From the Chicago Tribune
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Rezko convicted of corruption
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Tribune photo by Chris Walker
Antoin "Tony" Rezko, center, arrives at the Dirksen Federal Building for the reading of the verdict in his corruption trial.
By Bob Secter and Jeff Coen, Tribune reporters
5:37 PM PDT, June 4, 2008
A federal jury Wednesday convicted developer Antoin "Tony" Rezko of corruption charges for trading on his clout as a top adviser and fundraiser to Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Rezko's guilty verdict on 16 of 24 corruption counts could have broad repercussions for Blagojevich, who made Rezko a central player in his kitchen cabinet. It could also prove a political liability for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, who once counted Rezko as a friend and fundraiser, as the likely Democratic presidential nominee heads into the general election campaign against Republican John McCain.
"I'm saddened by today's verdict," Obama said Wednesday. "This isn't the Tony Rezko I knew, but now he has been convicted by a jury on multiple charges that once again shine a spotlight on the need for reform. I encourage the General Assembly to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent these kinds of abuses in the future."
The Rezko verdict was sure to compound the governor's credibility problem with state lawmakers, including fellow Democrats who run the legislature. Blagojevich was scheduled to meet with legislative leaders Thursday to ask them to reconsider the shaky, nearly $60 billion state budget they sent him last weekend.
In a brief statement he read to reporters Wednesday evening in the Thompson Center in Chicago, Blagojevich called Rezko a friend and former supporter.
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"On a personal level, I am deeply sad for what's happened to Tony," Blagojevich said. "The jury's decision is yet another reminder that ours is a system of government ruled by laws and not by men. I respect the decision of the jury."
He said he would press forward with negotiations with the legislature to settle on a capital construction program "so that we can balance the budget in a way that's fair and helps people."
He stopped only briefly for reporters who shouted questions after he left the podium.
"I have a $2 billion budget deficit on my desk. I've got to get back to work," he said. And then he returned to his private offices.
The 10-woman, two-man jury deliberated for parts of 13 days before convicting Rezko of scheming with Stuart Levine, a longtime Republican insider, to extort millions of dollars from firms seeking state business or regulatory approval.
The jury convicted Rezko of 12 counts of wire and mail fraud, two counts of money laundering and two counts of aiding and abetting bribery. He was acquitted of attempted extortion.
"I hope people step back and say, 'When you do all that stuff, it's going to come back and bite you in a serious way,' " U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald told reporters after the verdict. "If the morals don't get to them, then I hope the fear of going to jail does."
Clad in a light olive suit and red tie, Rezko showed little emotion as the verdicts were read. Sentencing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sept. 3. On Wednesday afternoon, Rezko voluntarily surrendered himself to federal custody.
Based on his willingness to surrender, U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve revoked Rezko's bail and remanded him into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. As he was being taken out of the courtroom, he waved to his family.
"Mr. Rezko on his own decided that if he was convicted, he wanted to immediately begin serving his sentence," said his lawyer, Joseph Duffy, who added he was going to file a motion to appeal the verdict.
"We are obviously very disappointed in the jury's verdict today," Duffy said. "We strongly believe in Mr. Rezko's innocence, as does he."
The verdict was hailed by Better Government Association executive director Jay Stewart.
"This is a pretty significant victory for the prosecution," Stewart said. "I don't think this is the 'no more business as usual' we were promised when Rod Blagojevich became governor back in 2002. This does not reflect well on [Blagojevich]."
In a news conference after the verdict was read, jurors told reporters that they put the case together like a puzzle, and said they were not distracted by the parade of Illinois political heavy-hitters whose names kept surfacing during testimony.
"As a jury we just tried to focus on the Rezko trial because that's what we were there for," said juror Mona Lisa Mauricette.
