Tony Rezko arrested, sources say

[maddezmom]

Source: Chicago Tribune

By Jeff Coen and John Chase | Tribune reporters
Antoin "Tony" Rezko was arrested early Monday at his Wilmette home by federal agents, the Tribune has learned.

Rezko, who is scheduled to stand trial on corruption charges in less than a month at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, was taken into custody due to an alleged bond violation, a source confirmed. Investigators had in recent weeks become concerned about the movement of some of his finances, a source said.

Further details were not immediately available.



Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rezko-arrested_webjan29,1,6986321.story?track=rss

---

~snip~

The paper says Rezko  who is scheduled to stand trial on corruption charges in less than a month -- was taken into custody following an alleged bond violation.

Rezko was released after a group of his friends had put up nine properties worth $1.5 million for his bond.

more:http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=5918810

[sunonmars]

1. Trying to hide the money

Guess the feds will be looking into all that very closely now, watch Barack sweat a bit more.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[madrchsod]

2. obama is next !

i just thought i`d be the first to say this

[xultar]

3. WRONG. You're making yourself look like an ass.

[KoKo]

57. We don't know...we will have to wait and see....but the Repugs will lurk...

and when he becomes President...well "KEN STARR to the RESCUE!"

[Doctor_J]

4. Let's be careful here folks

Have you all forgotten the US attorney scandal already? Expect a LOT of associates of all prominent Dems to be arrested/indicted/investigated publicly between now and November.

[MH1]

6. Smartest comment I've seen on this yet

from someone not supporting Obama.

Thank you for your sanity and perceptiveness.

Edit on reconsideration - smartest, without qualification.

[maddezmom]

7. agree and I wonder if this may be tied to Blagojevich

:shrug:

[Kittycat]

8. At minimum it's someone in his staff that is linked.

Sadly, the pukes in this state would love nothing more than a Blago scandal. I hope he can stay clean until the next election, so that we can hold the Dem spot, and not see it turned over to some nutbag like Topinka (who coincidently I've met, but only to be used for her own political photo op - unbeknown to us until it was happening).

[Gidney N Cloyd]

14. The best thing for Illinois Dems would be for Blago to go NOW.

He'd have to BE clean to STAY clean. He's a crook, a joke of a governor and is doing more damage to the Illinois Democratic party by remaining in office than he could ever do by being led off in handcuffs.
Bring Pat Quinn (Lt Gov, FYI to those outside Il.) in ASAP to save the party before Blago can take it down low enough to give repubs a chance to take back Springfield.

[Kittycat]

16. But are we sure he's clean?

Last thing we need is one bad apple for another.

ETA: and despite his wrongs, Blago has done a tremendous amount of good for this state as well. Good that the pukes would love to overturn in a heartbeat. Kidcare being one of them, and his work on the preschool program (which impacts my son, under the special needs umbrella).

[Gidney N Cloyd]

17. Pat Quinn is almost annoyingly clean.

[Robbien]

12. Obama is just an aside in any of this. Blago is the main player

I'd make book on it if I was a betting person.

[aquart]

10. So the house deal is just our evil imagination?

Good to know.

Obama would never lie about a thing like that.

[fjc]

34. Could you be a bit more clear?

Explain how the US attorney scandal will lead to the arrest of prominent Dems.

[Doctor_J]

41. Have you been asleep for a year?

The USA that were fired had their tickets punched because they wouldn't engage in political prosecutions of Dems. In particular, Rove pressed for the attorneys to prosecute Dems running for office in 2006, and their backers. Any prosecution of a Dem by a federal office right now should be viewed with an enormous amount of skepticism.

[fjc]

54. I know all that.

But your notion, and let me quote to get right, to "Expect a LOT of associates of all prominent Dems to be arrested/indicted/investigated publicly between now and November.", is absurd. Are you saying your belief in this conspiratorial idea is the same as being awake? Not even.

[Benhurst]

5. What? I thought he was an honest man, dedicated to

Truth, Justice and The American Way.

Whoever would have suspected anything to the contrary?

[sunonmars]

9. bet that makes the news tonight, what you reckon

[shaniqua6392]

11. If this does not make the news tonight

then the media really is giving Obama a free pass. We deserve the truth before it is too late.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

15. "if the mediawhores were doing their jobs obama would be in a world of hurt right now.....

....This rezko deal makes whitewater look like a stolen box of girl scout cookies."

i agree

[Abacus]

35. 17:1

1) It has been stated repeatedly that Obama has not been found to be involved with any wrong doing.
2) It is laughable and hypocritical of Hillary supporters to be jumping on this in absence of evidence.

http://prorev.com/2008/01/so-you-want-to-talk-about-obamas-pals.html

[Doctor_J]

18. Every speck of dirt on every Dem will be examined, magnified, and lied about

from now until he/she leaves office in 9 years.

[papau]

26. Nope - on MSNBC Joe they passed over it noting that there is a picture of the Clinton's with Rezko-

not mentioning Obama's name.

The MSM wants Obama - indeed it feels like the Nixon election in 68 and 72 and Bush 2000 and 2004 elections.

[maddezmom]

13. updated article: appeared before US Dist Judge and will have another hearing at 12:30pm

Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a key fundraiser for Gov. Blagojevich and other Illinois politicians, was arrested early today by federal agents after prosecutors alleged he had violated terms of the bond in his fraud case.

“Tony Rezko was arrested without incident at his home in Wilmette,” FBI spokesman Tom Simon said. “It was pursuant to a warrant issued following a government motion to revoke his bond.”

Rezko appeared briefly this morning before U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve, who is to preside over his fraud trial next month. Another hearing will be held at 12:30 p.m. today; Rezko remains in federal custody.


more:http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/762838,rezko012808.article

[Doctor_J]

19. Amy St. Eve - a * appointee

IOW, uber-partisan political crony of the far right neocons. This prosecution will be a sham.

[balantz]

21. The fix is in.

I thought it was a little early yet for the right to dismantle Obama. I rather think they might want him elected, they can get more done behind the curtain while throwing wrenches into any reform agenda.

[dchill]

51. Maybe they want him to get the nomination...

before they "dismantle" him.

[balantz]

55. Yes, after he is nominated, if that is to be the case.

Or, after he is elected president if that is to be the case, they can really tear him up and keep things from getting done.

[maddezmom]

24. Rezko was also a donor to *

he played all the sides with his donations.

[Doctor_J]

25. We'll see how much play that gets in the MSM

I'll listen for the crickets

[papau]

27. MSNBC Joe refered to Clinton picture with Rezko as they reported - but nothing about Obama

[Marie26]

28. Why is the media

giving Obama such a pass on this? It's puzzling to me.

[1776Forever]

20. Does anyone else think this is a little fishy coming on the same day Kennedy endorses Obama?

This may be a Bushie/Clinton connection. The elder and younger Bush's would probably be happier with Clinton's in power. Just a thought.....:tinfoilhat:

[papau]

29. Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (and Janet Reno) today endorsed Hillary - also brother

Bobby and sister Kerry are backing Clinton - but she is the oldest child of Robert F. Kennedy.

[KoKo]

52. Wonder why the "split" between the Bobby Wing and the JFK Wing...

interesting but puzzling.

[PassingFair]

46. Like the dust-up over Sebelius's son's "game" scandal....

right after her public endorsement.......?

Someone's digging overtime.

[KoKo]

56. What IS THAT...Dead things? Ugh!

[Marie26]

23. The plot thickens

"movement of some of his finances" Trying to cover up the evidence.

[rayofreason]

30. Conspiracy theorists...

...will

1. Question the "timing"
2. Suggest the Clintons were behind this
3. Suggest Karl Rove was behind this

Sounds to me like the Rezko thing is its own thing and no conspiracy is needed. It is not good news for Obama. But it is not a show-stopper either.

[maddezmom]

44. here is one, but it's a spoof

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martin-lewis/despicable-clintons-fix-r_b_83667.html

[rayofreason]

45. LOL!!!! eom

[indimuse]

31. Rezko has significant ties to the Mid East wife and daughter met him in Damascus

Rezko has significant ties to the Middle East, and his wife and daughter met him in Damascus recently. He has transferred money around the world, Niewoehner said, including $400,000 to Beirut in 2004.

This is Chicago after all. Michelle Obama works for the Landmarks Commission, Obama’s boss is on the Planning Commission, Obama does legal work for Rezko real estate, Michelle works for a hospital, the Obama house was sold by a doctor, there are doctors investing in real estate with Rezko including in the Pizza parlors now in such deep legal troubles. We are sure this is all coincidence. We won’t even mention Todd Stroger and the corruption swirling around him and his dad and how Obama endorsed Todd and why Todd’s father had to leave public life. That’s for another day.

We do recall, as we have written before, http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=97 that while Obama was writing letters to benefit by millions of dollars his indicted slumlord friend Antoin “Tony” Rezko, Obama’s African-American constituents were freezing in their tenements. Obama was busy writing letters.

”Obama, who has worked as a lawyer and a legislator to improve living conditions for the poor, took campaign donations from Rezko even as Rezko’s low-income housing empire was collapsing, leaving many African-American families in buildings riddled with problems — including squalid living conditions, vacant apartments, lack of heat, squatters and drug dealers. The building in Englewood was one of 30 Rezmar rehabbed in a series of troubled deals largely financed by taxpayers. Every project ran into financial difficulty. More than half went into foreclosure, a Chicago Sun-Times investigation has found. “Their buildings were falling apart,” said a former city official. “They just didn’t pay attention to the condition of these buildings.” Eleven of Rezko’s buildings were in Obama’s state Senate district.“http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/353829,CST-NWS-rez23...

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/425305,CST-NWS-ob... Read the whole story for yourself.



Rezko has significant ties to the Middle East, and his wife and daughter met him in Damascus recently. He has transferred money around the world, Niewoehner said, including $400,000 to Beirut in 2004.

[kirby]

43. "significant ties" to middle east? He is from Syria!

He came here from Syria in the 1950's. He has also contributed/bundled over a million dollars to Bush during his Prsidential run.

I read part of the indictment against Rezko, it appears that in order to purchase 30 or more Papa Johns franchises he provided false financial information to GECC in order to get loans. To me this sounds like he was playing the same 'real estate' bubble market that so many others did, inflating values w/o bank/gov't oversight.

[indimuse]

47. and...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4251063

[Massachusetts]

32. Obama = Jesus.....give me a break

Let Fitz do his job and them we'll see how squeaky clean Obama is.

Follow the money.

[TankLV]

33. And obama was HIS lawyer...

can't hide from the TRUTH forever, bamabots...

[amandabeech]

36. I just hope that all this is sorted out clearly before Obama wins the nomination.

If there is anything, the party must know about it sooner rather than later.

Chicago politics has been known as rather dirty, historically. Undoubtedly, Obama has made the acquaintance of some unsavory sorts in the usual course of running for office. At the moment, it does not look like he has done anything illegal with such folks.

Let's just hope that there's nothing here that will stick when the Pubbies start throwing it in the autumn, should Obama become the nominee.

[amandabeech]

37. Do you Chicagoans and Illini think that this may reach Mayor Daley?

Or are Rezko and Blage in a different faction?

IIRC, Mayor Daley had a position in the Clinton administration. Could he be feeding all the dirty to them now?

[maddezmom]

38. UPDATE on the movement of money

Rezko had told the court he had no money to post bond, and family and friends had to post property to secure his release — property worth about $1.5 million in all.

But Rezko allegedly secretly sent cash to two of those property owners, eliminating their risk if he fled.

Rezko allegedly compensated one property owner for the value of the property and was paying the mortgage on another piece of property, according to information that prosecutors presented the judge.

Rezko also was the beneficiary of a $3.5 million wire transfer from Lebanon, U.S. District Court Judge Amy St. Eve noted in a hearing early Monday morning.

more:http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/762838,rezko012808.article

[maddezmom]

39. pdf link of the motion for the arrest warrant

http://www.suntimes.com/images/cds/pdf/rezko012808.pdf

[amandabeech]

40. Well, if this is true, this guy certainly is a Class A Sleazoid.

I'm NOT a Clinton supporter, but I have to wonder how much "talk" there was around Chicago and Illinois political circles about this guy before Fitz got involved. Fitz had to get a whiff from somewhere.

At the least, as pointed out by earlier posters, the whole mess could do damage to the Dems in Illinois.

[maddezmom]

42. UPDATE: A federal judge Monday revoked the bond of Antoin "Tony" Rezko, keeping him in custody indef

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rezko-arrested_webjan29,0,2320595.story

[WistfulAssassin]

48. Obama has not returned all the money Rezko gave him

according to the Hillary Hub website.

[maddezmom]

49. I've seen it other places as well, but I think there is a difference between

directly from Rezko or one of his friends.

[kelligesq]

58. Stephanopoulis brought this up to Obama on his Sunday show.

[Demblue4life]

50. kick n/t

[KoKo]

53. kick.

[TankLV]

59. oh oh - look out Obama! Rezko's layer may be in trouble!

"saint" obama not so squeeky clean, is he!!!

HA!