Busted!... Obama-Rezko Buddy Blagojevich Caught In Scandal!
This is the photo Obama's Executive Office went to Townhall.com in a "Google Image" search
Sources tell CBS 2 News Chicago that Federal agents claim to have enough evidence to indict Blagojevich on fraud and conspiracy charges. However, the report says the investigators aren't the ones who make the decision to prosecute. That would be up to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and the Justice Department in Washington.
Same Day Blog Posting Was All About Desiree Roger's (Michelle Obama's Social Secretary) ex (?) husband and Obama:
Another overlapping donor is John Rogers, head of Ariel Capital, a major Chicago-based investment firm. Rogers gave $12,500 to Blagojevich in 2004, the FBI spreadsheet shows. Rogers has also given Obama $25,000, state and FEC records reveal.
Aides to Obama and Rogers said the pair has a friendship that is separate from Rezko. Ariel vice president Matt Yale said Rogers’ inclusion on the FBI spreadsheet was a surprise, adding, “To the best of our knowledge, we have not made any contributions to Governor Blagojevich or any political candidate on behalf of Tony Rezko.” Ariel is not implicated in the criminal case.
As an Illinois state senator, Obama appeared before Illinois pension funds in 2000 and 2001 to urge that they provide more business to black-owned investment houses including, as it happens, Ariel.
Describing his efforts to the Urban League last year, Obama said African-American-owned firms were not getting any business from state pensions. Obama singled out Rogers’ Ariel Capital, calling it a well-respected investment house, but one that received no business.
“We didn't have to implement a formal program,” Obama told the Urban League, taking no credit. “I simply said, ‘Listen to what these folks have to say,’ and in about six months they got about a half billion dollars worth of business simply on their own excellence.”
In 2002, the year after Obama made the pitch, the Illinois Teacher Retirement System reported an 18% increase in assets managed by minority-owned firms. Ariel’s share grew to $442 million by 2005.
In 2006, after the federal investigation became public, the teacher pension board severed its relationship with Ariel, concluding that Ariel’s investment returns were insufficient.
As he was for Blagojevich in his initial run for governor in 2002, Rezko in 2003 and 2004 was part of Obama’s finance committee, responsible for raising campaign money.
The eventual winner of that primary: Barack Obama.
-- Andrew Malcolm (A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. ) Excerpted from:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/04/obamarezko.html
and
John W. Rogers Jr.
John W. Rogers Jr. Is Chairman, CEO & Chief Investment Officer And Lead Portfolio Manager Of Ariel Investments. (Ariel Investments Website, www.arielinvestments.com, Accessed 5/20/08)
- Ariel Investments Is A Privately Owned Chicago-Based Money Management Firm That Manages Separate Accounts For Corporate, Public, Union, And Non-Profit Organizations, As Well As Serves As The Investment Adviser To Its Publicly Traded, No-Load Mutual Funds. (Ariel Investments Web site, www.arielinvestments.com, Accessed 5/20/08)
Rogers And Other Ariel Executives, Who Do Business With The City Of Chicago Pensions, Gave Large Quantities Of Money To Chicago Mayor Richard Daley Despite Limits On Contributions For City Contractors Because Of A Loophole For Pension Funds. (Todd Lighty, Laurie Cohen and John McCormick, “How Daley Campaign Keeps The Cash Flowing,” Chicago Tribune, 2/18/07)
After Having Provided $117,500 To Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Ariel Investment And Its Executives Are the Second Largest Contributors With Ties To State Pension Business, Managing $578 Million In State Pension Funds. (Dave McKinney and Chris Fusco, “Pension Fund Firms Big Donors To Gov,” Chicago Sun-Times, 10/3/05)
- “Ariel President John Rogers Said The Donations Reflect A Close Philosophical Alignment With Blagojevich.” (Dave McKinney and Chris Fusco, “Pension Fund Firms Big Donors To Gov,” Chicago Sun-Times, 10/3/05)
John Rogers Has Been Connected To Tony Rezko Through Released Court Documents; The Government Case Against Rezko Stated That In 2004, Rezko Raised $22,500 For Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Through Rogers. (U.S. vs. Rezko, Trail Exhibits, “Rezko Donation Chart June 2001 To August 2004,” U.S. Department Of Justice, www.usdoj.gov, 3/7/08) http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/hot/us_v_rezko_exhibits/2008_03_07/fob_chart_1.pdf
“As An Illinois State Senator, Obama Appeared Before Illinois Pension Funds In 2000 And 2001 To Urge That They Provide More Business To Black-Owned Investment Houses Including, As It Happens, Ariel.” (Andrew Malcolm, “Obama And Rezko, The Early Years,” Los Angeles Times’ “Top Of The Ticket” Blog, latimesblogs.latimes.com, 4/7/08)
- “In 2002, The Year After Obama Made The Pitch, The Illinois Teacher Retirement System Reported An 18% Increase In Assets Managed By Minority-Owned Firms. Ariel’s Share Grew To $442 Million By 2005.” (Andrew Malcolm, “Obama And Rezko, The Early Years,” Los Angeles Times’ “Top Of The Ticket” Blog, latimesblogs.latimes.com, 4/7/08)
- “In 2006, After The Federal Investigation Became Public, The Teacher Pension Board Severed Its Relationship With Ariel, Concluding That Ariel’s Investment Returns Were Insufficient.” (Andrew Malcolm, “Obama And Rezko, The Early Years,” Los Angeles Times’ “Top Of The Ticket” Blog, latimesblogs.latimes.com, 4/7/08) “In 2005, Obama Took 23 Such Private Aircraft Flights, Some To Attend Fundraisers He Headlined. … Another Was On A Plane Controlled By John Rogers, The Chairman And CEO Of Chicago’s Ariel Capital Management.” (Lynn Sweet, “Obama In Flight,” The Hill, 2/2/06 (Article is in full below)
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- In June 2008, John Rogers Hosted An Economic Roundtable In Chicago That Featured Warren Buffet And Doubled As A Democratic Fundraiser At Which Attendees Needed To Contribute Or Raise $28,500. (Michael Luo And Christopher Drew, “Obama Picks Up Fund-Raising Pace,” The New York Times, 7/3/08)
John Rogers Was Previously Married To Desiree Glapion Rogers, Who Also Is A Bundler For Obama’s Campaign. (Matthew Mosk and Alec MacGillis, “Big Donors Among Obama's Grass Roots,” The Washington Post, 4/11/08; Obama For America Web site, www.barackobama.com, Accessed 5/19/08)