Grand Jury Investigating State Tollways
Contracts With Food Chains Targeted
(AP) ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.

A federal grand jury has subpoenaed the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority for records on tollway oases contracts with fast-food chains linked to a top fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a tollway spokeswoman said Friday.

The grand jury sought records related to contracts with Subway, Panda Express and other oases vendors, according to documents obtained by the Daily Herald and first reported in its Friday editions. Tollway spokeswoman Michelle Damico confirmed the subpoena on Friday.

Among the subpoenaed records are contracts with fast-food companies tied to political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, oases Subways owned by Rezko associate Abdelhamid Chaib and developer Wilton Partners, which oversaw the $100 million revamping of the oases, Damico said.

No one named in the subpoena is accused of any wrongdoing.

The tollway has cooperated with the request and tollway officials haven't been called before the grand jury, Damico said.

The subpoena, delivered in October, expands an ongoing federal investigation into state hiring and contracting practices.

Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed records from the governor's office and the departments of Children and Family Services, Transportation and Corrections. Those subpoenas sought records that date back to nine months before Blagojevich, a first-term Democrat, took office.

Blagojevich's also office got a similar subpoena on Nov. 2 for hiring information related to prisons.

The October subpoena of the tollway documents is similar to the request DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett filed in March. The tollway also cooperated with Birkett's request, Damico said.

Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said Friday the governor is confident there was no impropriety involving Rezko.

"We sought an outside legal opinion before the tollway oases opened," Ottenhoff said. The opinion showed that Rezko would not profit from any of the contracts, Ottenhoff said.

Officials with U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's office did not immediately return calls Friday to The Associated Press.

A phone message left Friday for Rezko at Rezmar Corp., a Chicago development company he chairs, was not immediately returned. He has said his business dealings and political fundraising are not connected.

The subpoena also seeks documents related to consultant Andy Warcaba, owner of Andrew J. Warcaba and Associates Inc. in Warrenville. Former Gov. George Ryan, a Republican, hired Warcaba to oversee the tollway revamp. Warcaba said his role in the project ended more than a year ago.

Telephone messages left Friday by the AP at a public relations company representing Panda Express, at Subway's regional office and at the offices of Wilton Partners were not immediately returned. A message left Friday at a residential listing for Chaib in La Grange Park also was not immediately returned.