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Iraq (5137) Obama-Barack (1727) Iraq (986) Barack Obama (938) Chicago (286) Party Politics Democratic (261) Party Machine Democratic (163) Obama Hillary New Hampshire (105) Columnist (52) Rezko (31)
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When the news surfaced that Auchi had made a loan to Rezko a month before Obama and Rezko entered into a real estate deal to buy a mansion and lot for over $2 million in June 2005, rumors started flying about a dinner held in Chicago at the exclusive Four Season’s Hotel in April 2004, for Auchi and other investors from the Middle East, attended by many top Illinois officials and Alsammarae. Before long, the media was rehashing the fact that shortly after his visit to Illinois, Auchi did invest $10 million with Rezko in Riverside Park. On June 14, 2007, former Rezko associates told the New York Times that Obama dropped in at the Four Season's event at Rezko's request and his visit helped impress foreign guests. “I remember that he had been on the campaign trail, and he was completely wiped out and exhausted,” said Anthony Licata, identified as an attorney who represented Rezko on real estate deals. “My recollection is that he drank ice tea, and he talked about how he was really making progress, and we were all excited to see him,” Licata said. Obama spokesman, Bill Burton told the Times it was not unusual for Obama to be “shaking hands late in the Senate primary season.” “If someone recalls meeting him during this period,” Burton said, “Senator Obama has no reason to doubt it.” Licata was an attorney for Riverside Park and an investor. He donated $1,000 to Obama's senate campaign six months after the Four Season's party and also gave $5,000 to the fund for Blagojevich's future presidential bid. On February 26, 2008, an aide to Obama told the Times of London that Obama did attend an event at the Four Seasons but did not remember meeting Auchi. "He shook a lot of hands and met a lot of people," the aide said. "We do not remember individual people." Two days later, Bill Burton told the Times: "The bottom line is Obama does not recall ever meeting him [Mr Auchi]." All members of the “Combine,” have tried to distance themselves from Auchi's visit because as previously explained, he is not allowed in the US. However, the question that remains is how did he enter this country in April 2004, after his 2003 conviction in France. According to the February 28, 2008 Sun-Times: “Auchi's London-based lawyer, Alasdair Pepper, wouldn't answer that." "State Department and Homeland Security officials said they couldn't comment,” according to the Times. During a March 14, 2008 interview, the Times asked Obama: "Did you ever help Auchi enter the country?" He said, "No." But when asked the follow-up question of whether “his office” helped Auchi enter the country, he replied, "Not that I know of." On January 28, 2008, Raw Story's Michael Roston reported that after rumors began spreading that Auchi may have met with Obama, "In what appears to be a clumsy "cleanup" operation evidence of Auchi's visit to Illinois has now been deleted from two websites linked to his company, General Mediterranean Holding." The reports in the media always say Rezko hosted the Four Season's event, when in fact Governor Rod Blagojevich directed the show. ABC News first posted a link to photos showing Auchi meeting with Blagojevich on the site, “Middle East Online.” The description under a picture of Auchi and Blagojevich, still accessible on the internet a month ago, stated: “Governor of the State of Illinois, Mr Rod Blagojevich hosted an official reception in honour of Mr Auchi.”
Evelyn Pringle is a columnist for OpEd News and investigative journalist focused on exposing corruption in government and corporate America.
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