Is This The OBAMA Story the LATIMES and NYTImes Has Been Witholding From The American People?

[DaLittle Kitty]

Is this the Blockbuster Story the LA TIMES and NY TIMES has been witholding from the American people? :think:

Patrick Fitzgerald Ties Obama to Rezko Indictments

Sun-Times Exclusive: Obama linked as unnamed 'political candidate' :: CHICAGO SUN-T.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/749138,obama20web.articleSun-Times Exclusive: Obama surfaces in Rekzo's federal corruption case
Source confirmed Obama is the UN-NAMED "political candidate" referred to in document which outlines case against Rezko

January 19, 2008
BY DAVE MCKINNEY, NATASHA KORECKI, CHRIS FUSCO AND TIM NOVAK Staff Reporters

For the first time, Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama has surfaced in the federal corrupton case against his longtime campaign fund-raiser, Tony Rezko, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

The Illinois senator isn’t accused of any wrongdoing. And there’s no evidence Obama knew contributions to his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign came from schemes Rezko is accused of orchestrating.
» Click to enlarge image
Presidential hopeful Barack Obama and Tony Rezko (inset).
(AP, file photo)

RELATED STORIES
Q&A: With Obama Presidential Campaign Special Section: Barack Obama
FROM THE SUN-TIMES ARCHIVE

* Barack Obama and his slumlord patron
* Why didn't City Hall stop him?
* Obama's letters for Rezko
* Rezko cash triple what Obama says
* Obama: I didn't know about Rezko problems
* Obama ducks the questions
* City should have cut off Rezko: aldermen

The allegations against Rezko that involve Obama are contained in one paragraph of a 78-page document filed last month in which prosecutors outline their corruption and fraud case against Rezko, who was also a key money man for Gov. Blagojevich and other politicians.

Rezko is set to go to trial Feb. 25. The revelation that Obama’s name could come up in court is a political headache he doesn’t need as he heads into a round of primaries that are likely to determine his party’s nomination for president.

Obama is not named in the Dec. 21 court document. But a source familiar with the case confirmed that Obama is the unnamed “political candidate” referred to in a section of the document that accuses Rezko of orchestrating a scheme in which a firm hired to handle state teacher pension investments first had to pay $250,000 in “sham” finder’s fees. From that money, $10,000 was donated to Obama’s successful run for the Senate in the name of a Rezko business associate, according to the court filing and the source.

Rezko, who was part of Obama’s senatorial finance committee, also is accused of directing “at least one other individual” to donate money to Obama and then reimbursing that individual — in possible violation of federal election law.

A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald declined to comment.

Obama — a state senator when he got the contributions in 2004 — has moved to distance himself from Rezko since his longtime friend and supporter was indicted in October 2006. After news reports that Obama had engaged in a real estate transaction with Rezko’s wife at a time Tony Rezko was known to be under investigation, the senator called the episode “boneheaded” and “a mistake.”
‘No way of knowing’

Obama campaign aides said Friday he was unaware Rezko was behind the contributions cited in last month’s court filing or that the document referred to the senator.
“We have no way of knowing he is the politician named here,” spokesman Bill Burton said, “but we returned this money months ago for other reasons.”

Obama donated more than $44,000 in Rezko-linked contributions to charity last year, including the $10,000 donation mentioned in the court filing.

That money was donated to Obama by Joseph Aramanda, a Glenview businessman and Rezko associate who, sources have said, is the “Individual D” prosecutors say received the $250,000 in finder’s fees demanded by Rezko. Individual D did nothing to earn those fees, according to prosecutors.

The $10,000 contribution to Obama was given in Aramanda’s name on March 5, 2004, records show. While Obama’s camp has said the senator did not know Aramanda, Obama’s office hired Aramanda’s son as an intern in 2005, at Rezko’s urging.

Repeated attempts to reach Aramanda, who was involved in pizza franchises Rezko owned, were unsuccessful. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
A longstanding relationship

Rezko is one of Obama’s earliest political patrons. Long known as a prolific fund-raiser, the Syrian-born businessman helped raise money for Obama’s political campaigns beginning in 1995, when Obama was running for the Illinois Senate.

In 13 years in politics, Obama has gotten at least $168,000 in campaign donations from Rezko, his family and business associates. The Sun-Times reported that figure last June. Obama’s “best estimate” seven months earlier had been that Rezko had raised no more than $60,000 for him.

When Obama ran for the U.S. Senate, Rezko held a June 27, 2003, cocktail party in Rezko’s Wilmette mansion, picking up the tab for the lavish event. Obama’s campaign staff has said it has no records to show who attended that party, or how much it cost.

Obama’s relationship with Rezko dates to 1990, when Obama, then a Harvard law student, interviewed for a job with Rezko’s development company, Rezmar Corp. Obama turned down the job, instead going to work for a small Chicago law firm — Davis Miner Barnhill. That firm did work on more than a dozen low-income housing projects Rezmar rehabbed with government funds.

Eleven Rezmar buildings were in the state Senate district Obama represented between 1996 and 2004. Many of the buildings ended up in foreclosure, with tenants living in squalid conditions, the Sun-Times reported last year. In one instance, Rezko’s company left tenants without heat for five weeks. Obama said he was unaware of problems with the buildings and minimized the legal work he’d done.

Obama’s relationship with Rezko grew closer in June 2005, when Obama and Rezko’s wife bought adjoining real estate parcels from a doctor in the South Side Kenwood neighborhood. Obama paid $1.65 million for the doctor’s mansion, while Rezko’s wife paid $625,000 for the vacant lot next door. Obama’s purchase price was $300,000 below the asking price; Rezko’s wife paid full price.

Six months later, Obama paid Rita Rezko $104,500 for one-sixth of the vacant lot, which he bought to expand his yard. In November 2006, he expressed regret about the transaction.

“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,” Obama said, “to believe that he had done me a favor.”

Sen. Obama Presidential Campaign Q&A
A Chicago Sun-Times Exclusive: Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign gave the following written responses to these questions about the Rezko court filing.

Q. What is Sen. Obama’s reaction to being referred to in the Rezko evidentiary proffer?
A. We have no way of knowing he is the politician named here but we returned this money months ago for other reasons.

Q. Was Sen. Obama aware that Rezko allegedly had directed at least one person to donate to the senator’s campaign and later reimbursed that person, possibly violating federal election law?

A. No.

Q. Has the Federal Election Commission or the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago contacted the senator or any of his representatives about these matters?

A. No.

Q. Why has the senator donated to charity campaign contributions from Rezko and Rezko-linked people?

A. In keeping with our practice of donating to charity donations from people who have been called into question through the legal process, when he was named in documents as potentially engaging in wrongdoing we thought it was appropriate to return his donation to charity.

Q. Does the senator think this development will have any impact on the presidential campaign or undercut the senator’s message that he is an agent of change?

A. No. In fact, Sen. Obama has been a champion of reforms that have made campaign finance laws more transparent so that the public can more closely follow the source of contributions to campaigns. As with any campaign, occasionally individual contributions are called into question. Sen. Obama’s policy in such instances is to donate that money to charity which is what he did in this case seven months ago when questions first surfaced.



Really, it's best to know NOW...exactly what will be thrown at the nominee. This will NOTT work for us! Read "implosion!" :nuke:

[HeraldSquare212]

1. Isn't this the same thing as Clinton's Hsu problem, but less money involved? nt

[DaLittle Kitty]

18. Same General issue... CROOKED FUNDRAISING, Though associating w/ felons does not look

good additionally. :think:

[Essene]

38. Pretty much.

Whatever the linkage is, it boils down to another corrupt fundraiser causing a stink for the politician.

[cali]

2. Does dislittlekitty read what it posts?

From the article:

"The Illinois senator isn’t accused of any wrongdoing. And there’s no evidence Obama knew contributions to his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign came from schemes Rezko is accused of orchestrating."

[FrenchieCat]

24. Of course she doesn't read. She's got her eyes so squeezed shut tight

praying and hoping that something, anything will happen to give her candidate an entry into the race, finally.

She's into "hope" and she should seriously consider joining the campaign that actually has a chance of realizing "real change".

[DaLittle Kitty]

32. How So? OBAMA Is Unable Categorically to Define or State HOW... He Would Accomplish ANY of His Plag

iarized goals ... stolen from Edwards , though in greatly DILUTED FORM!

GET REAL!!!!!!!! :nuke:


Edwards Campaigns For Substantive Change, While Everyone else including Republicans Offer ONLY Rhetorical change. Obama Speaks of Universal Health Care while his platform ONLY covers KIDS... The Guy will say and do ANYTHING... as will Hillary!

[DaLittle Kitty]

28. Yes and you are a Hollywood Mogal?

[zulchzulu]

3. "The Illinois senator isn’t accused of any wrongdoing."

The article lays it out pretty plainly:

Obama’s relationship with Rezko grew closer in June 2005, when Obama and Rezko’s wife bought adjoining real estate parcels from a doctor in the South Side Kenwood neighborhood. Obama paid $1.65 million for the doctor’s mansion, while Rezko’s wife paid $625,000 for the vacant lot next door. Obama’s purchase price was $300,000 below the asking price; Rezko’s wife paid full price.

Six months later, Obama paid Rita Rezko $104,500 for one-sixth of the vacant lot, which he bought to expand his yard. In November 2006, he expressed regret about the transaction.

“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,” Obama said, “to believe that he had done me a favor.”

As for a home estimated at nearly $2 million that got sold for $1.65 million (Obama got money for his books), it is a pretty common real estate transaction for that kind of money. As for buying some adjacent lot for $100k, that's a pretty common real estate transaction in that Chicago neighborhood.

Obama admitted it might be seen as a mistake that he bought land from his next-door neighbor. And as the Chicago press has pretty much given up on the "legs" the real estate transaction is, I'm sure it will be seen as fairly trivial on a national scale.

If the Hillaryworlders want to make a big deal out of it, there's this fellow named Hsu that they may not want to have brought up. Yet, if they want to take the bait, I'm sure the Obama team has some wonderful information about the Hsu-Clinton family relationship that would blow the Rezko thing way, way out of relevance.

[saltpoint]

5. There it is. After the clear indication that Senator Obama is not accused

of wrong-doing, I would propose we move forward into the coming months of political discourse and refrain from the mud-slinging debasements of recent days.

Good post, zulchzulu. Concise, to the point, and with a view toward problem-solving.

[DaLittle Kitty]

7. Read The Story... Obama HAS SOME HUGE ISSUES! It's The Roach Theory in Play Here!

Rezko, who was part of Obama’s senatorial finance committee, also is accused of directing “at least one other individual” to donate money to Obama and then reimbursing that individual — in possible violation of federal election law. FEC Violation?

A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald declined to comment.

Obama — a state senator when he got the contributions in 2004 — has moved to distance himself from Rezko since his longtime friend and supporter was indicted in October 2006. After news reports that Obama had engaged in a real estate transaction with Rezko’s wife at a time Tony Rezko was known to be under investigation, the senator called the episode “boneheaded” and “a mistake.”
‘No way of knowing’ LIKELY STORY!

Obama campaign aides said Friday he was unaware Rezko was behind the contributions cited in last month’s court filing or that the document referred to the senator.
“We have no way of knowing he is the politician named here,” spokesman Bill Burton said, “but we returned this money months ago for other reasons.”

Obama donated more than $44,000 in Rezko-linked contributions to charity last year, including the $10,000 donation mentioned in the court filing. SENSE OF GUILT! TRYING TO GET FREE OF THE HOOK?

That money was donated to Obama by Joseph Aramanda, a Glenview businessman and Rezko associate who, sources have said, is the “Individual D” prosecutors say received the $250,000 in finder’s fees demanded by Rezko. Individual D did nothing to earn those fees, according to prosecutors.

The $10,000 contribution to Obama was given in Aramanda’s name on March 5, 2004, records show. While Obama’s camp has said the senator did not know Aramanda, Obama’s office hired Aramanda’s son as an intern in 2005, at Rezko’s urging. THERE'S A FIB?

Repeated attempts to reach Aramanda, who was involved in pizza franchises Rezko owned, were unsuccessful. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
A longstanding relationship

Rezko is one of Obama’s earliest political patrons. Long known as a prolific fund-raiser, the Syrian-born businessman helped raise money for Obama’s political campaigns beginning in 1995, when Obama was running for the Illinois Senate.

In 13 years in politics, Obama has gotten at least $168,000 in campaign donations from Rezko, his family and business associates. The Sun-Times reported that figure last June. Obama’s “best estimate” seven months earlier had been that Rezko had raised no more than $60,000 for him. THERE'S A DIRECT FIB FROM OBEY!

When Obama ran for the U.S. Senate, Rezko held a June 27, 2003, cocktail party in Rezko’s Wilmette mansion, picking up the tab for the lavish event. Obama’s campaign staff has said it has NO RECORDS to show who attended that party, or how much it cost. THIS IS A DIRECT VIOLATION OF FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION REGULATIONS.

As A Candidate the cost of the party is considered ... A REPORTABLE CONTRIBUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CASE CLOSED! Obama is NO DIFFERENT THAN HILLARY! Answer is to nominate John Edwards who is SQUEAKY CLEAN and FREE OF SKELETONS! :patriot:

[saltpoint]

11. I did read the piece but saw no indication of wrong-doing on Obama's part and

saw nothing in the article which suggested that the evidence as presented did either.

On what grounds should Sen. Obama be charged?

[DaLittle Kitty]

23. Failure to REport In-Kind Contributions For ONE per FEC Reg's. ERR Why Donate $44K to Charity?

If yer NOT Guilty of Something... Hmmmmm?????

[saltpoint]

30. Can't convict somebody without evidence that he's to blame for the

accused offense.

The investigative reporter clearly indicates that Sen. Obama is not guilty of wrong-doing.

Seems clear enough to me.

[DaLittle Kitty]

37. Check The FEC Regs! He's Guilty Per The Story Unless The Story Is False!

:)

[saltpoint]

40. If I'm on the jury, I'm going to need persuasive evidence. The article offered

none such.

[DaLittle Kitty]

6. Obama Has Been Taking MONEY From Crooks, Read the Article $168K in 13 Years!

Hillary and Obama are soooooo easy to defeat in November that it is beyond hilarious. Both closets full of skeletons. Edwards IS The Only Answer... 97% of primary votes NOT Yet Cast or counted!

[DaLittle Kitty]

29. Please RE-READ THIS!

In 13 years in politics, Obama has gotten at least $168,000 in campaign donations from Rezko, his family and business associates. The Sun-Times reported that figure last June. Obama’s “best estimate” seven months earlier had been that Rezko had raised no more than $60,000 for him. THERE'S A DIRECT FIB FROM OBEY!

When Obama ran for the U.S. Senate, Rezko held a June 27, 2003, cocktail party in Rezko’s Wilmette mansion, picking up the tab for the lavish event. Obama’s campaign staff has said it has NO RECORDS to show who attended that party, or how much it cost. THIS IS A DIRECT VIOLATION OF FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION REGULATIONS.

[dkf]

4. I thought the LA Times and the NYT were withholding stories about Bill's latest Bimbos.

Thats the only story I hear is being withheld.

[Dems Will Win]

8. The OP is being cute, but this is actually the story being sat on, to be told later

Lisa Belzberg

According to Huffington Post, Bill Robinson, the NY Times and the LA Times are sitting on a "Big Clinton Story" that involves his affairs since leaving the White House. Clearly a lot of Indie and other voters would not want to put Bill back in there to cheat again on national TV, just too plain old embarassing.

A Big Clinton Story

Look, I am concerned. I've just spent two weeks travelling and speaking with media elites in L.A., Chicago, NYC, and D.C. and among other things, I was repeatedly told that The New York Times and The L.A. Times are "sitting on a BIG Clinton story." What concerns me is that this story has nothing to do with Hillary, her policy positions, her record, or her presidential potential. The "big story" everyone is sitting on apparently has to do with the many current affairs of Bill Clinton, whom, they will allege, has a gal in every port.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-robinson/the-big-clinton-story_b_74391.html

With unfaves in the high 40s or low 50s, a few more points of voters who, if given the choice, don't want to put a philandering Bill Clinton back in the White House to humiliate the office.

The result is Hillary would be a weak nominee and may not be able to win nationally with such a headwind. The newspapers are sitting on these alleged affairs, already reported in the press, perhaps until after the primaries and hoping to kill the Democrat's chances? This is from April 2002 and seems to be what the HuffPo was speaking of a few days ago:

Clinton linked with wealthy socialite

THE tangled love life of Bill Clinton was again under the microscope yesterday when he was romantically linked with a glamorous blonde.

A magazine photo showed the former president of the United States in an intimate pose with the Canadian socialite Lisa Belzberg, 38.

They were photographed by Newsweek in front of a refrigerator at her mansion in Katonah, New York. It rekindled long-standing speculation about the pair, who have been spotted together at a number of functions over the past year.

According to the New York Post, Ms Belzberg, a millionairess separated from her husband, the Seagram alcohol heir Matthew Bronfman, about a month ago following a liaison with Mr Clinton.

...

"Friends were stunned to see the photo of Clinton in front of Lisa’s stainless steel Sub-Zero refrigerator with Jonathan Alter’s cover story on the ex-president," the paper reported. The article claimed Mr Clinton and Ms Belzberg were involved in an encounter last month.

"She was seen flirting with Clinton at the Super Bowl party he hosted in his Harlem offices," it added. At the time Mr Clinton joked of his relationship with Ms Belzberg: "She married a guy worth $6 billion, but she still likes to flirt with me."

A spokeswoman for Ms Belzberg, who runs the educational organisation PENCIL , insisted that she has not been involved in another relationship since her split from Mr Bronfman. "There is no-one else," she said bluntly.

http://news.scotsman.com/billclinton/Clinton-linked-with-wealthy-socialite.2317821.jp

According to 6/12/02 Page Six of the New York Post: WHATEVER there was between Lisa Belzberg and Bill Clinton, it appears to be over. Belzberg, the brainy blonde behind the PENCIL nonprofit group that helps the public school system, was rumored to be more than friends with the former president, who lives just 10 minutes away from the mother of two in Westchester. "She's heartbroken," said one source. But there is little chance of reconciliation with her husband, Matthew Bronfman. The Seagram heir, who split with Lisa in February, is said to be very happily dating a fashion industry executive, Stacy Kaye.

Inside Politics 6/13/02: "The New York Post reported yesterday that the relationship between former President Bill Clinton and Lisa Belzberg 'appears to be over.' If we do the math, that means that Mr. Clinton and the pretty blonde socialite lasted seven weeks. "Tabloid rumors of a romance between the two appeared around April 23, claiming the pair met at a Christmas party last year. Mr. Clinton behaved like 'a big old hound dog' and later, trysts reportedly took place in mid-afternoons on the 24th floor of New York's chichi Hudson Hotel."

Clinton seen with new blonde

Mark Coleman In New York

BILL Clinton’s chequered love life became the source of fresh speculation yesterday after he was spotted with yet another blonde.

The former US president is reported to have shared an intimate dinner with Belinda Stronach, a married business woman.

According to reports, Mr Clinton, 56, wined and dined Ms Stronach, 35, the head of an international car parts company, in Toronto.

The pair have apparently struck up a cosy friendship and were caught embracing at the end of the evening.


"Clinton gave her a peck on the cheek before she got into her car," the New York Post reported. Another tabloid, the Daily News, pronounced that the two "had dinner and were seen embracing before they parted".

The papers said that the couple appeared to be fairly close, exchanging fond glances as they walked around the city.

Mr Clinton, who was in Toronto for a party honouring the musician Ronnie Hawkins, who has been diagnosed with cancer, twitched awkwardly with his mobile phone after realising that he and Ms Stronach, who was wearing a black dress and diamond necklace, were being followed by photographers.

The revelations are bound to renew consternation between Mr Clinton and his wife Hillary, to whom he has been married for 26 years.

Four months ago Mr Clinton was linked with another blonde socialite, Lisa Belzberg, 38, who is also a Canadian.

http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=173&id=1036682002

[DaLittle Kitty]

10. Wonderful! That's What I'm Talking About... Patience Johnny ... Patience... The Twins Are Going to

Implode!

[Dems Will Win]

13. JRE will have to quit after Feb. 5, so enjoy the next 17 days!

[DaLittle Kitty]

16. Says Who... Why Aren't You Asking Dennis To Quit? Little Disingenuous or Alterior Motives?

Patience Johnny... The Corporatist Duo WILL Implode... :wtf:

[DaLittle Kitty]

27. Going to the Convention... All The Way! Why not Inquire of Kucinich the Same Query?

Cause Edwards is A REAL Threat to WIN!!! 97% of America has yet to have their votes counted... Lets wait at least until the votes are counted... 11,000 casino workers in Vegas are NOT THE VOICE OF AMERICA... The Mainstream Corporate Media holds title to that! :)

[ChairmanAgnostic]

15. at least his taste is improving, if not his judgment.

But Bill has always been lagging in that department, when it comes to the opposite sex.

[Me.]

20. Yep

I was told a year ago New Year's about this. But I was told there were two women and that the worry (by dems) was that though it had nothing to do with HC and her qualifications, the Cons knew about it and were holding onto it until she got the nom. The meme will be, here we are into the same old same old with the Clintons, and the secondary line will be, how many times will she overlook his behavior and what does this say about her holding people accountable.

[DaLittle Kitty]

22. Precisely! No Doubt About That... And That IS My Point! HRC HAS NO Character!

[Me.]

25. My Point Isn't That She Has No Character

It is that she is vulnerable because Bill can't keep it zipped. Unfair, but since when was politics fair?

[Garbo 2004]

36. Yeah, months ago I remember Tweety salivating and alluding to something along these lines. n/t

[terisan]

9. Obama said he loses papers and depends on staff to hand paperwork to him-a defense?

He already has said that he didn't know about Rezko's slumlording ways in his district because nobody brought it to his attention.

[Occam Bandage]

12. "The Illinois senator isn’t accused of any wrongdoing. And there’s no evidence Obama knew."

Convincing.

[DaLittle Kitty]

17. BullShit Obama HAS VILATED FEC REGULATIONS... It's In the article... READ IT!

FEC Violations are the least of his worries going forward... looks like.

[usregimechange]

14. Ok, so Obama did nothing wrong, big story!

[DaLittle Kitty]

19. If you think it's OK to take $ from mobsters and violate FEC Regs... I guess that's OK W/ You

and other dreamers and kool aid drinkers...

[dionysus]

21. your smear mission doesn't appear to be working, per quotes

from the article you linked. better luck next time kid.

[Blue-Jay]

26. .

[AtomicKitten]

31. *

[DaLittle Kitty]

33. Clintons Are Very Well Organized in Using Far Right Tactics, i.e., Doing ANYTHING

to win... :puke:

[jasmine621]

39. Ok, so it's the Clinton's fault that Obama had ties to this crook? nt

[MoonRiver]

34. I particularly am disgusted by the following:

"Obama is not named in the Dec. 21 court document. But a source familiar with the case confirmed that Obama is the unnamed “political candidate” referred to in a section of the document that accuses Rezko of orchestrating a scheme in which a firm hired to handle state teacher pension investments first had to pay $250,000 in “sham” finder’s fees. From that money, $10,000 was donated to Obama’s successful run for the Senate in the name of a Rezko business associate, according to the court filing and the source.

Rezko, who was part of Obama’s senatorial finance committee, also is accused of directing “at least one other individual” to donate money to Obama and then reimbursing that individual — in possible violation of federal election law."

:puke::puke::puke:

[Garbo 2004]

35. Clinton, Obama and even Edwards have had fundraiser/donor issues, if you want to be factual.

Not all the same in quantity and kind. But lets not get into the "shocked, shocked" mode when dealing with politicians and fundraising. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080120/ap_on_el_pr/obama_rezko_3

Is it that you haven't been here long, is it the first you heard of a Rezko/Obama connection? Or you're just reposting something that's been posted before because you clearly have a particular agenda?

Rezko's connections with Obama: NYT, June 2007: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/us/politics/14rezko.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

Of course, Norman Hsu made the news with his fund raising connection to Clinton and his going on the lam. That's well known.

Less noticed perhaps was Geoffrey Fieger's August 2007 indictment for allegedly illegally funneling $127,000 to John Edwards' 2004 campaign for President. From TalkLeft: http://www.talkleft.com/story/2007/8/26/111925/678 And today's AP story linked above notes "The Edwards campaign has said it is waiting for the outcome of the case before deciding how to proceed." If that's timely and correct info, IMO they should dump the money ASAP.

And in 2006 an Edwards donor and the Edwards campaign were fined by FEC:

In June 2006, the Federal Election Commission announced that Tab Turner, a prominent trial lawyer, and his Little Rock law firm agreed to pay a $50,000 penalty for violating the ban on corporate contributions and contributions made in the name of another person.

The FEC also announced that Edwards for President, would pay a $9,500 penalty for accepting in-kind contributions from Turner's firm and contributions made by Turner in the name of relatives.The FEC said that in January 2003 employees of Turner's law firm worked with Edwards's staff to plan two fundraisers in Arkansas as part of their duties. Turner instructed his assistant to ask four other employees to make $2,000 contributions to the campaign (the maximum allowed by federal law) and then to reimburse them. Turner used his firm's credit card to give Edwards $2,000 and to make $2,000 donations in the name of his brother and sister-in-law, the FEC said. The agency said he also charged nearly $2,400 in hotel and rental car expenses for travel by Edwards's staff.
Edwards now circulates a three-page memo of guidelines to volunteer fundraisers, including a reminder in large print that the law "strictly prohibits reimbursement of contributions made by others." http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/08/27/post_42.html

Again, these cases are not all alike in quantity and kind perhaps, but if as you seem to suggest indictment of a fundraiser/donor = criminality/compromise of a candidate, well then it seems they're all in that same category on that basis.

[DaLittle Kitty]

41. Looks To Me That Edwards Has Taken Strong Steps To Avoid This Behavior Where His Rivals Have NOT!

:nuke:

[Garbo 2004]

43. But apparently the Edwards campaign has not taken any steps to return $127,000

in alleged illegal campaign donations that are the basis of a criminal indictment. Obama has donated to charity contributions associated with Rezko (in fact, well beyond the amount noted in Rezko's indictment) before Rezko has gone to trial. Obama's campaign is not saying, we'll see what we'll do with the money after the case is over.

The Edwards campaign, in contrast and to my surprise, has retained the questionable and possibly illegal donations. Usually campaigns, if they want to maintain the semblance of a high ground, return or donate campaign funds that are the subject of a criminal case in order to distance themselves from the appearance of possible impropriety. The Edwards campaign hasn't.

In Fall 2007 another Edwards campaign fundraiser, William S. Lerach, plead guilty to conspiracy in a case involving basically paying clients to join lawsuits filed by his firm. In his plea agreement the DOJ agreed not to prosecute him for election campaign/political contributions related to the fees he received from these cases. The Edwards campaign had accepted funds raised by Lerach for the 2008 campaign...after it was known that Lerach's firm had been indicted in 2006 and that Lerach at the time of the donations was himself the target of an active Federal investigation. Although the campaign dumped Lerach's personal donations after the guilty plea, it didn't return a reported $70+ K associated with Lerach's 2008 campaign fundraising activities.

Did the Edwards campaign do anything wrong in accepting these donations? No evidence that it has. (Which by the way is the same for the Obama campaign although you nevertheless suggest otherwise). Has the Edwards campaign taken "strong steps" not to be associated with questionable funds and funding sources? It appears it has not in these cases.

[GalleryGod]

42. I think you just won the DU Pulitzer Prize.

Not.

[MrSlayer]

44. "The Illinois senator isn’t accused of any wrongdoing.......

And there’s no evidence Obama knew contributions to his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign came from schemes Rezko is accused of orchestrating."


Where's the story?

[CelloPaddy]

45. This is old news, this is not a new story or a story that has been withheld by the media,

if you're trying to present this as such, then that is a misrepresentation on your part.

[DaLittle Kitty]

46. Only Being Witheld By The NATIONAL MEDIA... I Guess That Doesn't Count?

Local Stories need to be aired out to dry on the national stage... so that we .. can become better acquainted w/ our candidates... Hmmmm?