'Pressure' on Rezko to discuss Obama in doubt
LETTER TO JUDGE | Claim of interview by prosecutors is false: sources
In a letter to a judge publicized last week, political fund-raiser Tony Rezko said "overzealous" prosecutors pressured him to tell them "the wrong things" about presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
But that letter appears to be misleading, given that Rezko never submitted to an interview with federal prosecutors or any federal investigators, sources said.
(Tom Cruze/Sun-Times)
(Al Podgorski/Sun-Times)
Rezko's lawyer, Joseph Duffy, said Rezko never sat down for an interview and was never pressured directly, or indirectly, through Duffy, to talk about Obama, Gov. Blagojevich -- or anyone else.
Rezko's correspondence to U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve came in April, in the midst of his corruption trial and as he sat in solitary confinement at a downtown lockup. Arrested in January after a bond violation, Rezko pleaded with St. Eve to release him so he could see his family and assist in his defense. She eventually did release him.
"Your honor, the prosecutors have been overzealous in pursuing a crime that never happened," Rezko said. "They are pressuring me to tell them the wrong things that I supposedly know about Gov. Blagojevich and Senator Barack Obama."
Sources say Rezko believed he was put in jail just before his trial as a tactic to get him to flip.
Rezko, 52, of Wilmette, was convicted of far-reaching fraud tied to state deals. He was a longtime fund-raiser to Blagojevich and Obama.
The letter sent a clear signal that Rezko was not interested in making a deal.
But Rezko's situation changed dramatically after his June 4 conviction. He not only landed right back in jail, but faces significant prison time. Beyond that, Rezko still faces two other criminal trials.
If Rezko were to have a future change of heart, the note he sent could end up backfiring on him, legal observers say.
Former prosecutor Zachary Fardon noted that Scott Fawell, former chief of staff to Gov. George Ryan, wrote a similar letter, saying he wouldn't make up lies about Ryan. Fawell was the star witness in Ryan's trial.
"Do I think he could effectively be crossed on this letter? Yes," Fardon said. "Does that mean they can't call him or use him [as a witness]? No."
A U.S. attorney's spokesman had no comment.