Rezko violated terms of bail

Chicago Sun-Times:

Convicted political fixer Tony Rezko had a hard time following rules -- even simple ones, like when a federal judge told him: Stay home.

Twice, Rezko violated the home-confinement terms of his bail, formerly sealed court files show, by making "social calls" -- including last September to the home of former top Cook County official Orlando Jones after Jones committed suicide.

"FBI agents responding to information regarding the suicide of Rezko's associate Orlando Jones were surprised to find Rezko at the Jones home after Jones' suicide. This was not Rezko's only social call," federal prosecutors wrote on Feb. 25, 2008. " . . . it is a further indication that Rezko did not respect the strictures of home confinement.

...

• • Prosecutors put a value on Rezko's schemes. "The government believes that Rezko's schemes cheated victims out of over $10 million," assistant U.S. attorney Reid Schar wrote in one filing. "Every dollar defendant spends to buy his way out of custody is one less dollar that could be used to repay these victims." Besides the corruption conviction, Rezko still faces trial early next year on business-fraud charges involving his fast-food franchises.

...

• • Rezko struck a deal last August with fellow Blagojevich fund-raiser Christopher G. Kelly to settle a $1.7 million debt -- money that Kelly, who is awaiting trial on tax charges related to gambling, had invested in Rezko companies between 2002 and 2006.

In the fall of 2006, Kelly "expressed concern that his investment with Rezko would be a total loss," prosecutors wrote.

The settlement had Rezko giving Kelly a small stake in a 62-acre South Loop site that Rezko was trying to develop. The property is now controlled by Nadhmi Auchi, an Iraqi-born billionaire. Kelly got a loan for an undisclosed amount from an Auchi company earlier this year. It's unclear if that's tied to his stake in the South Loop property.

This is apparently the same Auchi that Obama has no memory of meeting. I think he is the same one who has lawyers writing letters to the media and bloggers about any suggestions of impropriety. If they read this and believe that the Sun-Times or the prosecutors are misinformed, please feel free to express your concerns in the comments. Not that there is anything wrong with making real estate development loans, I would add. I have seen hundreds of such documents and they can make interesting reading. Really.

As for Rezko, he is not helping his case for an appeal or a probated sentence by engaging in conduct that appears to suggest the rules and the law does not apply to him.