As Obama Campaigns In Las Vegas, Will He Address His And His Supporters
Questionable Housing Deals?
WASHINGTON, June 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was issued today
by the Republican National Committee:
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO )
Obama's Longtime Associate, Tony Rezko, Pops Up Again On Campaign Trail:
A Las Vegas Judge Issued A Felony Arrest Warrant For Antoin "Tony" Rezko For
Failing To Pay $472,275 In Gambling Debts. "A Las Vegas judge has issued a
felony arrest warrant for a politically connected Chicago businessman whose
ties to Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama have become an issue in
the campaign. Antoin "Tony" Rezko, who is standing trial on federal corruption
charges in Chicago, is wanted in Las Vegas for failing to pay $472,275 in
gambling debts to Caesars Palace and Bally's and related processing fees to
the Clark County district attorney's office." (Jeff German, "Fundraiser Faces
Arrest In Multiple Gaming Debts," Las Vegas Sun, 5/29/08)
FLASHBACK: Rezko Gave Obama A Sweetheart Deal On House In Chicago:
Obama Paid $300,000 Less Than The Asking Price For His Mansion, While Tony
Rezko's Wife Paid Full Price For A Vacant Lot Next Door On The Very Same Day.
"Two years ago, Obama bought a mansion on the South Side, in the Kenwood
neighborhood, from a doctor. On the same day, [Antoin 'Tony'] Rezko's wife,
Rita Rezko, bought the vacant lot next door from the same seller. The doctor
had listed the properties for sale together. He sold the house to Obama for
$300,000 below the asking price. The doctor got his asking price on the lot
from Rezko's wife."(Tim Novak, "Obama And His Rezko Ties," Chicago Sun-Times,
4/23/07)
-- The Seller Of Obama's Home "Wanted To Sell Both Properties At
The Same Time." "On the same day Obama closed on his house,
Rezko's wife bought the adjacent empty lot, meeting the condition
of the seller who wanted to sell both properties at the same time."
(Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz, "The Rezko Connection," ABC
News' "The Blotter" Blog, abcnews.go.com, 1/10/08)
Obama Later Purchased A Portion Of Rezko's Land For $104,500; It Was Valued At
$40,500. "Later, the Obamas bought a 10-foot-by-150-foot piece of the lot for
$104,500. An appraisal put the value of the strip at $40,500, a spokesman
said, but Obama considered it fair to pay one-sixth of the original price for
one-sixth of the lot." (Peter Slevin, "Obama Says He Regrets Land Deal With
Fundraiser," The WashingtonPost, 12/17/06)
Obama Called His Purchase "A Boneheaded Move" Because Rezko "Was Already Under
A Cloud Of Concern." "'I am the first one to acknowledge that it was a
boneheaded move for me to purchase this 10-foot strip from Rezko, given that
he was already under a cloud of concern,' Obama said. 'I will also acknowledge
that from his perspective, he no doubt believed that by buying the piece of
property next to me that he would, if not be doing me a favor, it would help
strengthen our relationship.'" (Rick Pearson, "Obama Believes Himself A
'Viable Candidate' For Presidency," Chicago Tribune, 12/14/06)
OTHER OBAMA CONTROVERSIAL TIES TO HOUSING
Alexi Giannoulias, A Long Time Obama Supporter Who Was Backed By Obama In His
Successful Bid For Illinois State Treasurer, Gave Mortgages To A Noted Crime
Figure That Were Used In The Purchase Of A Casino:
Giannoulias Has Served As National Chairman Of The Greeks For Obama Committee.
"Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, National Chairman of Greeks for
Obama Committee, issued on Friday his positions on Greek national issues.
Treasurer Giannoulias was one of Senator Obama's earliest supporters during
his candidacy for the United States Senate, and has been in the forefront of
the Obama presidential campaign, consistently surrogating for the Senator,
fundraising for the campaign, and organizing field operations." ("Giannoulias
Expands Reach Of National Greeks For Obama Committee," Greek News, 2/11/08)
(http://www.greeknewsonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8076&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0_order=0&thold=0_)
-- Obama: "I've got a very personal relationship with Alexi ...
He was critical for me in terms of reaching out to the Greek
community,
other ethnic communities in the city. He was there from the start,
when
people didn't give me a shot."(Rick Pearson, "Parties Get
Set For Busy Primary," Chicago Tribune, 12/5/05)
In 2006, Alex Giannoulias Was Elected Treasurer Of The State Of Illinois. "At
the age of 30, Alexi Giannoulias became the youngest State Treasurer in the
nation when he was elected to office on November 7, 2006." (Illinois State
Treasurer Alex Giannoulias Website, www.treasurer.il.gov, Accessed 4/21/08)
-- NOTE: Obama Endorsed Alexi Giannoulias For State Treasurer. "U.S.
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said his endorsement of Alexi Giannoulias,
29, vice president of the Giannoulias family's Broadway Bank in
Chicago, was not a challenge to the slating process of the state
Democratic Party." (Rick Pearson, "Parties Get Set For Busy
Primary," Chicago Tribune, 12/5/05)
• Click Here To Watch Obama Endorse Giannoulias
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBE77hRRkVc)
Giannoulias Came Under Fire For Lending Money To Noted Crime Figure Michael
Giorango. "Giannoulias, who is senior loan officer at his family's Broadway
Bank, has faced questions about the bank's multi-million-dollar loans to
Michael Giorango, a convicted bookmaker and prostitution ring promoter." (Rick
Pearson and David Jackson, "Obama Leans On Treasurer Nominee," Chicago
Tribune, 4/13/06)
-- Giannoulias Oversaw $11.8 Million In Mortgages Made To Giorango.
"Questioned by the Tribune in March about loans made between 1994
and 2002, Giannoulias said those deals were approved before he became
a
full-time bank employee. But the Tribune reported Sunday that newly
discovered public records show Broadway Bank made $11.8 million in
additional mortgage loans to Giorango just last year. Giannoulias said
he oversaw the servicing of those loans." (Rick Pearson and David
Jackson, "Obama Leans On Treasurer Nominee," Chicago Tribune,
4/13/06)
-- Giannoulias Claimed That He Thought The Property Was For Condos, But
Records Show That Giorango Used A Portion Of The Loans To Purchase A
Casino Boat Marina. "In March, Giannoulias said Broadway Bank
'never financed any casinos. We never did anything like that.'
But newly obtained records show that $3.6 million of the recent loans
were used by Giorango and another convicted felon to acquire a casino
boat marina in Myrtle Beach, S.C.Giannoulias said he thought that
property was for condos." Hidden List (Rick Pearson and
David Jackson, "Obama Leans On Treasurer Nominee," Chicago
Tribune, 4/13/06)
NOTE: Rezko's Casino Debt Was Partially Obtained By Writing Bad Checks On His
Account At Alexi Giannoulias' Broadway Bank. "Rezko allegedly accumulated
$450,000 in debts to CaesarsPalaceand Bally's Hotel Casino between March and
July 2006. He passed nine bad checks and got hundreds of thousands of dollars
in cash or gaming chips in return, Roger said. The bad checks, written on
Rezko's Broadway Bank account, were for amounts ranging from $15,000 to
$120,000." (Natasha Korecki and Chris Fusco, "Rezko Wanted In Vegas For
$450,000 In Debts," Chicago Sun-Times, 5/30/08 )
Jim Johnson, A Former CEO Of Fannie Mae And Former Top Campaign Adviser,
Received Sweetheart Housing Deal From Countrywide Financial:
Jim Johnson, A Former CEO Of Fannie Mae Chosen To Lead Obama's Vice
Presidential Search Committee, Received Special Loans From Countrywide
Financial CEO Angelo Mozilo. "Countrywide Financial Corp. makes mortgage loans
through a vast network of offices, brokers and call centers. But a few
customers have gotten their loans a special way: through Countrywide Chief
Executive Angelo Mozilo. These borrowers, known internally as 'friends of
Angelo' or FoA, include two former CEOs of Fannie Mae, the biggest buyer of
Countrywide's mortgages, say people familiar with the matter. One was James
Johnson, a longtime Democratic Party power and an adviser to Sen. Barack
Obama's campaign, who this past week was named to a panel that is vetting
running-mate possibilities for the presumed nominee." (Glenn R. Simpson and
James R. Hagerty, "Countrywide Friends Got Good Loans," The Wall Street
Journal, 6/7/08)
-- While CEO Of Fannie Mae, Johnson And Mozilo Worked Closely And
Maintained A "Close Friendship." "From 1991 to 1998, Mr.
Johnson served as CEO of the Federal National Mortgage Association,
also
known as Fannie Mae, which worked closely with Countrywide, one of the
nation's leading lenders and loan servicing companies. In 1996, Mr.
Johnson named Mr. Mozilo as chairman of Fannie Mae's national
advisory council. A 1999 article in the American Banker said the two
men
had a 'close friendship.'" (Josh Gerstein, "Top
Talent Scout For Obama Tied To Subprime Lender," The New YorkSun,
6/9/08)
"Property Records Show Mr. Johnson Has Received More Than $7 Million In Loans
From Countrywide Since 1998, The First Coming In The Waning Days Of His Fannie
Mae Tenure."(Glenn R. Simpson and James R. Hagerty, "Countrywide Friends Got
Good Loans," The Wall Street Journal, 6/7/08)
-- At Least Two Of The Mortgages Were At Rates "Below Market
Averages." "The Journal said at least two of the mortgages,
among a series of loans made available to people Countrywide officials
called 'friends of Angelo,' were at rates below market
averages, though it is difficult to predict a market rate without
access
to nonpublic information about a borrower's credit history and
other factors that can reduce interest charges on a loan." (Josh
Gerstein, "Top Talent Scout For Obama Tied To Subprime
Lender," The New YorkSun, 6/9/08)
Penny Pritzker, Obama's National Finance Chair And Campaign Bundler, Owned A
Failed Bank That Specialized In Subprime Lending:
Penny Pritzker Is The National Finance Chairman For Barack Obama. "And Penny
Pritzker, a Chicagophilanthropist, serves as Mr. Obama's national finance
chairman even as her brother, Jay Robert, holds fund-raisers across town for
Mrs. Clinton." (Jodi Kantor, "In Democratic Families, Politics Makes For
Estranged Bedfellows," The New YorkTimes, 2/4/08)
-- Pritzker Is A Bundler For Obama's Presidential Campaign And Has
Committed To Raising Over $200,000. (Obama For America Website,
www.barackobama.com, Accessed 5/19/08)
The Pritzker Family Co-Owned Superior Bank FSB. "Ms. Pritzker, who declined to
be interviewed, has confronted other challenges, including the 2001 collapse
of Superior Bank FSB, which the Pritzker family co-owned, resulting in a
$460-million payment to federal regulators, and a rift over family assets that
settled out of court in 2005. She oversees the Pritzker family's non-hotel
real estate interests and chairs its TransUnion LLC credit bureau." (Steven R.
Strahler, "Penny Pritzker," Chicago Crain's Business, 5/7/07)
-- "Penny Pritzker Served As Head Of The Board From 1991-94 And Is A
Director Of The Bank's Parent Holding Company, Coast To Coast
Financial Corp." (Melissa Allison and William Neikirk, "Bank
Closes As Pritzkers Back Out Of Bailout Plan," Chicago Tribune,
7/28/01)
"Superior Bank Specialized In 'Sub-Prime Lending,' Which Is Making Loans To
Underserved Borrowers, Who Are Often Poor Minorities."(Kathleen Day,
"Regulators Probe Bank Loan To Co-Owner," The WashingtonPost, 7/31/01)
-- Superior Bank Was A "Subprime Lender That Made Risky Mortgage And
Auto Loans To People With Poor Credit Histories." "Auditors
Ernst & Young...agreed to pay the FDIC $40 million in restitution in
connection with the collapse of the bank, a subprime lender that made
risky mortgage and auto loans to people with poor credit histories. It
had about $2 billion in assets when it was shuttered." (Kathy
Bergen, "Millions For Pritzkers In Settlement," Chicago
Tribune, 12/28/04)
NOTE: NevadaLed The Nation In Foreclosures In May, And Has Led The Nation For
17 Straight Months."Nevadaled the nation in foreclosure activity in May, the
17th straight month that the state had the nation's highest rate, according to
a report released today."(Jason Hidalgo, "State A Leader In Filings," Reno
Gazette-Journal, 6/13/08)
Paid for by the Republican National Committee. Not authorized by any candidate
or candidate's committee.
SOURCE Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee, +1-202-863-8614
