What the jury did was vindicate the interests of the citizens of Illinois and honest government," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said.
The nine-week trial included explosive testimony about drug-fueled parties involving the government's star witness and allegations that the governor discussed a state job for a donor after the donor handed over a $25,000 check for Blagojevich's campaign.
Testimony barely touched on the relationship between Obama and Rezko, who has known the Democratic presidential candidate since he entered politics and was involved in a 2005 real estate deal with him. Most of the focus was on shakedowns prosecutors said Rezko arranged when he was a top adviser to Blagojevich.
Obama's association with Rezko has been covered in detail as well as Obama admitting publicly he showed bad judgment in his dealings with Rezko.
Bad judgment....something Obama has been showing with considerable ease lately, which makes the news that Hillary Clinton is going to suspend her campaign (if true) even more sweet and the RNC and McCain launching their offensive against him all the more timely.
Previously about Rezko:
First Obama said that his association with Antoin "Tony" Rezko, who is currently facing federal charges of attempted extortion, money laundering, and fraud, wasn't a close association, which news reports later showed wasn't exactly the truth. Then further digging showed there was also more money that exchanged hands than previously admitted.
Barack Obama admitted to having shown poor judgment with his association with Rezko.
Back to his conviction:
Rezko's bond was immediately revoked Wednesday and he was taken into federal custody until his Sept. 3 sentencing.
"Mr. Rezko, on his own, decided that if he was convicted he wanted to immediately start serving his sentence," said defense attorney Joseph Duffy, who added that he would appeal.
Rezko's defense attorneys maintained that the government had little evidence tying him to corruption and that the star witness, admitted political fixer Stuart P. Levine, was not credible because years of drug use had damaged his memory.
More on his association with Barack Obama:
While Obama's name rarely surfaced during testimony, the case drew attention to Obama's relationship with Rezko, a man Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton derided in one televised debate as a "slum landlord."
Rezko, a real estate developer and fast-food entrepreneur, had been friendly with Obama for years, even offering him a job after Obama finished law school. Obama turned down the offer, but a political friendship developed.
For Obama's campaigns in Illinois, Rezko personally donated more than $21,000 and raised far more. Rezko did not personally donate to Obama's presidential campaign, but he helped raise $150,000. Obama has donated that amount to charity.
He also advised Obama on the purchase of a new Chicago home and, in his wife's name, purchased a vacant lot next to the new Obama home at the same time from a couple who insisted on selling both pieces of property simultaneously. The purchase raised questions about the extent of his help.
Just another questionable association out of so many for Obama...nothing to see here, move right along, right?
Not a chance!
More from the Chicago Tribune.
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