Rezko to judge: 'I did nothing wrong with Obama'
In a letter to U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve just made public, Tony Rezko pleas to be let out of prison during his trial so he can see his family. He also discusses his case, saying he was pressured to give up the goods on Gov. Blagojevich and Sen. Barack Obama, but that he had nothing bad to say about them.
"I have never been party to any wrongdoing that involved the governor or the senator. I will never fabricate lies about anyone else for selfish purposes. I will take what comes my way but I will not hurt innocent people. I am not Levine, Loren, Mahru or Winter. I am simply an honest, humble immigrant who believes in the American dream," Rezko wrote as he was kept in solitary confinement in a downtown lockup earlier this year. He was speaking of numerous people who testified at his trial or talked to prosecutors.
(Tom Cruze/Sun-Times)
Sources say that the feds have not approached Obama to question him regarding Rezko. Rezko was a longtime Obama supporter in Obama's early, formative years as a politician. In Rezko's criminal case, money from a kickback scheme ended up in Obama's campaign fund, though there was never an allegation Obama knew about it. Obama later gave that money to charity.
In his letter, Rezko states that he's been under pressure by federal prosecutors to give information on Obama and Blagojevich. However, Rezko has never submitted to an interview by the feds nor has he proffered a statement to them.
The letter was a plea to St. Eve to allow him to see his family again as his trial continued. Rezko said he was stripped from his home unfairly Jan. 28 -- when he was arrested on a bond violation.
"I did not die but in some ways I feel like I died without having a chance to say goodbye."
St. Eve did release Rezko on $8.5 million bond in April. It was secured by a number of properties belonging to family and friends. However, upon his conviction, Rezko voluntarily surrendered to prison, releasing holds on all the properties. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 3.