The Obama-Rezko Issue to Heat Up

The AP reports:

Defense attorneys for one of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's leading fundraisers asked a federal judge Tuesday for tapes of phone conversations between the government's star witness and a former alderman.

The request came as prosecutors and attorneys for Antoin "Tony" Rezko prepared for the real estate developer and fast-food entrepreneur's fraud, attempted extortion and money laundering trial, which is set for Feb. 25.

Rezko has been a major contributor to Blagojevich's campaign fund and is believed to have raised thousands of additional dollars for him and various other Illinois politicians.

Rezko is charged in a 24-count indictment with pressuring businesses seeking work before two state regulatory boards to make campaign contributions and payoffs.

Once the estimated eight- to 12-week trial is over, Rezko still will face federal charges that he swindled General Electric Capital Corp. out of $10 million in connection with the sale of two pizza restaurant chains.

At the hearing, Joseph Duffy asked for tapes of phone conversations between lawyer-businessman Stuart Levine and Edward R. Vrdolyak, a former 10th Ward alderman and Chicago political powerhouse now charged in a separate case with plotting to squeeze a developer for payoffs.

Levine, a millionaire political contributor to Democrat Blagojevich and several leading Republicans, has pleaded guilty to scheming with Rezko and is expected to be the prosecution's star witness at the trial.

At the hearing, federal prosecutors noted Duffy already has had access to the tapes of the Levine-Vrydolyak conversations and transcripts.

But Duffy said he needed the tapes themselves and prosecutors agreed to provide him and co-counsel William P. Ziegelmueller with copies.

The upcoming trial is starting to attract a national media spotlight because Rezko also was a contributor and fundraiser for presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. Reporters from The Los Angeles Times and NBC News as well as local newsmen were on hand in Judge Amy J. St. Eve's courtroom Tuesday.

The nation is about to find out about Obama the un-reformer.