Tony Rezko is a long time associate of Barack Obama, and a long time fund raiser for current governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich (D).
After nine weeks of trial, a federal court jury on Tuesday began deliberating charges against Rezko of mail fraud, wire fraud, attempted extortion, aiding and abetting bribery and money laundering. The jury is scheduled to resume deliberations today.
But Rezko isn't the only pig in the trough.
Millionaire lobbyist-businessman William F. Cellini's name has come up often as an insider who wielded an unusually powerful influence over the $40 billion fund that pays the pensions of retired downstate and suburban school teachers.All these men are democrats. surprise! But neither of these men have been charged with wrong doing as of yet. It is not clear if either of these men were associates of the obamantor during his Chicago days. Allegations have also been made implicating the Gov. of Illinois himself for oinking up at the kickback trough, too.
And high-powered lobbyist Robert Kjellander, whose name has popped up prominently at the trial, also was a generous donor to state candidates. His Springfield Consulting Group has handed out $118,639 in contributions to candidates for state offices since 1999, the group says.
I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, political reformers say "where there's smoke..."
...critics say money has been an unwholesome influence in Illinois politics and ordinary people can't possibly get the same treatment from state government that big campaign contributors do. They suspect the big donors are looking to get something back.
"What it shows is that pay-to-play politics is in full bloom in Illinois," says Cindi Canary, head of the political reform group. "You don't hand out $100,000 or $800,000 unless you want something in return."
The Illinois legislature has responded by
deliberating a bill to bar anyone with a state contract of $50,000 or more from contributing to the official whose office awarded the contract. The so-called pay-to-play bill would also make it easy for anyone to look up campaign donations from state contractors online.
But 'mister 40 billion dollar school teacher pension fund manager' is hard twisting arms to water down that legislation. Gee. I wonder why?
Like I said; I'll keep you posted.
