Courtroom Wire: Notes From Tony Rezko's Corruption Trial
CHICAGO — Real estate developer Antoin "Tony" Rezko is on trial in a Chicago federal courtroom on political corruption charges for allegedly buying influence with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration.
Rezko doesn't deny his role as a high-powered money man for major Democrats — including presidential candidate Barack Obama when Obama served in the Illinois Legislature — but he refutes prosecutors allegations that he tried to shake down companies that wanted to do business with the state.
Among Rosenberg's contributions to Illinois lawmakers was cash to Barack Obama. The producer with an Oscar-winning movie under his belt gave Obama's presidential campaign $2,300 on June 28, 2007; and $2,300 on Sept. 18, 2007. His Senate campaign got $2,000 on June 23, 2004. The Obama presidential campaign has given to charity the equivalent of all contributions from Rosenberg along with any other cash received that campaign officials say could be reasonably tied to Rezko. That's about $160,000 so far.
Note! Today's testimony involves a Rezko business associate, Joe Aramanda, who according to the Chicago Sun Times, donated $10,000 to Obama's campaign for U.S. Senate. Several members of state boards mentioned in testimony were close to Rezko also donated to Obama
Levine says he "received instructions" from Rezko to split a $500,000 finder's fee with one of Rezko's business associates, Joe Aramanda. Aramanda is not indicted in this case but has contributed money to Obama's campaign. The Chicago Sun-Times reports Obama has returned Aramanda's money. The paper also reported Aramanda's son interned with Obama's Illinois office in 2005.
As a TRS Board member, Levine made sure the TRS Board director voted in favor of a 2004 deal to invest $50 million with private equity firm, Glencoe Capital.
But Levine says when it came time for the "finder" to split the finder's fee money with Aramanda, there was a glitch. The finder, Sheldon Pekin, didn't deliver Aramanda's share of the money when Aramanda expected it.
Levine immediately called Pekin and, in a panic, said, "If we don't get this (deal) finished today Tony's (Rezko) isn't going to do business any more like that. ... We gotta get this finished today otherwise we're f*****."
The finder, Pekin, then delivered the money to Aramanda.
The finder's fee amount was 1 percent of the $50 million investment, or $500,000. Levine says a deal was made for Pekin to split the money 50/50 with Aramanda, Rezko's pal.
As Defense attorney Joe Duffy read the list of names in the memo, he said: "These are all the heavy hitters in Illinois, is that right?"
Beck replied: "Some of them."
Then Duffy proceeded to read the names listed in the memo again (state House Speaker Mike Madigan, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, Republican leader Tom Cross), when he got to Obama's name he said, "Then you have some other guy called Obama on there, is that right?"
Beck replied, "Yes."
(3:43 p.m. ET)
Two days before an Illinois state board voted to approve an application to build a new Illinois hospital, two board members discussed how they were going to secure a yes vote, following instructions from Chicago businessman, Tony Rezko.
Phone calls provided by FBI wiretaps reveal personal conversations between Illinois hospitals facilities board chair, Tom Beck, and board member, Stuart Levine.
In one phone conversation, Beck tells Levine: "I got the marching orders. ... And our boy (Rezko) wants to help them (Mercy hospital)."
Beck also tells Levine the application for Mercy Hospital is not likely to get approved because "the whole report is negative, everywhere," and, as Beck testified, the application did not meet the required criteria set forth by the Board.
Beck explains how the IHFP Board can extend the deadline for Mercy Hospital's application if they provide additional information to the board and "clean up the report. They should clean it up the best they can."
Levine then asks Beck, "How should they clean up the negatives?"
Beck proceeds to give Levine suggestions on how Mercy could change its application report to make it more complete and therefore more likely to get approval from the board.
Beck later says to Levine: "We need to cover ourselves. I don't want you or me to be sitting out on a limb for this."
Beck also testified to other phone conversations he had with Tony Rezko about Mercy hospitals application. Beck said he spoke to Rezko on the phone two days prior to the board's vote.
During that conversation, Beck said, "Tony heard Mercy Hospital was coming up for its second review before the IHFPB and he had heard this application was better than the first time. I told him I thought it was better but still shouldn't be approved by the board.
"Tony said, well take another look at it, so I did." Beck says, "this was the first time Tony and I disagreed about a project and I thought he would listen to me more and go with my recommendation," regarding Mercy.
Rezko is accused of arranging a $1 million bribe from the proposed hospital's contractor, in exchange for securing a yes vote by the IHFP Board. Rezko is also charged with 15 counts of fraud, (mail fraud and wire fraud), money laundering and attempted extortion.
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Bwaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahaha!
CHICAGO — Real estate developer Antoin "Tony" Rezko is on trial in a Chicago federal courtroom on political corruption charges for allegedly buying influence with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration.
Rezko doesn't deny his role as a high-powered money man for major Democrats — including presidential candidate Barack Obama when Obama served in the Illinois Legislature — but he refutes prosecutors allegations that he tried to shake down companies that wanted to do business with the state.
Among Rosenberg's contributions to Illinois lawmakers was cash to Barack Obama. The producer with an Oscar-winning movie under his belt gave Obama's presidential campaign $2,300 on June 28, 2007; and $2,300 on Sept. 18, 2007. His Senate campaign got $2,000 on June 23, 2004. The Obama presidential campaign has given to charity the equivalent of all contributions from Rosenberg along with any other cash received that campaign officials say could be reasonably tied to Rezko. That's about $160,000 so far.
Note! Today's testimony involves a Rezko business associate, Joe Aramanda, who according to the Chicago Sun Times, donated $10,000 to Obama's campaign for U.S. Senate. Several members of state boards mentioned in testimony were close to Rezko also donated to Obama
Levine says he "received instructions" from Rezko to split a $500,000 finder's fee with one of Rezko's business associates, Joe Aramanda. Aramanda is not indicted in this case but has contributed money to Obama's campaign. The Chicago Sun-Times reports Obama has returned Aramanda's money. The paper also reported Aramanda's son interned with Obama's Illinois office in 2005.
As a TRS Board member, Levine made sure the TRS Board director voted in favor of a 2004 deal to invest $50 million with private equity firm, Glencoe Capital.
But Levine says when it came time for the "finder" to split the finder's fee money with Aramanda, there was a glitch. The finder, Sheldon Pekin, didn't deliver Aramanda's share of the money when Aramanda expected it.
Levine immediately called Pekin and, in a panic, said, "If we don't get this (deal) finished today Tony's (Rezko) isn't going to do business any more like that. ... We gotta get this finished today otherwise we're f*****."
The finder, Pekin, then delivered the money to Aramanda.
The finder's fee amount was 1 percent of the $50 million investment, or $500,000. Levine says a deal was made for Pekin to split the money 50/50 with Aramanda, Rezko's pal.
As Defense attorney Joe Duffy read the list of names in the memo, he said: "These are all the heavy hitters in Illinois, is that right?"
Beck replied: "Some of them."
Then Duffy proceeded to read the names listed in the memo again (state House Speaker Mike Madigan, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, Republican leader Tom Cross), when he got to Obama's name he said, "Then you have some other guy called Obama on there, is that right?"
Beck replied, "Yes."
(3:43 p.m. ET)
Two days before an Illinois state board voted to approve an application to build a new Illinois hospital, two board members discussed how they were going to secure a yes vote, following instructions from Chicago businessman, Tony Rezko.
Phone calls provided by FBI wiretaps reveal personal conversations between Illinois hospitals facilities board chair, Tom Beck, and board member, Stuart Levine.
In one phone conversation, Beck tells Levine: "I got the marching orders. ... And our boy (Rezko) wants to help them (Mercy hospital)."
Beck also tells Levine the application for Mercy Hospital is not likely to get approved because "the whole report is negative, everywhere," and, as Beck testified, the application did not meet the required criteria set forth by the Board.
Beck explains how the IHFP Board can extend the deadline for Mercy Hospital's application if they provide additional information to the board and "clean up the report. They should clean it up the best they can."
Levine then asks Beck, "How should they clean up the negatives?"
Beck proceeds to give Levine suggestions on how Mercy could change its application report to make it more complete and therefore more likely to get approval from the board.
Beck later says to Levine: "We need to cover ourselves. I don't want you or me to be sitting out on a limb for this."
Beck also testified to other phone conversations he had with Tony Rezko about Mercy hospitals application. Beck said he spoke to Rezko on the phone two days prior to the board's vote.
During that conversation, Beck said, "Tony heard Mercy Hospital was coming up for its second review before the IHFPB and he had heard this application was better than the first time. I told him I thought it was better but still shouldn't be approved by the board.
"Tony said, well take another look at it, so I did." Beck says, "this was the first time Tony and I disagreed about a project and I thought he would listen to me more and go with my recommendation," regarding Mercy.
Rezko is accused of arranging a $1 million bribe from the proposed hospital's contractor, in exchange for securing a yes vote by the IHFP Board. Rezko is also charged with 15 counts of fraud, (mail fraud and wire fraud), money laundering and attempted extortion.
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Bwaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahaha!
