2/25/2008

BREAKING NEWS: Blagojevich identified as "Public Official A"

From the Chicago Tribune:

For months, federal prosecutors have alleged that Antoin "Tony" Rezko tried to extort a $1.5 million contribution to the campaign of "Public Official A" from a Hollywood producer seeking investment business from the state.

And for months, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has repeatedly denied he was "Public Official A."

But a week before Rezko's much-anticipated trial, a federal judge revealed that Blagojevich was to have been the recipient of the $1.5 million campaign contribution at the center of the alleged extortion plot.

Prosecutors haven't alleged any wrongdoing against Blagojevich. Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff did not directly address the judge's use of the governor's name in her ruling. But Ottenhoff dismissed the suggestion that Blagojevich had any involvement in the alleged incident.

And, as the Chicago Sun-Times reports, you can expect to see Barack Obama's name come up in that trial as well:

There's a strong chance the name of presidential contender Barack Obama will surface at indicted political fund-raiser Tony Rezko's trial, which begins next week.

In a nine-page ruling this afternoon, U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve said she would allow federal prosecutors to present evidence about a portion of a $375,000 finder's fee that a Rezko associate, Joseph Aramanda, obtained through an alleged kickback scheme orchestrated by Rezko.

She also ruled that prosecutors can ask questions about how money from that fee allegedly was used "to make a political contribution" in Aramanda's name "because Rezko had already donated the maximum amount by law and he could not make the contribution himself."

The ruling does not identify Obama as the recipient of that contribution. But sources have identified Obama as the "political candidate" who prosecutors say received a $10,000 contribution from Aramanda - at Rezko's direction - during his 2004 run for U.S. Senate. Obama has donated that contribution to charity.M

Obama's playing defense:

Informed of the judge's ruling, Obama presidential campaign spokesman Bill Burton said, "We had no knowledge of any straw donations and have returned any of the donations about which we have any reasonable question.

"By now it is well established that Sen. Obama is not involved in the matters at issue in the [Rezko] trial."

But, as of January 31st, the Tribune was reporting this:

In total, Obama has promised to give to charity more than $150,000 he collected through Rezko. His campaign said the latest installment of $72,650 was raised for his 2004 U.S. Senate race at an elegant dinner at Rezko's 8,500-square-foot Wilmette mansion.

It remains unclear whether Obama's campaign has dragged out the process of shedding Rezko money because it was having a difficult time determining the nature of those donations, or if the campaign was reluctant to look hard for them.

Connecting the dots between a political fundraiser and any specific donation, though, is not always simple. Experts say it is more art than science, and precision can be elusive.

Obama's campaign still has not offered a clear explanation of how it determines Rezko-linked donations or why he has dealt with them piecemeal, apparently in reaction to bad publicity.

You can read the .PDF of the ruling on evidence here.

Stay tuned... the trial starts next week.

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Filed Under: Illinois Politics

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