Rich Moran at Pajama’s Media reports - - -
Antoin “Tony” Rezko, friend and fundraiser to many movers and shakers in Illinois politics, has been found guilty on 16 counts of fraud and corruption in connection with a “pay for play” bribery scheme that funneled kickbacks from campaign contributors to Rezko and his co-defendants.
The jury deliberated 13 days on the 24 count indictment that included six counts of mail fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, one count of attempted extortion, six counts of solicitation of funds, and two counts of money laundering.
Guilty verdicts were returned on the following counts:
* 12 counts of wire/mail fraud
* two counts of corrupt solicitation
* two counts of money laundering
The bribery scheme involved several corporations doing business with the state of Illinois through three major boards: a hospital construction board, the teachers pension fund, and a state employee retirement board.
The companies were approached for campaign contributions and told that they could only win contracts with the state if they contributed. Rezko made sure of these boards’ compliance by stacking them with cronies he recommended to Governor Rod Blagojevich.
Kickbacks on those state contracts were then funneled to Rezko and his friends.
A co-defendant with Rezko, Sturart Levine, cooperated with the prosecution in exchange for a lesser sentence. It was his shocking testimony regarding the activities of Rezko brazenly carrying out his bribery schemes that weighed heaviest with the jury. ...
The rest of Moran’s report is here.
He says the level of government corruption revealed during the trial was extraordinary even for Illinois.
Read the whole thing. Moran provides details you’re not likely to find in most of tomorrow’s newspapers.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Rezko guilty. Is a plea bargain next?
Posted by JWM at 7:14 PM
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3 comments:
Gee! Can you believe it?? Another one of Obamessiah's "mentors" is revealed as a crook! Of course, we shouldn't judge the Democrat party's nominee by the people with whom he's cozy, should we? Oh, what the hell, let's.
Tarheel Hawkeye
Next expected statements:
This is not the Antoin “Tony” Rezko I knew.
I would throw him under the bus, but the zoning process of putting it on stilts, for greater fall guy capacity, is awaiting a Daley payoff.
The newest "shortest list:"
Barack Obama mentors who aren't convicted felons, raving lunatic racists, gynophobes, America-haters, or bomb throwing anarchists.
Tarheel Hawkeye
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