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Obama is named as a witness in the Rezko trial. This is the bombshell
Hillary has been waiting for. If Rezko sings like a bird to save
himself we will likely find that Obama was bought with bribes while
serving the State of Illinois.
In addition to a land deal, Sen. Barack Obama's ties to indicted
dealmaker Antoin "Tony" Rezko include an internship the senator
provided the son of a contributor at the request of Rezko, an Obama
spokesman confirmed today.
John Aramanda served as an intern for Obama for about a month in 2005,
said Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs. His father is Joseph Aramanda, a
Rezko business associate who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator
in a federal corruption case against Rezko. Aramanda has contributed
$11,500 to Obama since 2000, Gibbs said.
"Mr. Rezko did provide a recommendation for John Aramanda," Gibbs
said. "I think that it's fairly obvious that a few-week internship is
not of anything of benefit to Mr. Rezko or any of his businesses."
The revelation of the internship comes after Obama acknowledged a
mistake in buying property from Rezko in January 2006 -- a deal that
enlarged the senator's yard in the Kenwood neighborhood on the South
Side. The transaction occurred at a time when it was widely known
Rezko was under investigation by the U.S. attorney's office.
"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,
to believe that he had done me a favor," Obama -- a likely presidential
candidate -- told the Sun-Times in November.
Rezko was indicted in October for allegedly trying to collect nearly
$6 million in kickbacks from government deals and trying to shake down
a Hollywood producer for $1.5 million in campaign contributions to
Gov. Blagojevich.
Obama and Rezko have been friends since 1990, and the Wilmette
businessman has raised as much as $60,000 in campaign contributions
for him.
After Rezko's indictment, Obama donated $11,500 to charity -- the
amount Rezko contributed to the senator's federal campaign fund.
Gibbs said he did not know whether Obama was considering returning any
contributions from Aramanda given his alleged role in the federal
corruption cases against Rezko and former Teachers Retirement System
board member Stuart Levine.
Aramanda is identified as "Individual D" in Rezko's indictment. And
when Levine pleaded guilty in October, Aramanda again was listed as
"Individual D."
Aramanda was identified by the Sun-Times as "Individual D," who
allegedly received a $250,000 kickback tied to a scheme to steer
lucrative state pension deals to firms and consultants that donated to
Blagojevich. Aramanda is not specifically named or charged with
criminal wrongdoing in the court papers. He could not be reached for
comment Saturday.
Aramanda has contributed $11,500 to Obama's campaigns since 2000,
Gibbs said. He gave $1,000 toward Obama's run for Congress against
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Chicago) in 2000; $500 to Obama's Senate campaign
in 2003 and $10,000 to his Senate campaign in 2004, Gibbs said.
Gibbs said John Aramanda served in Obama's Capitol Hill office from
July 20 to Aug. 26, 2005, during which he received an $804 cost-of-
living stipend. Aramanda was one of nearly 100 interns who worked for
Obama in 2005, Gibbs said.
from:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/184540,122306obama.article
The corruption trial for a former fundraiser with ties to Barack Obama
has begun in Chicago. Businessman Tony Rezko is accused of trying to
extort millions of dollars in payoffs and campaign cash from companies
seeking to do business with the state of Illinois.
Obama's name appears on Rezko witness list
Two Fox Valley politicians are on a list of possible witnesses in the
trial of Tony Rezko, an indicted businessman and political
fundraiser.
Illinois Minority House leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, and Republican
DuPage County state's attorney Joe Birkett were named on the list
alongside high-profile politicians such as Gov. Rod Blagojevich,
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, Illinois Attorney
General Lisa Madigan and former GOP Gov. Jim Edgar.
Jurors could be hearing as many as 237 names, according to a 33-page
questionnaire made public this week that's to be filled out by jurors
prior to jury selection. To weed out potential jurors who might know
someone connected to the case, the questionnaire included the
anticipated list "of possible witnesses or persons whose names might
be mentioned."
from:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/841663,AU13_POLS_WEB.article
Hillary has been waiting for. If Rezko sings like a bird to save
himself we will likely find that Obama was bought with bribes while
serving the State of Illinois.
In addition to a land deal, Sen. Barack Obama's ties to indicted
dealmaker Antoin "Tony" Rezko include an internship the senator
provided the son of a contributor at the request of Rezko, an Obama
spokesman confirmed today.
John Aramanda served as an intern for Obama for about a month in 2005,
said Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs. His father is Joseph Aramanda, a
Rezko business associate who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator
in a federal corruption case against Rezko. Aramanda has contributed
$11,500 to Obama since 2000, Gibbs said.
"Mr. Rezko did provide a recommendation for John Aramanda," Gibbs
said. "I think that it's fairly obvious that a few-week internship is
not of anything of benefit to Mr. Rezko or any of his businesses."
The revelation of the internship comes after Obama acknowledged a
mistake in buying property from Rezko in January 2006 -- a deal that
enlarged the senator's yard in the Kenwood neighborhood on the South
Side. The transaction occurred at a time when it was widely known
Rezko was under investigation by the U.S. attorney's office.
"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,
to believe that he had done me a favor," Obama -- a likely presidential
candidate -- told the Sun-Times in November.
Rezko was indicted in October for allegedly trying to collect nearly
$6 million in kickbacks from government deals and trying to shake down
a Hollywood producer for $1.5 million in campaign contributions to
Gov. Blagojevich.
Obama and Rezko have been friends since 1990, and the Wilmette
businessman has raised as much as $60,000 in campaign contributions
for him.
After Rezko's indictment, Obama donated $11,500 to charity -- the
amount Rezko contributed to the senator's federal campaign fund.
Gibbs said he did not know whether Obama was considering returning any
contributions from Aramanda given his alleged role in the federal
corruption cases against Rezko and former Teachers Retirement System
board member Stuart Levine.
Aramanda is identified as "Individual D" in Rezko's indictment. And
when Levine pleaded guilty in October, Aramanda again was listed as
"Individual D."
Aramanda was identified by the Sun-Times as "Individual D," who
allegedly received a $250,000 kickback tied to a scheme to steer
lucrative state pension deals to firms and consultants that donated to
Blagojevich. Aramanda is not specifically named or charged with
criminal wrongdoing in the court papers. He could not be reached for
comment Saturday.
Aramanda has contributed $11,500 to Obama's campaigns since 2000,
Gibbs said. He gave $1,000 toward Obama's run for Congress against
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Chicago) in 2000; $500 to Obama's Senate campaign
in 2003 and $10,000 to his Senate campaign in 2004, Gibbs said.
Gibbs said John Aramanda served in Obama's Capitol Hill office from
July 20 to Aug. 26, 2005, during which he received an $804 cost-of-
living stipend. Aramanda was one of nearly 100 interns who worked for
Obama in 2005, Gibbs said.
from:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/184540,122306obama.article
The corruption trial for a former fundraiser with ties to Barack Obama
has begun in Chicago. Businessman Tony Rezko is accused of trying to
extort millions of dollars in payoffs and campaign cash from companies
seeking to do business with the state of Illinois.
Obama's name appears on Rezko witness list
Two Fox Valley politicians are on a list of possible witnesses in the
trial of Tony Rezko, an indicted businessman and political
fundraiser.
Illinois Minority House leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, and Republican
DuPage County state's attorney Joe Birkett were named on the list
alongside high-profile politicians such as Gov. Rod Blagojevich,
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, Illinois Attorney
General Lisa Madigan and former GOP Gov. Jim Edgar.
Jurors could be hearing as many as 237 names, according to a 33-page
questionnaire made public this week that's to be filled out by jurors
prior to jury selection. To weed out potential jurors who might know
someone connected to the case, the questionnaire included the
anticipated list "of possible witnesses or persons whose names might
be mentioned."
from:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/841663,AU13_POLS_WEB.article
