Ex-Blagojevich aide to plead guilty in Rezko case

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

A former top official in Gov. Blagojevich's administration plans to plead guilty this afternoon to charges tied to a loan-fraud scheme involving Tony Rezko.

Ali Ata, 56, of Lemont, is expected to plead guilty to making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer and a tax-related count.


Ata -- a former executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority -- said Blagojevich was in on discussions about trading campaign cash for his government post.

Ata was accused last June in a scheme that already ensnared ex-gubernatorial fund-raiser Rezko, who's now on trial on unrelated corruption charges.

While executive director of the state finance agency, Ata signed a letter bearing the agency's name to help Rezko fraudulently secure $10 million in loans, prosecutors charged. They said he did so at the request of Rezko to make it appear that an investor had partial state backing for a deal to acquire two groups of Rezko's Papa John's pizza restaurants in Chicago and Milwaukee.Only a miracle can prevent Rod Blagojevich from being indicted.

Ata knew Rezko wanted to show the letter to General Electric Capital Corp., prosecutors said, even though he knew it was phony.

Rezko has pleaded not guilty in that case, for which he has yet to stand trial.

You might say Rezko and Blagojevich are in some trouble.The amount of dollars we are talking about here is huge.Blagojevich is going to need a miracle to not get indicted.