Alexi's Blagojevich problem

The Washington Examiner reports:

Last month, the feds shut down his family's Broadway Bank. A week earlier, federal prosecutors filed a key evidentiary document in the prosecution of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. And within its pages, Giannoulias donors old and new keep popping up in the context of crooked dealings involving Blagojevich and his former fundraiser federal prisoner Tony Rezko.

Take, for example, "Individual C," identified as lawyer and lobbyist Brian F. Hynes. Hynes paid $3,541.50 for a Chicago fundraiser for Giannoulias' Illinois treasurer campaign in June 2006. In July 2008, he contributed another $2,500 to Giannoulias' state re-election fund.

Hynes, who has not been charged with any crime, did a very unusual real estate deal with Rezko in January 2004. While buying a Chicago property, he asked the sellers if he could pay $40,000 extra, so that the money could go to Rezko as a sham broker's fee. Rezko, who hadn't done any work on the deal, allegedly took the $40,000 and sent it straight to Patti Blagojevich, the governor's wife, who also hadn't done any work on the deal. She used it to pay for $38,000 in renovations to the Blagojevich home.

The Chicago Sun-Times added some possible context to this transaction: Hynes business partner Kevin Flynn (also a $2,500 donor to Giannoulias' treasurer campaign) was trying to get a license to put a casino in Rosemont, Ill. Rezko owned an option to lease a site in Rosemont for a hotel and casino.

It's amazing how that Chicago Mob linked Rosemont casino deal keeps coming up.