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Rezko Defends Obama in Letter to Judge

By Jeralyn, Section Corruption Cases
Posted on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 06:52:00 AM EST
Tags: Tony Rezko, Barack Obama (all tags)
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The judge in the Tony Rezko trial has released a two page letter Rezko wrote her while seeking to have his bail reinstated in April. In it, he defends Sen. Barack Obama, saying the Government was overzealous in its pursuit of "a crime that never happened" and sought information from him about Obama but he had none to give. The actual letter is here.

Two months before he was convicted of federal corruption charges, political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko told his trial judge that "overzealous" prosecutors were pressuring him to tell them about any wrongdoing involving Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama or Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

But in a two-page typed letter, Rezko said he was never involved in any wrongdoing with either of the Democrats and wouldn't make up stories about them in an attempt to benefit himself.

[More...]

From the letter:

"They are pressuring me to tell them the 'wrong' things that I supposedly know about Governor Blagojevich and Senator Obama," Rezko wrote St. Eve in an April bid to be released on bail during his trial. "I have never been party to any wrongdoing that involved the Governor or the Senator," Rezko continued. "I will never fabricate lies about anyone else for selfish purposes. I will take what comes my way, but I will never hurt innocent people."

Rezko's lawyer says he was not aware of the Government seeking information about Obama:

Rezko attorney Joseph Duffy said Wednesday the government has never intimated it is investigating anything about Obama.

"I'm not aware of any impropriety related to Rezko and Obama," Duffy said. "At no point has the government ever asked me a single question about Obama, or any wrongdoing involving Rezko and Obama."

Rezko told the judge he was not going to provide information to the Government, writing:

"I am not Levine, Loren Mahru or Winter. I am simply an honest, humble immigrant who believes in the American dream.

....Despite my belief in my innocence, I understand I may well lose this case. If I do, I am prepared to serve my sentence."

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    Rezko Defends Obama in Letter to Judge | 17 comments (17 topical)

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    I covered a case... (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by tnjen on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 02:03:34 AM EST
    ..where the bookkeeper gave a report to Council informing them that a large amount of money was missing from public coffers. The bookkeeper did this during an open meeting and while she was speaking a city official stood up and announced their innocence. No one had asked, btw. It was both out of place and comically bizarre (like out of an old black and white movie). To make a long story short, the official that professed their innocence during the bookkeepers report was investigated and later found guilty.

    I wonder why the federal district judge (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by oculus on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 02:15:27 AM EST
    placed the letter, which was written to her in April, in the court file of Rezko's criminal case today.  Very curious.

    typically they unseal (5.00 / 2) (#11)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 03:01:18 AM EST
    this kind of stuff when the trial is over.

    Parent
    That was then. This is now. Stellaaa (none / 0) (#2)
    by oculus on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 02:00:45 AM EST


    Hmmm (none / 0) (#3)
    by janarchy on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 02:01:34 AM EST