Obama has also been forced to explain how Rezko got tangled in the purchase of the Obama family home and other ties to Rezko, some of them going back more than 15 years. If federal prosecutors are right, his ties to Rezko may mean Obama's campaign unwittingly accepted money generated by illegal activities.
Obama, who has an unblemished reputation after 11 years in public office, has been accused of no wrongdoing involving Rezko.
"The senator exhibited some bad judgment in continuing the relationship once it became clear that Tony Rezko had such serious clouds overhead," said Cindi Canary, director of the nonpartisan Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.
The facts of the relationship between the two men have been public record for more than a year and so far have not hurt Obama with voters.
State Senator John Cullerton, a Democrat, said that voters will realize that Obama is blameless and that the only one charged with corruption is "this Rezko, who thank God I've never met."
"He was a guy with money who glommed onto up-and-coming young politicians like Barack," Cullerton said.
Rezko faces a Feb. 25 trial. He is charged with fraud, attempted extortion, and money laundering for allegedly plotting to get campaign money and payoffs from firms seeking to do business before two state boards.
Rezko, 53, faces a separate federal charge of cheating General Electric Capital Corp. out of $10 million in connection with the sale of pizza restaurants.
Obama's name has not come up in connection with any of the corruption charges swirling around Rezko. In fact, prosecutors indicate that the source of Rezko's clout was somewhere within the administration of Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat.
On Oct. 11, 2006, the day federal prosecutors unsealed the major corruption charges against Rezko, Obama immediately sent $11,500 in contributions to charities ranging from Habitat for Humanity to the Boys & Girls Clubs.
