Democrats Select Tony Rezko’s Banker for Illinois Senate Jennifer Rubin
The Bear on Feb 08 2010 at 8:40 am | Filed under: Culture of Corruption, Election 2010
You almost wonder whether Karl Rove has infiltrated the Democratic Party. How else to explain how the Democrats could nominate to replace Roland Burris, the senator from Blagojevich, the banker for Tony Rezko? As the Chicago Tribune explained, state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias beat back a feisty challenger who made hay out of Giannoulias’s “handling of the state’s college loan program, which lost $150 million; and of loans Giannoulias gave to controversial recipients while working as vice-president of his family’s now-struggling Broadway Bank.” Those controversial recipients include Rezko and some figures of organized crime. The Chicago Sun Times explained:
Among the loans Giannoulias has gotten heat for:
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* More than $10 million from 2001 to 2005 to alleged Father & Son Russian mobster team Lev and Boris Stratievsky. Father Lev has passed away. Son Boris is in jail facing money-laundering charges. Broadway funded development projects some on the South Side — that tenants and city attorneys complained were roach motels. Broadway has been unable to collect on the loans.
* About $12.9 million to convicted bookmaker Michael Giorango for a Miami Beach hotel and a Hollywood, Fla., restaurant, among other ventures, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. Broadway has sued Giorango and his partner, Demitri Stavropoulos, convicted of running a betting operation in Chicago, seeking to get the money back. Giannoulias initially downplayed his relationship with Giorango, noting the loans to him started before he joined the bank. Later he said he went to Miami to meet Giorango and inspect the property, and that another $3 million loan to Giorango was for a South Carolina casino.
Read more from Commentary Magazine
SideBear: It’s hard to believe this is the candidate whom the Democrats wanted as their nominee but you can’t look past that this is Obama’s ‘buddy.’
Here is the top of the Illinois Democratic ticket for 2010
For Senator: Tony Rezko’s Banker (Read about him above)
For Governor: A guy who become governor by default because the former governor was indicted and impeached. His answer to Illinois’ deficit problems… raise taxes by 50%.
For Lieutenant Governor: A guy who is being sued by his ex-wife for child support and arrested for holding a knife to an ex-girlfriend’s throat who turned out to be a prostitute.
If the Illinois GOP can’t win this one they should all resign immediately.
Update: The Democratic nominee for Illinois lieutenant governor has dropped out of the race less than a week after winning the nomination amid a political uproar about his past.
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