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Civil lawsuits can be such great fodder.

Antoin “Tony” Rezko has long been one of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s top fundraisers and closest confidants, even recommending candidates for Cabinet directors and state boards and commissions.

But newly obtained public records, including lawsuit documents, show a close circle of Rezko business investors and their relatives received jobs and appointments to influential state posts. The records show Rezko’s ties with the Blagojevich administration are far more extensive than were previously known.

The new documents show, for example, that Blagojevich appointed three Rezko business investors to a controversial board that oversees hospital projects. The board was replaced amid an ongoing federal kickback investigation that led to the indictment of the board’s vice chairman.

The state’s business development agency, run by a former Rezko company executive, employs the daughters of two other business partners, including a man who is a fugitive on federal tax charges.

Another Rezko partner got a loan for pizza franchises through a California businessman whose firm won a $83 million contract for redeveloping the Illinois Tollway’s restaurant oases. The loan came after an introduction from Rezko. […]

The names of the Rezko food company shareholders emerged recently amid a spate of civil lawsuits from former partners, including one filed in Cook County in April by Dr. Fortunee Massuda. […]

In 2003, Blagojevich appointed Massuda to the state’s Health Facilities Planning Board, along with Drs. Michel Malek and Imad Almanaseer. The Tribune previously reported Massuda and Malek each gave Blagojevich’s campaign $25,000 just weeks before being appointed, but their roles as shareholders in Rezko pizza businesses had not been previously disclosed. […]

The three Rezko associates and the other hospital board members were dismissed in 2004. The board was revamped that year after it came under federal scrutiny in part for its approval of Mercy Health System’s plans to build a $49 million hospital in Crystal Lake. As described in federal kickback charges against former board vice chairman Stuart Levine, Almanaseer changed his vote on the Mercy project after Levine whispered in his ear. Massuda and Malek also voted for the project.

Levine and Rezko go way back and have some mutual friends. Rezko not only raised a half mil for the governor’s ‘02 campaign, he provided 10 percent of the governor’s total family income in 2004.

Read the whole thing.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 5:39 am

Comments

Maybe Rezko can raise some money to pay for the cell phone charges for his gang’s taxpayer-paid calls to Syria. Thousands and thousands of dollars worth of phone calls back home to family.

At least his buddy Michael Rumman is out of CMS after thoroughly trashing the place. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 7:17 am
I don’t understand why he keeps being referred to as “self-made”. The word I heard was that he was a front for middle eastern money.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 8:56 am
*YAWN*

No one cares. Blago will be re-elected.

Comment by Hoosier Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 9:13 am
“Another Rezko partner got a loan for pizza franchises through a California businessman whose firm won a $83 million contract for redeveloping the Illinois Tollwayâ€™s restaurant oases. The loan came after an introduction from Rezko.”

Blagojevich is now interested in selling our Tollways. He had us spend millions over the past four years on them. Couldn’t he sell the Tollways before we sunk tax dollars into it? Does the value of the oasis contracts increase if the Tollways are sold?

How far up the ladder does this corruption go?

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 9:15 am
To: Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan
Tracy M. Smith, Inspector General currently Inspector General for the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, James A. Wright, Executive Inspector General previouly Inspector General for the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority
From: The Good People of Illinois

This has been going on since the Blagojevich administration has seized power.
I’m sure now acting Executive Director Brian McPartlin has given orders to shred and delete.
Investigations should have started 3 years ago !

Comment by The Good People of Illinois Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 9:32 am
What is the status of the federal lawsuits against Rezko & his pizza busineses?
Has Revenue close him down recently for not paying sales taxes and Workers Comp? Just wondering.
He does not seem like the type of guy a governor and his wife should be profiting from. But of course this is Illinois…………shameful

Comment by Larry Mullholland Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 9:36 am
Damn it. Records, meeting minutes, and relationship revelations keep coming back. Thought it was all shredded and hidden. Why do people write this stuff down. Simply causes a problem later when verbal statements are compared with written documents.

From the world of paranoia: How many movies are based on the backroom committee making all the decisions and the leader is simply a figurehead. Rezko sure pops up alot with many people tied to him. Most of these people turn out to be Bozos who are simply clueless on how to run large organizations, but they cause endless damage while filling their own pockets. Who is really running the show once you fill spaces with someone’s friends?

Thought the system was going to be changed. Must be right up there with “Read my lips…”

Comment by zatoichi Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 9:56 am
Den of Theives

John Mitola
Jack Hartman
Antoin ” Big Tony ” Rezko
Christopher G . Kelly
Brian J. McPartlin
Scott Okun
Andrew Lawrence

Comment by Truth and Consequences Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 10:04 am
I am disgusted by the greed of this governor and his cronies. They live by the creed that there is a sucker born every minute and we the citizens are the suckers. How much is enough? Am I a fool for believing that government exists to secure the safety and needs of the people and not engorge the bank accounts of those feeding the governors campaign fund?

I feel sorry for the Lieutenant Governor whom I believe is an honest man. How he swims in this cesspool and manages to keep his head above the sludge is a miracle.

Comment by Merlin Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 10:07 am
My comments are not appearing. I’ve posted once today, once yesterday. Rich — are you holding comments?

Comment by Hoosier Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 11:35 am
test. comments not appearing.

Comment by Hoosier Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 11:35 am
Everyday,day after day after day. Does this administration do anything that not corrupt?

I’m tired of hearing and reading about it. But if Blagojevich hasn’t done anything yet to change his administration then who am I to be tired of hearing about it.

It’s going to keep coming and coming and coming. Has anyone noticed most lawsuits filed recently against this current administration are filed against Rod Blagojevich himself.

This is called accountability which this state lacks, however so called “disgruntle employees” are hitting the state hard with lawsuits.

Comment by ONE MCMAD Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 2:50 pm
I’ve stayed out of this thread to see how it would progress through the day. It’s a bit surprising. A year ago, an article like this would have spawned a lively discussion with more than 30 contributors. Today, we have nine? It appears we’re becoming used to it and/or are too wimped out to comment. Anyway, for my two cents, another day, another deal…

Comment by Common Sense in Illinois Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 3:18 pm
To: Common Sense in Illinois
The day is still young, give the people some time to absorb all this good news regarding our state.

Comment by Kankakee Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 3:37 pm
Actually Common Sense, I’ve finally figured it out:

Blagojevich is an evil genius!

Have enough scandals out there, and people merely become immune to stories about new ones, or old ones getting uglier.

So, you see, Blagojevich figured out from Day One how to win re-election.

Have an administration so foul and rotten that over time people lose their sense of smell.

Comment by Phocion Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 4:59 pm
The reason many don’t join in this fun blogging is… the Blago supporters just pretend like it isn’t here and that this isn’t happening… YDD, where are you? Skeeter? Anyone there? I guess not. After reading this… I, for some reason, remembered one of my favorite Blago quotes… “we are going to change the way our pension system works.” He sure did… oh, by the way, Tony, here are a bunch of state jobs for all of your friends and family…. You say you have a friend that works construction? Alright, he can be a regional manager. No experience… no problem….

Comment by Lovie's Leather Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 5:45 pm
Truth and Consequnces…

i know andrew lawrence and he is a straight up guy. please do not slander people’s dignity.

Comment by Obscure FM Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 5:45 pm
Hey everybody. This didn’t really happen did it? I mean the Gov’s spokesperson said she wasn’t aware of these things happening, so they must not have. Right?

These people are shameless and stupid. Did they think this wouldn’t come out? They just appear more stupid everyday because we find out more and more garbage that is going on. They have proved they just may be the most moronic group of people running an organization - ever!

I just ruined another pair of new sneakers when I threw up on them reading the farcical denials.

Comment by Papa Legba Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 5:51 pm
Velma Butler - hmmmm.

From the Comptroller’s Contract Website

06 - $232,462.50
05 - $110,131.73
04 - $54,676.11
03 - $38,995.00

What is wrong with this picture?

Comment by Anon. Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 6:38 pm
I think you can usually tell the Governor’s campaign staff. They ask leading questions, like polling push questions.

They are never overtly hostile or passionate, like strong partisans, but constantly trying to water down the investigations. Indeed, no one has been indicted YET, but if it looks, walks, talks, and sounds like a duck…it is probably a duck.

Comment by Ashur Odishoo Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 6:51 pm
Wait a minute.

Rezko is probably not a very nice person but if I gave somebody, anybody half a million bucks, I’d want something back too.

There’s a solution here. Mandatory public financing of campaigns. No private donations allowed.

It’s in our hands.

Comment by Cassandra Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 8:04 pm
In tomorrows Reader magazine in Chicago they have a cover story about Jon Burge and the torture that happened at Area 2 Police HQ, the long awaited “Burge Report” comes out in a few days and in the Reader they have a chart of everyone involved and where they are now. Cook County taxpayers will pay Super civil lawsuits on that one. If you remember the movie Above the Law with Steven Segal the evil Dr. charcter used the same device that Jon Burge used. The movie was filmed in Chicago with lots of Chicago cops as extras and some people say that the charcter was based on Jon Bruge…..ouch If you have not see Above the Law the video detective has a clip up at http://videodetective.com/home.asp?PublishedID=763

Comment by Richard Thursday, Jun 15, 06 @ 11:30 pm
To: Obscure FM

Wonder why he’s not working at the Illinois Tollway anymore ? Couldn’t be because the fix was in on the Central Administration cafeteria contract which was in his charge.
You didn’t defend the others, how come ?

Comment by Truth and Consequences Friday, Jun 16, 06 @ 8:38 am
I learned with interest that Mr. Rezko lives in my neighborhood, I happened to drive by his house today and there is a Channel 7 news van in front. My guess is he is back in Syria and has no interest in facing his charges. I have met Fortunee Massuda, sketchy character.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Oct 11, 06 @ 6:18 pm