Secrets from the Rezko files: violated bail terms and had a net worth of $53 million

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

Convicted political fixer Tony Rezko had a hard time following rules -- even simple ones, like when a federal judge told him: Stay home.

Twice, Rezko violated the home-confinement terms of his bail, formerly sealed court files show, by making "social calls" -- including last September to the home of former top Cook County official Orlando Jones after Jones committed suicide.
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Tony Rezko (right); Orlando Jones (inset).

(Sun-Times files)



"FBI agents responding to information regarding the suicide of Rezko's associate Orlando Jones were surprised to find Rezko at the Jones home after Jones' suicide. This was not Rezko's only social call," federal prosecutors wrote on Feb. 25, 2008. " . . . it is a further indication that Rezko did not respect the strictures of home confinement.

"Obviously the government has not undertaken, and is not in a position, to determine how many such violations occurred."

Prosecutors never charged Rezko with violating the terms of his home confinement, which generally allowed him to leave his Wilmette home only to go to court and church and to meet with his lawyers.

Rezko's rule-bending became public last week, when U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve unsealed 18 previously secret documents from the federal corruption trial that culminated with his conviction June 4.

Two of those documents already made headlines. One showed that Gov. Blagojevich -- who once relied on Rezko's political fund-raising prowess and advice -- was questioned by federal agents "on multiple occasions" and denied having conversations described in court by two key prosecution witnesses. Another showed prosecutors considered calling witnesses -- but ultimately didn't -- to testify about money Rezko raised for his longtime friend, Sen. Barack Obama.

You'll want to read the whole article.