Feds to show: Rezko As One Man Employment Agency For the State of Illinois

The Daily Herald reports:

Gubernatorial fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko had so much influence with the state of Illinois, state hiring officials not only took his advice on who to employ, but they came to his office to get it, a new federal government filing alleges.

In Rezko's upcoming trial, federal prosecutors plan to call Jennifer Thomas, an assistant to Joseph Cini, "who was the point person for hiring within a number of state agencies," said the government.

"Thomas will testify that from approximately late March or early April 2003 through November 2003, she and Cini attended regular meetings at Rezko's office where Rezko provided names and information on candidates not only for state agency jobs but also vacancies on boards and commissions," the government wrote.

In addition, Rezko received regular updates from Cini and Thomas as to the status of his recommendations in the hiring chain, the notes allege.

In the same document, prosecutors lay out their case for talking about Rezko's prodigious fundraising for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, drawing an inference of improper influence because of that fund-raising. Rezko's attorneys had objected to the admission of evidence of both categories, arguing fundraising is not illegal. But Monday, U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve allowed both and ordered the unsealing of the documents released Tuesday.

Illinois voters sure have a sense of style in the voting booth.No word yet from the Obama campaign on this one.