This sidebar originally ran alongside the Watchdogs story Obama and his Rezko ties: Sen. long affiliated with problematic development firm.
Antoin “Tony” Rezko, his family, his businesses and business associates have donated thousands of dollars to politicians since 1989, when he began getting tax dollars to build housing for the poor in Chicago. Rezko has also been a prolific campaign fund-raiser for politicians. These are some of the politicians who’ve benefitted most from Rezko’s political fund-raising:
1. John Stroger, ex-Cook County Board president — $148,300
A Rezko company had a contract to maintain pay telephones at the Cook County Jail under Stroger. Also, Rezko has had business ties with Stroger family members and friends.
2. Gov. Rod Blagojevich — $117,652
Rezko has been a longtime supporter and top fund-raiser for Blagojevich, having raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for his campaigns. As governor, Blagojevich gave jobs and state appointments to Rezko friends. Rezko has been indicted on federal charges that accuse him of demanding kickbacks from companies seeking state business under Blagojevich.
3. Mayor Richard M. Daley — $55,950
Soon after Daley became mayor 18 years ago, Rezko’s company, Rezmar Corp., got into the low-income housing business with the city. Rezmar ended up getting more than $25 million from the Daley administration to rehab buildings for affordable housing.
4. Sen. Barack Obama — $54,416
Rezko has been friends with Obama for 17 years. As a lawyer at a small Chicago law firm, Obama worked on low-income housing deals involving Rezko’s company. Rezko has been Obama’s political patron since he ran for the Illinois Senate a dozen years ago. Obama has apologized for buying a piece of property from Rezko’s wife last year to expand his yard.
5. Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan — $43,000
6. Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan — $35,500
Madigan got those donations between 1998 and 2000 — “ancient history,” according to a Madigan spokesman.
7. Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn — $32,000
As state treasurer, Quinn appointed Rezko to serve on a state housing task force.
8. Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) — $31,375
Rezko was the longtime head of Preckwinkle’s campaign-finance committee. Six of Rezko’s troubled housing projects were in Preckwinkle’s ward.
9. Rep. Luis Gutierrez — $27,250
Friends for more than 20 years. Gutierrez was working for then-Mayor Harold Washington when he met Rezko, at the time a top official with a company that had a Chicago Park District concession contract. As alderman, Gutierrez chaired the Chicago City Council Housing Committee that gave Rezko city property to redevelop into affordable housing. Four years ago, Gutierrez paid the lowest price for a riverfront town house in a Rezko development. The congressman sold it last year for a 40 percent profit.
10. John Schmidt — $25,000
Mayor Daley’s former chief of staff, who ran losing campaigns for attorney general and governor.
11. Secretary of State Jesse White — $23,848
12. Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes — $22,500
13. Ald. Arenda Troutman (20th) — $20,750
Most of Rezko’s low-income buildings were in her ward. Rezko’s contractor and his architect also rehabbed a building owned by Troutman’s late father, Benjamin Troutman.
14. State Sen. James Meeks — $20,000
15. Former Gov. Jim Edgar — $18,804
Rezko “was very helpful” raising money when Edgar was first elected governor in 1990, according to one of Edgar’s top fund-raisers. While Edgar was governor, Rezko’s company got $9.7 million in state loans to fix up apartments in Chicago.
