Obama on Rezko deal: It was a mistake
November 5, 2006
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama expressed regret late Friday for his 2005 land purchase from now-indicted political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko in a deal that enlarged the senator's yard.
"I consider this a mistake on my part and I regret it," Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times in an exclusive and revealing question-and-answer exchange about the transaction.
"It was simply not good enough that I paid above the appraised value for the strip of land that he sold me. It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else, to believe that he had done me a favor," the senator said.
Obama on Rezko deal: It was a mistake :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Politics (http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/124171,CST-NWS-obama05.article - broken link)
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Obama: Rezko was 'a significant fundraiser'
March 14, 2008
Rezko could have donated as much as $250,000 to Obama's campaigns over the years -- much more than the $60,000 to $70,000 Obama's campaign initially estimated, Obama said.
Obama: Rezko was 'a significant fundraiser' :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Barack Obama (http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/843582,obama031408a.article - broken link)
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How close were Barack Obama and Tony Rezko?
It was almost inevitable that Obama, as a Chicago politician, would spend a lot of quality time with someone like recently jailed Rezko. But that doesn't excuse bad judgment.
By Edward McClelland
Usually, their antics fill the front pages of only the Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Times.
But thanks to an accusation by Hillary Clinton, who called him a "slum landlord," Tony Rezko's alleged crookedness is national news.
The Syrian-American businessman is facing federal charges for a scheme to extort money from investment firms seeking business with the state.
On Monday, he was arrested at his Mediterranean-style mansion and sent to jail for hiding his assets while out on bond.
Rezko, after all, built part of his fortune by exploiting the black community that Obama had served in the state Senate, and by milking government programs meant to benefit black-owned businesses.
But Obama took Rezko's money even after the businessman was sued by the city of Chicago for failing to heat his low-income apartments,
and even after Rezko was caught using a black business partner to obtain a minority set-aside for a fast-food franchise at O'Hare Airport.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/02/01/rezko/
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