Federal Judge Says Obama's Supporter Must Remain in Jail

[Freida5]

Federal Judge Says Obama's Supporter Must Remain in Jail
CHICAGO (AP) -- High-profile political fundraiser Tony Rezko appeared in a Chicago federal court today wearing a bright orange jumpsuit of a prisoner.

During today's hearing the judge refused to release Rezko from jail, saying that he might flee to escape trial February 25th on corruption charges.

Rezko has contributed money to campaigns of Governor Rod Blagojevich and Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Neither is accused of wrongdoing.

Rezko's attorneys pleaded for his release, saying there's no evidence he's a flight risk.

Judge Amy J. St. Eve ordered Rezko jailed yesterday and revoked his $2 million bond after prosecutors found he received $3.5 million from an Iraqi billionaire while claiming to be broke and living off handouts from friends and relatives.

[usregimechange]

1. He also helped Bush Sr, does that make him a "Bush supporter"?

[Colobo]

2. Obama supporter?

[baldguy]

3. Yes.

[BeatleBoot]

9. No.

One of Obama's TOP FUNDRAISERS

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3177684.ece

<snip>
The unorthodox pastor of Trinity church is the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who is refusing all interviews. He married Barack and Michelle Obama and baptised their two daughters. He is already attracting attention on right-wing websites for describing the September 11 attacks as a “wake-up call” to America for ignoring the concerns of “people of colour”, and for claiming that Americans “believe in white supremacy and black inferiority . . . more than we believe in God”.

Wright travelled to meet Muammar Gadaffi, the Libyan leader, in the 1980s with Louis Farrakhan, the black supremacist leader of the Nation of Islam, and subscribes to the “Black Values System”, which preaches self-reliance but claims “middle-classness” is ensnaring blacks.

“When enemies find out that in 1984 I went to Tripoli to visit Colonel Gadaffi with Farrakhan, a lot of his Jewish support will dry up quicker than a snowball in hell,” Wright once said.

The other potential threat to Obama comes from the indictment of one of his leading donors, Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a Syrian-born property developer in Chicago, who is accused of extortion.

Rezko has been indicted by Patrick Fitzgerald - the prosecutor who brought down the White House official Lewis “Scooter” Libby and the press magnate Conrad Black - for seeking millions of dollars in kickbacks from companies bidding for state business in Illinois. He is due to appear in court on February 24.

On the day the Obamas bought a new home in Chicago for $1.6m in 2005, Rezko’s wife purchased an adjoining piece of land, giving the senator’s family more privacy and a larger expanse of green than they had paid for. Obama later paid $104,000 for a strip of the land, even though it was known that Rezko was under investigation.

Obama has admitted that the deal was “bone-headed” and has given $37,000 of political donations by Rezko to charity.
<more at link above>

[Trajan]

4. It is unfair to associate Obama to this person's criminality ....

Yeah ... He knew him and accepted contributions from him ... Really : Only those who seek to promote someone else really 'cares' about this ....

I support ALL the Democratic candidates .... This is a NON-issue for me ....

[napi21]

7. This is a standard reaction. Remember how upset everyone was

when Hillary had to return $$ to some of her fund raisers? It's never fun when it happens to YOUR CANDIDATE, but it's pretty nomal stuff.

[cali]

5. Is Hillary's supporter, Hsu still in jail? n/t

[earthside]

10. How about Marc Rich?

Oh yeah, he'd still be in jail if Bill Clinton hadn't pardoned him on his last day in office.

The Billary folks should be more careful about the things they bring up to impugn other candidates.

[Nailzberg]

6. You need a link when posting a news story.

It's copyrighted material.

[BeatleBoot]

8. More here...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3177684.ece

<snip>

The unorthodox pastor of Trinity church is the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who is refusing all interviews. He married Barack and Michelle Obama and baptised their two daughters. He is already attracting attention on right-wing websites for describing the September 11 attacks as a “wake-up call” to America for ignoring the concerns of “people of colour”, and for claiming that Americans “believe in white supremacy and black inferiority . . . more than we believe in God”.

Wright travelled to meet Muammar Gadaffi, the Libyan leader, in the 1980s with Louis Farrakhan, the black supremacist leader of the Nation of Islam, and subscribes to the “Black Values System”, which preaches self-reliance but claims “middle-classness” is ensnaring blacks.

“When enemies find out that in 1984 I went to Tripoli to visit Colonel Gadaffi with Farrakhan, a lot of his Jewish support will dry up quicker than a snowball in hell,” Wright once said.

The other potential threat to Obama comes from the indictment of one of his leading donors, Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a Syrian-born property developer in Chicago, who is accused of extortion.

Rezko has been indicted by Patrick Fitzgerald - the prosecutor who brought down the White House official Lewis “Scooter” Libby and the press magnate Conrad Black - for seeking millions of dollars in kickbacks from companies bidding for state business in Illinois. He is due to appear in court on February 24.

On the day the Obamas bought a new home in Chicago for $1.6m in 2005, Rezko’s wife purchased an adjoining piece of land, giving the senator’s family more privacy and a larger expanse of green than they had paid for. Obama later paid $104,000 for a strip of the land, even though it was known that Rezko was under investigation.

Obama has admitted that the deal was “bone-headed” and has given $37,000 of political donations by Rezko to charity.

<more at link above>

[Bluebear]

11. Dang, misread it, i thought it said "Obama's Supporters Must Remain in Jail"

Kidding, kidding.