Tony Rezko was a fund-raiser and adviser to Gov. Blagojevich.
But while in his state job, Ali Ata said he was directed to report to Rezko on his duties within his post.
At one point, Rezko asked Ata to use his official position with the Illinois Finance Authority to sign a letter that would help Rezko's pizza businesses and a loan Rezko was seeking, Ata alleged on the stand.
Ata said he wasn't comfortable writing the letter, but he did it anyway.
Ata, who said he learned from watching others that if you didn't listen to orders
"you'd lose your job." But Ata did object, he told Rezko "we should not proceed with this transaction ... the publicity would be detrimental to IFA. I didn’t feel comfortable," Ata testified.
Rezko relented.
"I asked Mr. Rezko for the letter, and he said he didn’t use it," will not use it and will get it back to Ata, Ata said.
“Did he, in fact, get it back to you? "
Hamilton said. “No.”
Rezko used that letter in connection with securing a loan for his businesses, prosecutors say.
This is absolutely nuts.
I don't know about this one, he writes a letter and then wants it back. Wouldn't you assume that if you wrote a letter for someone that they would send it out right away with no way to retrieve it. That's like giving a child $5 in a candy store and wanting it back the next day. What was he thinking?