Obama friend, fundraiser on trial for corruption
CHICAGO (AFP) ?? A long-time friend and fundraiser of presidential hopeful Barack Obama went on trial Monday on charges of bribing public officials and using his political influence to demand kickbacks from businesses.
While Obama is not accused of any wrongdoing and has subsequently donated all the money raised by indicted influence-peddler Antoin "Tony" Rezko to charity, prosecutors have alleged that some of the kickbacks ended up in the Illinois senator's campaign coffers.
Obama is also under fire for entering a land deal with Rezko in 2005 when it was widely known that the real estate developer was under federal scrutiny, something Obama later called a "boneheaded" move.
The timing of the trial could not be worse for Obama, who is hoping to wrap up the Democratic nomination on Tuesday when voters go to the polls in delegate-rich Texas and Ohio.
Rival Hillary Clinton has jumped on the opportunity to criticize Obama's long involvement with Rezko and demand that he come clean about their dealings.
"If someone with a 17-year relationship with Senator Clinton was going on trial for getting kickbacks and bribing public officials, and that person had also participated in some way in a house transaction (with her) ... there would be an enormous number of questions and answers demanded upon immediately," Clinton's chief strategist Mark Penn said in a conference call with reporters.
AFP: Obama friend, fundraiser on trial for corruption
Heck of a time for something like this to be coming out.:D
Have a good one!:s4:
Obama friend, fundraiser on trial for corruption
Corruption trial threatens frontrunner
IN THE summer of 2005, a 20-year-old Chicago student named John Aramanda arrived at the Washington office of Senator Barack Obama to begin a coveted summer internship. He was one of about 100 bright young Illinois students who passed through the senator??s office that year, gaining invaluable experience in the front line of a future presidential candidate??s national operations.
This week Aramanda??s name may return to haunt Obama. The student??s father, Joseph, has emerged as a central figure in the trial beginning on Tuesday of Antoin ??Tony? Rezko, a prominent Chicago political broker accused of a long list of fraud and corruption offences.
As a former friend and neighbour of Rezko, Obama was also a political beneficiary of the Syrian-born millionaire??s extensive fundraising operations. Central to the prosecution??s case against Rezko is a $375,000 (£187,500) payoff - called a ??finder??s fee? - that is alleged to have been skimmed illegally from investment fees paid by the Illinois state teachers?? pension fund.
At least $10,000 of that money turned up in Obama??s campaign account through a donation by Joseph Aramanda, who according to prosecutors received $250,000 from the pension fund payoff and directed it to others at Rezko??s behest.
Obama fell in with Rezko, who owned a string of restaurant and property businesses. Rezko organised fundraisers for the state??s newest African-American star; and when Obama made national headlines after his spellbinding performance at the 2004 Democratic convention, Rezko helped him to acquire a piece of land next to a $1.65m mansion the Obamas were buying in a historic neighbourhood close to the University of Chicago.
That property deal, completed in June 2005, has caused Obama no end of grief, not least because on the day that the house was sold at a discount of $300,000, Rezko??s wife Rita bought from the same vendor the vacant plot next door at the full asking price of $625,000. Part of the plot was then sold to Obama.
No evidence has surfaced that the deal was in any way improper, and last week the vendors emerged at the behest of the Obama campaign to confirm that the senator??s bid was the highest they received.
Yet the deal has tied Obama irrevocably to Rezko. The senator has since admitted that his dealings with Rezko were ??bone-headed?. His campaign has donated to charity more than $85,000 of donations linked to Rezko.
Corruption trial threatens frontrunner - Times Online
LOL....So the phone rings at 3:00AM; do ya want some bone-head to answer it?:D
Have a good one!:s4:
