Monday, March 03, 2008

Obama Problem #2   [Byron York]

The latest from the Clinton campaign:

To: Interested Parties
From: Clinton Campaign
Date: Monday, March 03, 2008
Regarding: Questions Sen. Obama Should Answer About Tony Rezko

The trail [sic] of indicted influence peddler Tony Rezko – longtime friend and political patron of Sen. Barack Obama — starts today . Sen. Obama's name has already surfaced in pre-trial documents submitted by the prosecution and, according to media reports, is likely to surface again as the trial progresses. Democrats deserve the answers to these questions as they consider their votes:

1. Will Sen. Obama release all documents related to his relationship with Tony Rezko, including all documents related to his controversial land transaction?

2. When, specifically, did Sen. Obama become aware of Mr. Rezko's legal problems?

3. Sen. Obama has returned money from several individuals who are publicly associated with Mr. Rezko. How much money did Mr. Rezko bundle for Sen. Obama's campaigns in total, including people who are not business associates of Mr. Rezko? How many fundraisers did Mr. Rezko hold for Sen. Obama? Has there been an internal investigation to determine how many straw donors Mr. Rezko used to funnel money to Sen. Obama?

4. Much of the upcoming trail involves Mr. Rezko's efforts to control state boards as a means to defraud the state government. Have Sen. Obama and Mr. Rezko ever communicated about potential appointments to Illinois boards and commissions? It's been publicly reported that Sen. Obama lobbied these same state boards to secure contracts for campaign donors. Did Sen. Obama ever confer with Mr. Rezko concerning how to successfully lobby state boards?

5. The New York Times reported that Sen. Obama attended a business meeting on behalf of Mr. Rezko to impress potential investors for his business schemes. How many events did Sen. Obama attend on behalf of Mr. Rezko to impress investors? What was his role? Why did Sen. Obama agree to attend?

6. How many times did Senator Obama visit Tony Rezko's house? What was the purpose of these visits?

7. Did Sen. Obama intercede on behalf of Mr. Rezko in any governmental capacity?

As top Obama adviser David Axelrod said on ABC yesterday, when the Clinton campaign's Howard Wolfson used the word "unusual" to describe the Obama/Rezko land deal: "With all due respect, I would think that the Clinton campaign would be the last person to be wanting to characterize any real estate transaction as unusual." Still, these are questions Obama will have to answer in some detail, sooner or later.

03/03 11:06 AMShare