One of the duties that would face a President Obama is to appoint federal prosecutors in the dozens of jurisdictions across the nation. When President Bush assumed office, at the recommendation of Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, Obama's Republican predecessor, the controversial Peter Fitzgerald (no relation) was selected to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
Of course outside the Land of Lincoln, "Fitzmas" is best known for his stint as the special prosecutor in the Valerie Plame "outing" case, one that ended up with the perjury conviction of Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, Scooter Libby.
But in Illinois, Fitzgerald's reputation is that of a bi-partisan corruption crusher. Republicans, including former Governor George H. Ryan, felt the heat from Fitzgerald (and his predecessor) during the Operation Safe Roads investigation. Fitzgerald's office prosecuted the Kankakee Republican, who began his 78 month prison sentence last month.
Chicago's City Hall, run by Democrats, hasn't escape Fitzgerald's hard gaze. The Hired Truck Scandal was another front on his war on graft, and Fitzgerald's pursuit of justice led to the conviction of Mayor Richard Daley's patronage chief and at least 22 others.
Although he vowed to "govern as a reformer," George Ryan's successor, Democrat Rod Blagojevich, has been anything but that. He lied. Fitzgerald's office is prosecuting two two chief "Blago" fundraisers Christopher Kelly and Antoin "Tony" Rezko.
He was first indicted fourteen months ago on various charges in what Fitzgerald called "play to pay on steroids." In short, the indictment alleges that if money was given to Blagojevich's campaign fund, the doors to state business and jobs would open.
Rezko can arguably called Obama's first political sponsor, he reached out to Obama in the early 1990s while he was still in law school. Obama was a fundraiser for Obama's early campaigns, and the pair had lunch together once or twice a year.
Rezko's North Shore mansion was the location of an important 2003 fund raising event for Obama's senate campaign. It was an ironic time to hold such a function, as the Chicago Sun-Times reported last year--which I reported on this blog:
At the time of the party, the state was in the process of foreclosing on a low-income apartment building Rezko's company rehabbed in Obama's state Senate district -- a rehab project on which Obama's law firm worked. Rezko had also abandoned many other low-income apartments, leaving numerous vacant units in need of major repairs.
Fitzgerald isn't just investigating Kelly and Rezko. Two close Rezko associates who donated $5,000 to Obama's Senate campaign, Ali Ata and Abdelhamid "Al" Chaib, are also being prosecuted by Fitzgerald's office.
Rezko's corruption trial is scheduled to begin in late February, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was delayed. Also, future indictments of Rezko can't be ruled out: Just last week he was indicted on six additional charges. No trial dates have been set for Chaib or Ata.
Which means of course that there is a very good chance, if of course he is elected president, that Barack Obama could be appointing the person who will be prosecuting Rezko, Chaib, Ata, and others tied to Blagojevich era corruption.
In a meeting last year with the Chicago Tribune editorial board, John Kass asked Obama if he'd keep Fitzgerald as US Attorney. He hedged on the question.
That meeting came about after questions were raised about the 2005 real estate deal the Obamas and Rezko's wife conducted that had the Obamas purchase their South Side Chicago mansion, with Rita Rezko purchasing a comparatively narrow strip of land south of the home. Up until that purchase, the land and the home were always sold as one parcel. A few months later, the Obamas purchased 1/6 of the "Rezko lot." It's my opinion the Obamas couldn't afford the home, so he used his Rezko connection to have Rita buy that land, and it was the Obamas' plan to slowly repurchase the strip.
That not only looks like a favor, but a loan to a man who was a member of the nation's most elite club: The United States Senate. The arrangement was legal, but quite sleazy. And it's very important to remember it was common knowledge within Illinois political circles that Rezko was under federal investigation.
Now that Obama's presidential hopes are looking better, it's time to ask the senator how would he handle the appointment of the US Attorney for Northern Illinois. Or will he keep Fitzgerald?
The 12 million residents of Illinois deserve good government, and Obama shouldn't let personal relationships affect the operations of this crucial office.
Related posts:
"Rezko lot" next to Obama's home for sale
Ill. corruption watch: Obama donates Rezko associate's contribution to charity
Obama donates more Rezko tainted donations to charity
Obama gives up donation from man with Rezko ties
Obama ditching more Rezko linked cash, but what about Hillary and IPA?
Rezko cash three times what Obama claims
Obama can't shake Tony Rezko
Obama vows to clean up Washington as president
"Consigliere" Rezko still shadowing Obama
Ex-Gov. Ryan in prison, but will his successor be indicted?
Feds hit Tony Rezko with six more charges
Obama and the Laborers' Union Ed Smith
Obama's state treasurer pal needs a memory upgrade
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