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Politics : Liberalism: Do You Agree We've Had Enough of It? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (22278)	3/7/2008 11:21:45 AM
From: Hope Praytochange	Respond to of 224704

swinging for personal profits like kennyboy, bottom feeding creature

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (22278)	3/7/2008 11:22:15 AM
From: Hope Praytochange	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 224704

The Obama campaign has returned about $150,000 in contributions made by Rezko, his relatives and his employees, as well as by guests at a fundraiser in his Wilmette, Ill., home. Obama has said that he made a "boneheaded" mistake when he bought a piece of property from Rezko's wife, Rita, in 2005. He said Rezko, who befriended rising political stars, never sought favors and the senator never offered any. Thursday's opening statements provided a window into the complex charges against Rezko, whose bond was revoked in January when U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve feared that he might flee the country. The case hinges on a wiretap on Levine's telephone and testimony from insiders who are expected to say that Rezko and Levine rigged the permit process for a hospital, and showed that they could steer business to investment firms. Levine sat on two state boards, including one that oversaw more than $20 billion in teacher retirement funds. In one case, the prosecution said, the pair found an agent willing to share his finder's fee in return for the steering of a $50 million pension fund investment to a private bidder. Rezko and Levine hid their participation, the prosecution said, by directing that a $250,000 payment meant for them go to a Rezko associate who had played no role in the deal. In an episode that Hamilton called "a full-on shakedown," an executive at a company seeking to invest $220 million on behalf of the teacher retirement fund was allegedly told that he faced a choice: His firm could pay $2 million as a fake finder's fee or it could raise $1.5 million in Blagojevich contributions. The executive threatened to expose the scheme, forcing Rezko and Levine to back down, Hamilton said. Later, Hamilton said, Rezko and Levine met at a private club near the Chicago federal courthouse and schemed to share $7 million in payoffs. The FBI cornered Levine in May 2004, before the deals were consummated. Duffy countered by portraying Rezko as the ambitious owner of two large restaurant chains and an aspiring real estate developer consumed with raising capital for a 62-acre real estate parcel near downtown Chicago. He said "first and foremost on Tony's mind was business, not politics."