Bob Secter and Jeff Coen | Chicago | June 4

Chicago Tribune - A federal jury today convicted developer Antoin "Tony" Rezko of corruption charges for trading on his clout as a top adviser and fundraiser to Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Rezko's guilty verdict on 16 of 24 corruption counts could have broad repercussions for Blagojevich, who made Rezko a central player in his kitchen cabinet. It could also prove a political liability for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, who once counted Rezko as a friend and fundraiser, as the likely Democratic presidential nominee heads into the general election campaign against Republican John McCain.

"I'm saddened by today's verdict," Obama said Wednesday. "This isn't the Tony Rezko I knew, but now he has been convicted by a jury on multiple charges that once again shine a spotlight on the need for reform. I encourage the General Assembly to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent these kinds of abuses in the future."

The Rezko verdict was sure to compound the governor's credibility problem with state lawmakers, including fellow Democrats who run the legislature. Blagojevich was scheduled to meet with legislative leaders Thursday to ask them to reconsider the shaky, nearly $60 billion state budget they sent him last weekend.

In a brief statement he read to reporters Wednesday evening in the Thompson Center in Chicago, Blagojevich called Rezko a friend and former supporter.

"On a personal level, I am deeply sad for what's happened to Tony," Blagojevich said. "The jury's decision is yet another reminder that ours is a system of government ruled by laws and not by men. I respect the decision of the jury."

He said he would press forward with negotiations with the legislature to settle on a capital construction program "so that we can balance the budget in a way that's fair and helps people."

He stopped only briefly for reporters who shouted questions after he left the podium.

"I have a $2 billion budget deficit on my desk. I've got to get back to work," he said. And then he returned to his private offices.

The 10-woman, two-man jury deliberated for parts of 13 days before convicting Rezko of scheming with Stuart Levine, a longtime Republican insider, to extort millions of dollars from firms seeking state business or regulatory approval.
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