Former state finance officer admits making contributions to get job
A high-level administrator under Gov. Rod Blagojevich admitted in a federal plea deal Tuesday that he paid more than $50,000 in campaign contributions to land his job as director of the Illinois Finance Authority.
Ali Ata, a former business partner with Blagojevich insider Tony Rezko, will now be a cooperating witness in the federal government's sweeping investigation of corruption in Blagojevich's administration.
"Whatever the government calls and asks him to cooperate in, he will," said Ata's attorney, Thomas McQueen.
As the finance authority director, Ata oversaw billions of dollars in state loans and bond programs, and his plea deal indicates Rezko was constantly pressuring him for money and insider help.
The deal outlines one of the most direct allegations yet that high-level state jobs could be bought for large campaign donations to "Public Official A," a designation used by federal prosecutors that has been used in other cases, including Rezko's current corruption trial, to identify Blagojevich.
The governor is the only public official with the power to appoint the director of the finance authority, and campaign contributions reflected in Ata's plea deal correspond directly with those recorded as going to Blagojevich. Plus, Rezko was well-known as a key fundraiser and adviser to Blagojevich during the time span the plea deal covers.
The governor has denied wrongdoing and he has not been charged with any crime.
"As we've said many times before, we don't endorse or allow the decisions of state government to be based on campaign contributions," Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff wrote by e-mail.
The plea deal says that just before the governor took office claiming the mantle of reform, Blagojevich met with Ata at Rezko's office, accepted a $25,000 check and then started talking about the Lemont businessman getting a high-level state job.
The following year, Blagojevich again thanked Ata at a Navy Pier fundraiser for another $25,000 donation, the court records show.
"During this conversation, Public Official A told defendant that he had been a good supporter, indicated that Public Official A was aware that the defendant had made another substantial donation to Public Official A's campaign and told the defendant that Public Official A understood that the defendant would be joining Public Official A's administration," it said.
Rezko is now under trial, accused in a kickback scheme involving state teacher pension funds. Blagojevich is accused in court filings of being aware of that scam, which could have led to massive donations to his campaign war chest.
Another close Blagojevich confidant, Chris Kelly, is also under indictment. The former casino policy adviser faces tax evasion charges connected to illegal gambling.
Ata was charged last year with lying to federal authorities and under-representing his income on a real estate deal by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Under the maximum penalties, he could face five years in prison and $500,000 in fines.
In court Tuesday, Ata told U.S. District Judge James Zagel the federal government's allegations about his actions were true. His sentencing has been postponed while he cooperates with federal prosecutors.
Ata's contributions
Contributions to the campaign fund of Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his father-in-law, Chicago Alderman Richard Mell, by Ali Ata, who pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Chicago to lying to the FBI about how he got his job as head of the Illinois Finance Authority.
Blagojevich
June 30, 2000, $1,000
July 30, 2000, $4,000
Aug. 20, 2002, $5,000
Sept. 4, 2002, $25,000
July 25, 2003, $25,000
June 29, 2005, $5,000
Mell
Dec. 25, 2002, $1,000
Dec. 29, 2003, $2,000
June 25, 2004, $1,000 (to Mell's 33rd Ward Democratic Organization)
Jan. 19, 2005, $1,000
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections