A Bag Of Cash To Save Governor's House

The testimony in Tony Rezko's federal trial on public corruption charges gets worse by the day. It seems the political fixer likes helping politicians out with their homes. According to government witness Ali Ata, the man who earlier said he purchased his $125,000 a year state job from Gov. Rod Blagojevich for about $50,000 in campaign contributions, Rezko had him to arrange the delivery of a $25,000 bag of cash to him to pay off building contractors to prevent liens from being filed on the remodeled home of the governor. Recall that Rezko is the close Obama friend who helped out Sen. Obama with the purchase of his South Side mansion by purchasing an adjoining lot and then later selling a portion of that lot to him. Nothing to be concerned about here.

UPDATE: Check out this information Mike Stein posted on the Sun-Times blog on the Rezko trial, claiming proof that Obama and Rezko are partners:

PROOF POSITIVE THAT REZKO AND OBAMA ARE PARTNERS

Examine the Cook County land records:

The deed for the house that the Obama’s purchased for $300k less than the asking price is from Frederic Wondisford and his wife, Sally Radovic, to the Obama’s Northern Trust Company Land Trust #10209 (established as such for “confidentiality”) is dated 15 June 2005 and is recorded 21 June 2005 as Document #0517233010. Declared value is $1,650,000.00.
The deed for the vacant lot is from Wondisford/Radovic to Rita M. Rezko. This deed is dated 15 June 2005 and recorded a day earlier, on 20 June 2005 as Document #0517133004. Declared value is $625,000.00.

Examination of the Cook County records very clearly indicates that Rita M. Rezko conveyed the entire lot to Obama’s Northern Trust Company Land Trust #10209 on 11 January 2006 and recorded 16 February 2006 as Document #0604733162. Declared value is $104,500.00.
VERY IMPORTANTLY, thorough and careful examination of all Cook County land records fails to locate a deed back to Rita M. Rezko from the Obama’s Northern Trust Company Land Trust #10209.

There is a “wild’ deed indicated from Rita M. Rezko to “5050 S. Greenwood LLC”. This is an Illinois limited liability corporation with the same address as Rezmar Corporation that is registered to the indicted Tony Rezko. (This deed is considered “wild” because it is not supported by any ownership deed from the Obama’s Land Trust.)

Furthermore, Tony Rezko’s registered corporation, 5050 S. Greenwood LLC, then pledges the entire vacant lot in favor of a mortgage THAT IS STILL OPEN with Fifth Third Bank for the amount of $375,000.00. This is Document #0703357023 recorded 2 February 2007.

THUS, THE ENTIRE VACANT LOT IS TITLED TO SEN. BARACK AND MICHELLE OBAMA (IN THEIR LAND TRUST FOR CONFIDENTIALITY) AND ALLOWED BY SENATOR BARACK AND MICHELLE OBAMA TO BE PLEDGED BY A TONY REZKO CORPORATION TO SECURE A LOAN.

This is contrary to what has been stated by Senator Obama; contrary to what has been stated by Senator Obama’s campaign staff: and contrary to what has been reported.

It must be noted that a seemingly intelligent Harvard educated attorney does not make such unknowing errors as stated above. The above is obvious intent not “oversight”.