The Chicago Way: “Obama’s Mob-Tie $idekick” Speaks at Convention
Because you know it is coming just around the corner:
What is he smoking?  Charlie Rangel was told that there was no room for him to speak, yet last night, Illinois’ State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias addressed the DNC, talking about his “friend and mentor”, Barack Obama, and calling for “a new type of leadership.”
According to a Chicago Tribune article from 2006, Giannoulias “has faced questions about the bank’s multi-million dollar loans to Michael Gioranago, a convicted bookmaker and prostitution ring promoter.” Barack Obama was quoted in the article as saying that he “is concerned by revelations that the bank owned by Illinois Democratic treasurer nominee Alexi Giannoulias’ family gave loans to a Chicago crime figure and said the candidate owes him and the public a full accounting.”
And while Giannoulias claimed that the loans to Gioranago were made “before he became a full-time bank employee”, “newly discovered public records show Broadway Bank made $11.8 million in additional mortgage loans to Giorango just last year. Giannoulias said he oversaw the servicing of those loans.”
Giannoulias also appears to have lied about the bank’s financing of a casino boat marina. And in what may or may not be an ugly coincidence, convicted felon Tony Rezko racked up $450,000 in gambling debts by writing bad checks on his Broadway Bank account. According to Crain’s Chicago Business, “Obama kept his 2004 Senate campaign funds” at Broadway Bank as well.
Giannoulias himself has accepted at least one controversial campaign contribution, from Spiros Naos, an owner of a line of gambling cruise ships, who got ownership of the company after his uncle “was gunned down in an execution-style slaying after selling the gambling fleet to a group that included indicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff”, according to the Chicago Daily Herald. After initially defending the contribution as one Greek helping another, Giannoulias eventually returned the money once the media began dogging him about it.
Ed:
Why would Obama have Giannoulias speak at the convention? It invites even more scrutiny into the controversy surrounding Giannoulias, and with it a further examination of Obama’s ties to corrupt fixer Tony Rezko, and Joe Biden’s ties to admitted extortionist Joseph Cari. For a candidate hoping to run on Hope and Change, Obama seems determined to expose himself as a Chicago machine pol with very questionable friends.
As Ross noted:
Much in the same way that Obama was groomed for his elections by people in power in Chicago, and much in the same way that Obama supported the corrupt  Stroger family even when he could have supported a reform-minded (liberal Democrat) opponent to the Strogers, the Obama-Giannoulias relationship seems one of political payback.
Obama endorsed Giannoulias [8] for State Treasurer when the latter was just 29 years old, but the NY Post reported that “Giannoulias is so tainted by reputed mob links that several top Illinois Dems, including the state’s speaker of the House and party chairman, refused to endorse him even after he won the Democratic nomination with Obama’s help.” Obama remained a big supporter and is credited with having been an important factor in Giannoulias’s victory.
Here is where the Chicago Way comes in:
Giannoulias has clearly believed he had something to gain. As someone who lived in Chicago for 15 years, I know that politics general and Chicago politics in particular is about who can help people make money or gain power. One way in which Obama could return the favor of political support to Giannoulias would be to support the possibility that Giannoulias could be selected to fill Obama’s US Senate seat [9] if Obama wins the presidency.
Oh look, they found room for Rangel afterall!
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August 26, 2008 - 04:49 PM on August 26th, 2008
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September 12, 2008 - 11:01 PM on September 12th, 2008
[...] you remember, Charlie was told that there was no room for him to speak, yet that night, Illinois’ State Treasurer Alexi [...]