Results tagged “rezko”

First Filter in Wicker Park, now Tony Rezko's mansion. Where will the injustice's stop, Bank of America???

The sale of convicted felon Tony Rezko's North Shore mansion at auction was supposed to happen yesterday, but the sale was postponed until August 17. Rezko has exhausted his funds on legal fees and other costs. Bank of America won a foreclosure judgment on the home earlier this year after he defaulted on the nearly $6 million loan. There is just over $5 million still owed on the property. According to Crain's, several Wilmette real estate brokers believe the home could sell for between $3 and $4 million. “It’s a small market for homes that are in that upper bracket,” Sharon Freidman, a sales associate in the Winnetka South office of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC told Crain's. “There aren’t that many people out there with a lot of money. The dot-commers have come and gone.” Maybe Yelp can buy it and have another Halloween bash, up in Wilmette this year.

Los Angeles-based Wilton Partners may have to default on a $83.2 million loan it took out five years ago to finance the overhaul of seven Illinois tollroad oases. Wilton Partners owes iStar FM Loans LLC nearly $95 million in principal and interest payments, according to a foreclosure suit filed in April. Wilton also owes the state over $1 million in back rent and other payments. The slow economy has left the developer holding the bag on space that it can't lease out in the tollway oases. The kicker? The firm made huge campaign contributions to former governor Rod Blagojevich. Wilton Partners and its owner, Jay Wilton, gave Blagojevich $85,000 to his campaign in 2003 and '04. That included hosting a fundraiser at the Beverly Hills Hilton in 2004. Wilton has also been connected to Tony Rezko. The firm cut rents in half for Subway and Panda Express restaurants that were owned by the convicted businessman.

Remember when you were a kid, and one day one of your classmates would hand out invitations to his or her birthday party, except they didn't give you one and you felt like such a tool for being left out? No? That was only me? Well, fine. But at least Governor Blagojevich knows how I feel. It seems that his name is not on the long list of VIP guests for next Tuesday night's Obamapalooza. Sure, there's Lisa Madigan, Emil Jones, Jesse Jr., and, naturally, Mayor Daley. But no Blago. Can't say we're surprised, what with indictments and convictions on every side of G-Rod. Still, it's gotta smart to be lumped in with the likes of Rev. Wright. Of course, I'm sure Sen. Obama's leaving me off that list was simply an oversight and I'll be getting my invitation in the mail today. Of course. That's all it is: slow mail. Yep. Has to be.

In today's no surprise news, it looks like Tony Rezko is cooperating with the Feds in order to help his own sentence (happening in December). This is pretty much what we expected all along. While his information will surely hurt Blago, it remains to be seen how much it will affect the Obama campaign. At least one state GOP member thinks it won't harm Obama, who has not been accused of improper behavior in the case. State Senator Kirk Dillard (of Westmont), who is a McCain delegate but a friend to Obama, said, ''I think this strikes fear into the Blagojevich administration and the Statehouse Democrats but not into the Obama campaign."

While most other Illinois pols were using the Independence Day holiday to watch fireworks with their constituents, Blagojevich had some bombs for reporters. When asked whether he was the target of a federal corruption probe, the governor responded by calling questions about the matter “ridiculous,” “absurd” and “stupid.”

One of the persistent questions that political observers have wrestled with about Tony Rezko is when (and if) he will roll on Governor Blagojevich and others now that he has been convicted. Will he cut a deal to get a shorter prison sentence, or will he do his time and hope that his friends will reward his loyalty when he gets out?

It's not just bags of cash that Ali Ata knew about. In testimony during Tony Rezko's federal fraud trial yesterday, Ata told jurors that he donated $25K to Blagojevich's campaign in 2002, dropping the check off at Rezko's office. He was then led into a conference room where the governor, his campaign manager Lon Monk, top fundraiser Chris Kelly and state Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Collonsville) were waiting. According to Ata, Rezko explained to the governor that he was interested in joining the Blagojevich administration. Blago then allegedly asked Rezko if Ata had "identified job opportunities.” Sometime after that meeting, Rezko asked Ata to identify state jobs that might interest him, he testified.

As if the allegations against Rod Blagojevich couldn't get more sensational in the Tony Rezko trial, prosecutors told judge Amy St Eve yesterday that Ali Ata, the former executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority, will testify that he helped deliver "black plastic bags" of cash to prevent contractors from putting a lien on Blago's home.

The pressure on the beleaguered Illinois Governor cranked up a notch this weekend, as State Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) told CBS2 Chicago that the Illinois House should begin preparing for impeachment proceedings. "Creating a committee to decide if impeachment is warranted is such a reasonable premise that there would be overwhelming support in the House," Fritchey said.

Cartoon for Chicagoist by Tim Daly

That new Ernie Banks statue? It's missing an apostrophe. D'oh. "Lets" vs. "let's." [Trib]

Chicagland native Evan Lysacek grew up idolizing Chris Chelios. Now he's the U.S. figure skating champion, and boy is runner-up Jonny Weir not happy about it. [NYT]

To the surprise of absolutely nobody in the entire state, Governor Rod Blagojevich denied any wrongdoing in the Tony Rezko trial at a press conference held Wednesday to announce the demolition of the hall where the NIU shootings occurred. Blagojevich denied that he is the Public Official A cited in the federal indictment against Tony Rezko. "It doesn't matter what letter of the alphabet it is. What was described there doesn't describe me or how I do things," Blagojevich told the Tribune. When pressed on the matter, Blago told the Sun-Times that he is "not involved in this court case. I don't know much about it. I have a job to do as governor. It's a full-time job. I don't think it's fair to comment on a pending court case."