This is an excerpt from an NYT article back in August, but I’m just seeing it now. It’s about Obama’s relationship with Illinois State Treasure Alexi Giannoulias who’s been a big fundraiser for his campaign:
In 2006, Mr. Obama backed Alexi Giannoulias, a 29-year-old friend from the basketball court, for Illinois treasurer. Opponents accused Mr. Giannoulias of corruption, citing thin evidence: a loan his family’s bank made to a convicted felon. After Mr. Giannoulias worsened the situation by calling the felon a nice guy, Mr. Obama told him to fix his campaign or get out of the race.
Thin evidence?! Here are the facts of the accusations Giannoulias’ corruption, as I wrote earlier this year:
As a senior loan officer at his family’s Broadway bank in Chicago, it came to light that Giannoulias had loaned millions to Michael Giorango, a convicted bookmaker and prostitution ring promoter. Giannoulias said the loans were approved before he became a full-time bank employee – then the Chicago Tribune reported that Giannoulias personally oversaw $11.8 million in mortgage loans to Giorango in 2005. In his defense, Giannoulias said Broadway Bank “Never Financed Any Casinos. We Never Did Anything Like That.” You can guess where this is headed: “But newly obtained records show that $3.6 million of the recent loans were used by Giorango and another convicted felon to acquire a casino boat marina in Myrtle Beach, S.C.,” reported the Tribune.
Yup, repeatedly misrepresent your involvement in making loans to the mob in order to finance casinos and it’s “thin evidence.” I’d be more upset, but as it happens calling the paper’s political reportage junk took on a whole new meaning today.