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Gov fund-raiser linked to man in indictment
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Sunday, August 7, 2005
Author: Dave McKinney, Chris Fusco and Steve Warmbir, The Chicago Sun-Times
SPRINGFIELD — A Glenview businessman who federal investigators believe received a $250,000 kickback in a state teacher pension scheme has had past business dealings with gubernatorial fund-raiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko , the Chicago Sun-Times has found.

Records in three Wisconsin cities show that companies linked to Rezko turned over ownership of at least six Papa John’s pizza restaurants in 2001 to a company owned by Joseph Aramanda , who surfaced in last week’s federal indictment alleging corruption at the Teachers’ Retirement System of Illinois.

Neither Aramanda nor Rezko , a close associate of Gov. Blagojevich who has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the governor, have been accused of criminal wrongdoing by federal investigators.

Aramanda , however, received $250,000 of a $375,000 finder’s fee that prosecutors say was illegally arranged by indicted former TRS board member Stuart Levine, who was reappointed to that board by Blagojevich months before his July 2004 resignation.

Levine, according to a 14-count indictment released Wednesday, arranged for Aramanda to get the money from a financial consultant who had been representing a company that secured a $50 million investment from TRS.

Levine and two Chicago lawyers were charged Wednesday with allegedly shaking down investment companies seeking TRS business for hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks.

Aramanda , who did not return a message left at his Neenah, Wis., corporate office and could not be reached at his Glenview phone number, was named as “Individual C” in the indictment. The Sun-Times confirmed his identity through multiple sources.

Several telephone messages left at Rezko ‘s main office were not returned.

Aramanda owned 22 Papa John’s pizza restaurants in Wisconsin, according to a 2001 business filing with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

At least six of those restaurants, located in Madison, Eau Claire and La Crosse, were owned by Rezko ‘s companies up until 2001, when Aramanda ‘s firm — JAA Enterprises — took over ownership, according to restaurant licensing documents maintained by health departments in each of those cities.

Details about the ownership shift, including how much JAA paid for the restaurants, were not available. A spokeswoman at Papa John’s Louisville, Ky., headquarters declined to comment on the matter, citing privacy concerns.

Whether Aramanda ‘s tie to Rezko extends beyond this particular transaction is not completely clear, but Aramanda has a link to the governor, having given Blagojevich’s campaign fund $10,000 in 2002, state election records show.

Aramanda also has been a donor to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who received $11,500 from him between 2000 and 2004, according to federal election records.

One of the Obama contributions hints at another possible business tie between Rezko and Aramanda . A $1,000 donation from Aramanda to the fund Obama set up for an ill-fated 2000 congressional bid identifies Aramanda ‘s employer as “P.J. Chicago.” The initials “C.O.O.” appear next to the entry, federal election records show, suggesting Aramanda was the chief operating officer of P.J. Chicago.

P.J. Chicago was managed by Rezko Enterprises, according to Illinois Secretary of State records. P.J. Chicago is listed on the sixth floor at 409 W. Huron St. in Chicago, home to several of Rezko ‘s businesses, according to regulatory filings with the Wisconsin and Delaware secretary of state offices.

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Internship also links Obama, Rezko : Fund-raiser asked senator to hire contributor’s son
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Sunday, December 24, 2006
Author: Frank Main, The Chicago Sun-Times
In addition to a land deal, Sen. Barack Obama’s ties to indicted dealmaker Antoin “Tony” Rezko include an internship the senator provided the son of a contributor at the request of Rezko , an Obama spokesman confirmed Saturday.

John Aramanda served as an intern for Obama for about a month in 2005, said Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs. His father is Joseph Aramanda , a Rezko business associate who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal corruption case against Rezko . Aramanda has contributed $11,500 to Obama since 2000, Gibbs said.

“Mr. Rezko did provide a recommendation for John Aramanda ,” Gibbs said. “I think that it’s fairly obvious that a few-week internship is not anything of benefit to Mr. Rezko or any of his businesses.”

The internship revelation comes after Obama acknowledged he erred in buying property from Rezko in January. The transaction took place when it was widely known Rezko was under investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office.

“It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else, to believe that he had done me a favor,” Obama — a likely presidential candidate — told the Chicago Sun-Times in November.

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Obama and Rezko have been friends since 1990, and the Wilmette businessman has raised as much as $60,000 in campaign contributions for him.

After Rezko ‘s indictment, Obama donated $11,500 to charity — the amount Rezko contributed to the senator’s federal campaign fund.

Gibbs said no decision has been made on whether Obama will return any contributions from Aramanda , given his alleged role in the federal corruption cases against Rezko and former Teachers Retirement System board member Stuart Levine.

(snip)

Aramanda was identified by the Sun-Times as “Individual D,” who allegedly received a $250,000 kickback tied to a scheme to steer lucrative state pension deals to firms and consultants that donated to Blagojevich. Aramanda is not specifically named or charged with criminal wrongdoing in the court papers. He did not return a call seeking comment Saturday.

Gibbs said John Aramanda served in Obama’s Capitol Hill office from July 20 to Aug. 26, 2005.

Rezko pals in state posts - Records reveal vast influence with governor
Chicago Tribune (IL) - Thursday, June 15, 2006
Author: David Jackson and John Chase, Tribune staff reporters.

EXCERPT

Blagojevich pal’s reach into state government

Newly obtained public records show deep ties between state government and several financial backers of businessman Antoin “Tony” Rezko , confidante and political fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

NAME

Imad Almanaseer

TIE TO REZKO

Member of LARC Realty, a Rezko business

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Health Facilities Planning Board member; son Ahmed worked for Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

NAME

Abdelhamid Chaib

TIE TO REZKO

Chief operating officer of Rezko Enterprises

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Wife Lori on Board of Review for Department of Employment Security

NAME

John “Jack” Lavin

TIE TO REZKO

Former chief financial officer of Rezko Enterprises

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Director of DCEO

NAME

Alber Najjar

TIE TO REZKO

Investor in Rezko Enterprises, LARC Realty member

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Daughter Claudine works for DCEO

NAME

Michel Malek

TIE TO REZKO

Investor in Rezko Enterprises, Roosevelt/Clark development

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Health Facilities Planning Board member

NAME

Fortunee Massuda

TIE TO REZKO

Investor in Rezko Enterprises

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Health Facilities Planning Board member

NAME

Ali Ata

TIE TO REZKO

Investor in Roosevelt/Clark

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Former executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority

NAME

Joseph Aramanda

TIE TO REZKO

Co-owned Papa John’s pizza franchises with Rezko

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Got loan from state tollway contractor

NAME

Velma Butler

TIE TO REZKO

Investor in Roosevelt/Clark

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Illinois Housing Authority member

NAME

Muhamad Dabbouseh

TIE TO REZKO

LARC Realty officer

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Daughter Amy works for the DCEO and daughter Huda for the DES

NAME

Kelly King Dibble

TIE TO REZKO

Former vice president for business development of a Rezko real estate company

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Executive director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority

NAME

David Gustman

TIE TO REZKO

Attorney for Rezko and companies

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Unpaid chairman of Illinois Finance Authority

NAME

Anthony Licata

TIE TO REZKO

Rezko attorney

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Chairman of the Capital Development Board

NAME

Michael Rumman

TIE TO REZKO

CEO of Heritage Development Partners, and investor in Roosevelt/Clark

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Former director of Central Management Services

NAME

Ed Wynn

TIE TO REZKO

Heritage lawyer

STATE GOVERNMENT TIE

Former general counsel of CMS

Sources: State records, court filings, corporate reports