CLEARWATER, FL — The keynoter at Thursday morning’s breakfast of Illinois’ Republican delegates tossed some red meat at the crowd, bringing up convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko and his 2005 real-estate deal with then U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.
Former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu, a one-time chief of staff to former President George H. W. Bush, told the few hundred delegates to imagine the day after Obama loses to Republican Mitt Romney and has to come back to Chicago.
Sununu encouraged anyone in the crowd to “get in real estate” because Obama will be returning to Chicago with some wealthy friends and may need to possibly find a new house.
“Maybe Tony Rezko can help him again,” Sununu said to laughter, citing the imprisoned ex-fundraiser for Rod Blagojevich who bought an undeveloped lot next to the Obama’s Kenwood home the same day the first couple closed on their property in 2005. That transaction occurred when it was widely known Rezko was under federal investigation.
Rezko sold a strip of his property to Obama for $104,500 in a move that increased the Obamas’ lot. During his presidential campaign, Obama apologized for the purchase, saying, “I consider this a mistake on my part and I regret it.”
