The Rezko affair resurfaces after testimony about Obama and Auchi

You may remember that, five weeks ago, I wondered out loud why one of Rupert Murdoch’s lead investigative reporters, The Times of London’s James Bone, was sniffing around the Chicago corruption trial of Obama fundraiser Tony Rezko. Moreover, I linked Rezko to the Iraqi-born British billionaire/Bond villain Nadhmi Auchi. Murdoch had, at one time, thrown in his lot with Hillary Clinton and I put two and two together. Now, you may also remember that hard on the heels of that post came not one but two missives from Bone asserting that, in linking his reporting to Murdoch’s political interests, your loyal correspondent was full of shit.

I may well have been. The trail went cold soon afterward and Bone moved on to other things. The Rezko-Auchi-Obama faded from the headlines. That is, until this morning, when The New York Times reported that the government’s star witness in the Rezko trial testified yesterday that Obama attended a party hosted by Rezko for Auchi in 2004. This after both Obama and Auchi denied remembering ever having met each other. I’ve been wrong before (just ask James Bone), but I’m thinking all this might sneak its way into the Obama-Clinton debate tomorrow night in Philly.

• At Developer’s Trial, Witness Recalls Seeing Obamas at 2004 Party for Investor [New York Times]• Boneheaded deal haunts house Obama built [The Times] • Is Rupert Murdoch’s reporter sniffing out Obama pal Tony Rezko? [Toronto Life]