From the Southwest News Herald On-Line:

October 19, 2006 Southwest News-Herald - City & Suburban

Rezko Scandal Is Innocence Spoiled

By RAY HANANIA

When I first met Tony Rezko 17 years ago, he was a successful Chicago building rehabber whose claim to fame was his close friendship with former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and ties to the Nation of Islam.

With success, the Syrian American immigrant became more involved in shaping Illinois politics. He raised funds for everyone. He raised more than $90,000 in one campaign for former County Board President John Stroger and donated building space for Stroger’s campaigns.

Other, more envious Arab American businessmen, several from the Southwest side and suburbs, glombed to his coattails. Rezko became a de facto “money man” for Mayor Daley and Gov. Blagojevich, nudging aside other powerful fund-raisers like Talat Othman, who was closer to former governors Jim Edgar and George Ryan.

Rezko’s business success continued moving from rehab to restaurants; last week opening another Panda Express in Orland Park.

Campaign disclosure documents and published reports show Rezko donated nearly $750,000 to a “who’s who” of candidates including House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, an array of aldermen, city, county and state officials, and hosted posh bashes in Hollywood.

A very personable and generous individual, Rezko is one of 750 Arab Americans from Illinois featured in my book Arabs of Chicagoland (Arcadia Publishing). Every TV station used his book photo in their reports.

Rezko is not the kind of person you might associate with crooks, swindlers or the kind of sleazy political cronies more suitable to the 24 Count Corruption Indictment handed down by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.

But Rezko’s indictment followed closely on the heels of a swagger of scandals and controversies surrounding people close to him in the Arab community, who only recently learned the fine art of loitering on the banks of the public trough.

As Blagojevich’s top fund-raiser, Rezko’s troubles are center-stage in the governor’s fight with Judy Baar Topinka. But the scandal soaks the race for county board president. Challenger Tony Peraica is right on when he questions Stroger’s son and successor Todd Stroger about his ties to Rezko.

At risk are dozens of Arab Americans who are Rezko’s political cronies. Only weeks ago, Blagojevich keynoted a fund-raiser attended by “550” Arab Americans at Niko’s Restaurant in Bridgeview.

While some recevied jobs as a result of Rezko’s connections, Blagojevich has ignored the vast majority of community concerns. His first act was to fire a group of community liaisons working with the state’s various ethnic groups, including Arab Americans, and he replaced them with insiders, fund-raisers and money-people. Because Blagojevich’s focus has always been on power and money. He’s done nothing for the ethnic community groups that Rezko symbolized.

Some of these cronies are active on Chicago’s Southwest side and suburbs. Others are tied to groups that have activists, board members and supporters who are associated with international extremism, terrorism-related lawsuits and other controversies. They are all running for cover, or should be.

They are so unlike Rezko who I believe was genuinely driven by the desire to do good, but who naively fell into the trap of believing that all those who surrounded him did so because he was a “good guy.” Sorry Tony. They all want your money, nothing else.

Rezko is a good person who has found himself surrounded by people who are not so good. I hope he survives.