UPI NewsTrack TopNews

Jan 28, 04:58 PM

Federal agents arrested Rezko at his Wilmette, Ill., home on allegations he lied to the court about his finances while free on bond awaiting trial on fraud and corruption charges, the Chicago Sun-Times reported

The reality is this defendant has played a shell game and misled the court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid J. Schar said.

Prosecutors alleged Rezko received millions of dollars secretly, channeling the funds through third parties to family, friends and creditors without telling the court. Rezko had told the court he had relatively no money, having family members post properties for his $1.5 million bond.

Rezko, an ex-adviser and fundraiser for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is scheduled to go to trial for allegedly using his relationships with top Illinois state officials to extort companies wanting to do business with two state boards.

Rezko become an issue in the presidential campaign because of a long association with the Illinois senator. More than $80,000 in campaign contributions linked to Rezko and given to Obama have now been donated to charity, the newspaper said.

Clinton and Obama need more money WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- The two top Democratic presidential candidates are actively seeking additional funds with 22 U.S. states having primary elections next week.

Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., have spent the vast majority of the more than $100 million they each collected over the past year, The Washington Post reported Monday.

Both the Clinton and Obama camps said they realize they need a fresh team of supporters, people who cannot only contribute their own money but can gather large numbers of $2,300 checks from friends and relatives, the newspaper said.

The Post said the logical place to look for fresh donors is the supporters of rivals who have either dropped out of the race or are struggling.

A top fundraiser for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he started getting calls before the New Hampshire primary. Michael Stratton said Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe told him we need you with us if Bill (Richardson) is going to get out, Stratton told the Post.

Immigrant arrested over pipe bombs NEW YORK, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- New York police allegedly removed numerous pipe bombs, guns and other weapons from the Brooklyn Heights home of a Bulgarian immigrant.

The weapons allegedly included a Nerf football stuffed with nails, a device designed to hang from the ceiling and rain down ball bearings, a sniper rifle, machine gun, silencers and pistols, the New York Post reported Monday.

Ivaylo Ivanov, 37, was indicted on more than 100 counts of weapons charges and allegedly also drew swastikas and anti-Semitic statements on local synagogues.

Police said they don't know how Ivanov, who is Jewish, was planning to use the weaponry.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said investigators are poring over voluminous material seized from Ivanov's computer trying to find what he planned to do with the weaponry.

He could be sentenced to 25 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

Bush says he'll clamp down on earmarks WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush said Monday he will issue an executive order directing federal agencies to ignore future earmarks not voted on by Congress.

The order, expected to be signed Tuesday, will effectively end the common practice of concealing earmarks in so-called report language instead of placing them in the actual text of the bill, Bush said in a statement. This means earmarks will be subject to votes, which will better expose them to the light of day and help constrain excessive and unjustified spending.

Bush is expected to address the matter of earmarks tucked into conference reports on legislation in the State of the Union address Monday, the White House said. He is expected to say he will veto any appropriations bill Congress sends him that does not cut the number and cost of earmarks by half.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said the executive order take this action for 2009 appropriations forward, not for earmarks contained in previous appropriations bills. UPI NewsTrack TopNews
Back to Current Headlines