The U.S. vs. Antoin Rezko is really General Electric vs. Obama

[awaysidetraveler]

This is a letter I just sent to the ACLU in Illinois. I'm still building references, but I think that it's a pretty clear idea of what's going on behind the scenes with this Rezko-Obama mess. I know it takes some sorting through, but I really need some feedback. Also, feel free to pass this letter around, because nothing will get done about it unless we all understand what the GOP is up to here.


A Letter to the ACLU,

The United States vs Antoin Rezko and Ali Ata is really General Electric vs. Obama.

Presumably you guys know a thing or two about the prosecution and the judge on this case, but here’s a quick review. First, lets take a look at the prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald. James Comey appointed Patrick Fitzgerald to the position of Dept. of Justice Special Counsel after John Ashcroft recused himself. Special Attn. Patrick Fitzgerald is notable for having Janet Miller imprisoned for ninety days for refusing to out her source. Judith Miller remains to date the first American ever to be sent to jail based on facts she never saw and a federal appellate opinion she was not permitted to read. According to Bob Woodward and four other prominent journalists, her imprisonment was unnecessary as Patrick Fitzgerald already knew her source to be Richard Armitage.

George W. Bush appointed U.S. District Court Judge St. Eves after her work as the Associate Attorney Prosecutor for the Whitewater fraud case. During that case, St. Eves herself took the stand in an attempt to discredit Susan McDougal’s accusation that Whitewater investigators had pressured her to tell lies about Bill and Hillary Clinton. On June 8th of 2006, Judge St. Eves was condemned by the National Lawyer’s Guild for allowing a coerced confession–by way of torture–into U.S. courts. Judge St. Eves and Patrick Fitzgerald are also notable for sending Conrad Black, media mogul and owner of the Chicago Sun-Times, to prison on charges of fraud.

None of this looks good for the defense, but Antoin Rezko isn’t the real story here. Rezko, with his weird name (it means “risk” in Syrian), his slum renovations and his connections to the Emir of Qatar, is just the circus. If you want the real story, you’ve got to look at Rezko’s victim.

General Electric Capital Corporation, the financial arm of General Electric, claims that Antoin Rezko defrauded them of 10.5 million dollars worth of assets. So GE–owner of NBC, three billion in Iraq war contracts and many more billions in oil and gas contracts–is the victim, and Antoin Resko is the alleged criminal. General Electric, which has large financial ties to the Emir of Qatar and which has donated over eight million to George W. Bush and the G.O.P., is the victim.

Is Barak Obama’s political career just collateral damage in this fraud case against Rezko? While it’s impossible to say for certain, it sure is easy to follow the tracks of this elephant. General Electric has billions to lose if Barak Obama wins the White House, leads America out of Iraq and pushes Americans to make the switch to 25% renewable energy by 2025.

So now Prosecutor Fitzgerald and Judge St. Eves agree that the trial date of February 25th, 2008 is adequate despite the 1.5 million documents in discovery, some of which have not yet been presented to the defense. This date is ideal only to the purpose of discrediting Barak Obama’s candidacy and dividing the Democratic Party.

Please, in reviewing this case, keep an eye on the press that you read. The Chicago Sun-Tribune first published the Obama-Rezko articles while the owner, Conrad Black, faced a trial by Fitzgerald and St. Eves. The trial and its verdicts were considered widely controversial and suspicious. A jury found Conrad Black guilty of only four of the thirteen charges brought against him, but this was only after a juror by the name of Kelly discovered documents that were never presented by the defense (CBC television). Whether Conrad Black used his influence with the Chicago Sun-Times to avoid prison time, or whether he’s just a fraud doesn’t matter: one way or the other, these original articles about the Obama-Rezko connection cannot be regarded as credible references about Obama. As General Electric owns NBC and had billions to gain by first airing the story, NBC’s reporting of this story should also be regarded as suspect.

With the integrity of the Democratic Presidential Primary at stake, it is vital that the A.C.L.U. investigate this trial now–and not after–this kangaroo court succeeds in manipulating our 2000 election.

Sincerely,

Tynan Kelly

[papau]

1. the other friends of Obama's friend/supporter/real estate partner Rezko have pled quilty

[awaysidetraveler]

2. Obama-Rezko

Oh--Stewart Larson, whose name I'm mangling? That's who you mean. Well, he's a convicted felon who named Rezko because he was desperate to get out of a twenty-year prison sentence.

[awaysidetraveler]

3. Stewart Larson is a real criminal who had no connection to Rezko

Larson was his name, yeah Rezko's lawyer claims that Larson is the only real witness that the prosecution--Patrick Fitzgerald--has. Thanks, I forgot to add this guy into the picture.

[papau]

4. also Joseph Aramanda, unindicted co-conspirator

John Aramanda served as an intern for Obama for about a month in 2005, said Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs. His father is Joseph Aramanda, a Rezko business associate who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal corruption case against Rezko. Aramanda has contributed $11,500 to Obama since 2000,

[awaysidetraveler]

6. Thanks... wait, if Aramanda is a co-conspirator, then why isn't he indicted?

Consider it, he's an intern who gave Obama money. Interns on political campaigns are a dime a dozen, and he was only one of eighty nine. Also, if he's a co-conspirator in the federal corruption case, then why isn't he indicted?

[papau]

8. my "law and order" viewing has taught me about deals to catch the biggest fish

[papau]

5. businessman Stuart Levine?

Obama worked at corporate law firm Sidley Austin LLP - Rezko is accused of helping to get businessman Stuart Levine reappointed to the board of the state's Teachers' Retirement System and scheming with Levine to get kickbacks from companies seeking business with the state board.

Levine is cooperating with the government, and Niewoehner said there are recordings of Rezko discussing his activities.

who the hell is Stewart Larson?

Former Top State Official Indicted In Rezko Case Ex-Illinois Finance Authority Chief Allegedly Aided Rezko In $10M Fraud Scheme - AP
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_151190806.html


the Chicago Sun-Times writes that “As a state senator, Barack Obama wrote letters to city and state officials supporting his political patron Tony Rezko’s successful bid to get more than $14 million from taxpayers to build apartments for senior citizens. The deal included $855,000 in development fees for Rezko and his partner, Allison S. Davis, Obama’s former boss, according to records from the project, which was four blocks outside Obama’s state Senate district.”http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/425305,CST-NWS-obama13.article (MY NOTE Obama has said Rezko paid the full price because Rezko was matching another offer made to the seller and Obama paid a discounted price because there was no such other offer at the full asking price for the property Obama purchased.)

Ordinarily when a campaign gets caught with letter evidence contradicting previous statements the smart move is to get the full story out and not mock people’s intelligence. Not so with this Obama campaign.

“The letters appear to contradict a statement last December from Obama, who told the Chicago Tribune that, in all the years he’s known Rezko, “I’ve never done any favors for him.”

bama’s former boss “Davis soon went into business with Rezko, creating a company called New Kenwood LLC to build the seven-story apartment building for senior citizens on a vacant stretch of land once occupied by a gas station at 48th and Cottage Grove. The city of Chicago owned the land — nearly two acres tainted by lead, benzene and other toxic chemicals. Davis is a member of the Chicago Plan Commission. He was originally appointed to the commission in 1991 by his friend, Mayor Daley. Davis, like Rezko, has been a prolific campaign fund-raiser for politicians including Daley and Obama.”

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.article

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/425305,CST-NWS-obama13.article 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.

[awaysidetraveler]

7. Papau look, the Chicago Sun-Times can't be regarded as a credible source!!!

The original articles about the Rezko-Obama connection came from the Chicago Sun-Times in November. They’re no longer available in the website archives of the Chicago Sun-Times, but all other articles lead back to these ones posted in November. During that time, Conrad Black, the media mogul and owner of the Sun-Times, was in the process of being convicted by none other than–you guessed it–Patrick Fitzgerald and Judge St. Eves. The first television station to air the story? None other than NBC, which is–you guessed it–owned by General Electric.

These guys are leading us around in circles, and instead of looking at them we're looking at the next part of the circle.

[papau]

9. that is likely true - but it may not stop the GOP from using 527's to blast Obama on this

[awaysidetraveler]

11. Right! They will get him that way--so you have seen this re-run.

So then that's what we'll see after February, if Obama wins. It's still money well spent by GM if Obama loses, seeing as the Rezko trial may put Hillary--who doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of winning any part of the GOP--into the primary. Even if Obama wins, it will put the entire population in a state of doubt, legitimate, intelligent people will doubt whether he's a fraud.

[awaysidetraveler]

10. Sorry, I guess that came across a little strong.

It just seems to me that people don't understand what I'm saying: the answer to the mystery of the Rezko fraud trial is the mystery of the Rezko fraud trial. If you look at the players--the prosecution, the judge, the victim, and the press--the entire play unravels like a bad sitcom. Do a little research on the players here, and you'll know exactly what will happen next month as sure as if it were a re-run.

[mopinko]

13. well, here is bite of bullshit- why stroger left public life- ferfucksake

the man had a massive stroke, that's why he "left public life". left private life, too. died. far be it from me to stick up for chicago politicians. but if they can stretch this, what else are they stretching?
and btw, everyone and their brother endorsed todd stroger. his opposition was a certifiable gop nutcase. the most progressive politicians in the county endorsed him, and although most of them held their noses, the voters of cook county elected him.

[itcfish]

12. Sorry, But I

Don't see what this has to do with Obama. What would be the difference if Obama or Hillary won the White House?