The corruption trial of the political fundraiser Antoin
Rezko is being called one of the biggest corruption trials since that of Gov.
George Ryan. He is accused of scheming to get bribes and kickbacks for
favorable votes from the regulatory Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board
and the $40 billion state Teachers Retirement System.
Government prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected to
deliver closer arguments in this case. Prosecutors claim that Antoin “Tony”
Rezko, 52, collaborated with attorney Stuart P. Levine to split a $1.5 million
payoff from a contractor who needed state permission to build a hospital in the
McHenry County
suburb of Crystal Lake,
according to the Web edition of the Chicago Tribune.
He is also charged with scheming with the attorney to
pressure kickbacks out of money management firms seeking to invest assets of
the $40 billion fund that pays the pensions of retired downstate and suburban
teachers, the same source noted.
Rezko denies the accusations. Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, who
has not been charged with wrongdoing, which he denies, allegedly participated
in the kickback schemes.
“The governor’s behavior up to this point suggests he won’t
go quietly, but it becomes increasingly more difficult for him to be effective
and for people to take him seriously,” said Kent Redfield, a professor at the
Institute for Legislative Studies at the University
of Illinois, Springfield, according to the New York Times.
“It just seems like daily we get something new that links the governor’s office
to something. It’s pretty disappointing.”
Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the United
States attorney in Chicago,
may bring charges against Mr. Blagojevich. His reputation has been so badly
affected by the association with Rezko’s case that it may take a longer period
of time to recover.
Barack Obama was also involved in the scandal and his
campaign for the presidency has been affected by all those questions raised
about Mr. Rezko. Mr. Obama donated money that was raised for him by Mr. Rezko
to charity. He said he regretted his decision, calling it a bad judgment on a
property sale between their families. The fast-food entrepreneur was also a fundraiser
for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
