Hastert's name surfaces in Rezko trial

CHICAGO -- A government witness testified Monday that political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko told him three years ago that Chicago's chief federal prosecutor was to be fired and replaced by someone chosen by then-U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

Restaurant owner Elie Maloof quoted Rezko as saying the new U.S. attorney in Chicago, whom Rezko said would be chosen by Hastert, would then kill a federal investigation into corruption under Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

"The federal prosecutor would no longer be the federal prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald would be eliminated," Maloof told Rezko's fraud trial.

Prosecutors said last week that former Illinois Finance Authority executive director Ali Ata, who is to take the witness stand later in the trial, would testify that Rezko told him of a plan to replace Fitzgerald.

Prosecutors told U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve that Ata would say he had a talk with Rezko about such efforts on the part of Springfield lobbyist Robert Kjellander and former presidential adviser Karl Rove.

Kjellander denied he had ever discussed such a thing and Rove's lawyer, Robert Luskin, said his client had no memory of such discussions.

Maloof's testimony Monday was the first time Hastert's name had come up in testimony.

"The conversation was that Mr. Hastert would name a new U.S. attorney," Maloof said.

"What would be the effect of having a new U.S. attorney on the investigation?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Niewoehner asked.

"They would order the prosecutor to drop the investigation," said Maloof, who was not asked to elaborate on who "they" were.

Hastert said Monday that Maloof's testimony was a "non sequitur" since Fitzgerald was not fired.

"The president had to ask for the resignation, and he didn't," Hastert said. "It's not even an issue."

Republicans in Washington could presumably be persuaded to spike an investigation into Democrat Blagojevich because Rezko also raised money for the GOP and is accused of scheming with Republican heavyweight Stuart Levine, who has pleaded guilty in the case and testified against Rezko.

U.S. attorneys are nominated by the president but traditionally are chosen by the senior senator of the president's party.

Fitzgerald was the candidate of Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, R-Ill. (no relation), who said openly that he wanted someone from out of state who would be independent and attack the corruption long plaguing Illinois.

Since taking over as U.S. attorney in September 2001, Patrick Fitzgerald has launched a vigorous attack on corruption, sending former Gov. George Ryan and a number of other political insiders to federal prison.

Peter Fitzgerald and Hastert, while both Republicans, often were at odds with each other. It would not be unusual to allow a senior congressman to suggest a candidate for U.S. attorney if there were no senator of the president's party from the state.