Today, U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve set the convicted businessman's new date for Nov. 22.
It was supposed to happen Oct. 21.
Prosecutors said with the trial of Springfield businessman William Cellini beginning today, they could bump right into Rezko's sentencing. Prosecutors did not want to be in the position where Cellini's jury could be deliberating and big news comes out of Rezko's sentencing.
Rezko, a Blagojevich adviser and fund-raiser, was convicted in 2008 of using his influence with the former governor to profit off of state deals. Cellini is accused of conspiring with state board member Stuart Levine, Rezko and the late Blagojevich adviser Christopher Kelly to extort a businessman seeking state business.
St. Eve asked for position papers on Rezko's sentencing by Nov. 1st.
When Tony Rezko was on trial for corruption under Rod Blagojevich, the feds secretly sat down with a sitting U.S. Congressman with some questions.
The FBI queried U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez in the spring of 2008 about free upgrades he received on a riverfront town house he bought from Rezko. The unit cost less than his neighbors and sold for 40 percent more than for what he bought it.
Read details here: Gutierrez interview
Former political fund-raiser Tony Rezko's name will likely be invoked numerous times in Rod Blagojevich's trial -- but chances are, jurors won't ever see his face.
Sources with knowledge of the government's case say prosecutors are worried that Rezko is too risky to put on the stand.
According to the sources, prosecutors fear Rezko brings with him much baggage of his own, could create a distraction, and worry that he'll "go off the reservation" if he testifies.
Rezko was convicted on his own corruption charges in 2008. Earlier that year, he accused prosecutors -- the same trio gearing up to try the Blagojevich case -- of pressuring him to lie about Blagojevich and then-Sen. Barack Obama.
To read the story, click here.
]]>I'm happy to say we've launched The Blago Blog today.
Eye on Rezko won't be shut down just yet. But expect to find frequent updates on the Blago Blog.
Convicted businessman Tony Rezko -- who is poised to become a crucial witness in the massive corruption case against ex-Gov. Blagojevich -- was quietly moved out of a downtown jail and into another facility last month, the Sun-Times has learned.
Authorities seeking Rezko's cooperation pushed for the move after Rezko complained about being held in the tough confines of solitary imprisonment, known as "the hole," even as he was providing information to prosecutors, sources said.
U.S. Bureau of Prisons records show Rezko was released from the Metropolitan Correctional Center downtown on Dec. 16.
Kim Widup, the U.S. Marshal in Chicago, said Rezko was relocated.
"He is still in marshal service custody," Widup said. "We have moved him into another institution."
Widup wouldn't specify the new lockup, but the Marshal's Service uses space in more than half a dozen county jails in Illinois and Wisconsin in addition to the MCC.
Rezko's relocation is a sign that even with thousands of taped conversations of the governor, investigators still highly value Rezko's potential as a witness. The MCC is considered by some inmates to have harsher conditions than county jails.
Upon his conviction in early June of schemes involving state deals, Rezko went to jail voluntarily, saying he wanted to start serving his time. Then, in August, the Sun-Times first reported that the 53-year-old Wilmette resident began meeting with prosecutors.
Rezko, who served as an adviser and fund-raiser to Blagojevich, provided authorities with substantial information involving the governor and bolstered pay-to-play testimony by former Illinois Finance Authority director Ali Ata, as well as talking about other alleged deals.
But the talks hit a stumbling block when Rezko grew frustrated at being held in solitary at the MCC. In late November, Rezko's lawyers asked a federal judge to sentence their client -- a threat to stop talking. Cooperating defendants usually aren't sentenced until after they testify. But after that move, the two sides appeared to find a resolution. On Dec. 16, U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve indefinitely postponed Rezko's sentencing -- that was the same day he was moved to another jail.
But he apparently reconsidered following last week's revelation that Gov. Blagojevich was recorded for six weeks and that a member of his inner circle, John Wyma, was also talking to the feds. There is no future sentencing date set and there is no status in Rezko's case until next year.
]]>Late today, Rezko's lawyers filed a motion with U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve asking her to "set the earliest possible date for his sentencing."
Just last October, both Rezko's lawyers and prosecutors agreed to indefinitely delay his sentencing because, according to sources, the former adviser to Gov. Blagojevich and fund-raiser of President-elect Barack Obama began providing information to prosecutors.
Rezko was convicted in June of wideranging corruption tied to state deals.
If Rezko signed on to cooperate with the government, he more than likely would not be sentenced until after his cooperation was completed. That usually involves testifying before a grand jury or at trial.
Rezko is being housed in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Correctional Center -- something that appears to be a sticking point with Rezko.
"Mr. Rezko has remained in solitary confinement at the MCC since June 4, 2008, the day of the jury's verdict, and can no longer agree to delay sentencing," his lawyers wrote in the court papers.
It was Rezko who volunteered to surrender to jail immediately.
Sources say there have been some hangups in talks with Rezko, including the government suspecting his attempting to minimize his role in potential wrongdoing he's telling them about.
They say the latest request may be a game of chicken with Rezko trying to force the government into advocating better accommodations for him if he's to cooperate.
Rezko's lawyer, Joseph Duffy, could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.
]]>Read it here: rezkodenial.pdf
]]>Blagojevich pointed to a letter Tony Rezko wrote to U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve earlier this year saying he was under pressure to say "the wrong things" about Blagojevich and Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama.
"Tony Rezko sent a letter to a judge. In that letter, he expressly states neither Sen. Obama nor I did anything wrong," Blagojevich told reporters this morning.
"That letter is a pretty strong statement. It speaks for itself."
Shortly after the letter was publicized, Rezko's lawyers said Rezko had never spoken to prosecutors.
That changed following Rezko's June conviction on corruption charges.
If Rezko does cut a deal with the feds, that letter -- sent to a federal judge -- will no doubt haunt him as a witness.
As we reported in an earlier story, it isn't necessarily a deal breaker.
Former prosecutor Zachary Fardon noted in a June 16th story Scott Fawell, former chief of staff to Gov. George Ryan, wrote a similar letter, saying he wouldn't make up lies about Ryan.
Fawell was the star witness in Ryan's trial.
"Do I think he could effectively be crossed on this letter? Yes," Fardon said. "Does that mean they can't call him or use him [as a witness]? No."
Higgins cartoon
There's evidence that at least one of the things Tony Rezko is talking to the feds about is Gov. Blagojevich and allegations related to his campaign fund. They've been calling up witnesses and asking them to talk -- or expand upon -- information Rezko has provided them, defense lawyers tell the Sun-Times. The calls have come in the weeks since Rezko first started meeting with federal authorities. Federal investigators have been probing Blagojevich's administration for some time. That includes investigating whether Blagojevich traded state posts or contracts in exchange for donations.
We first saw signs in August that Rezko covertly visited the federal courthouse from his recent residence at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.