into the Democratic machine. Tony Rezko cultivated them, the Chicago Way. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
