Trial is delayed a week for Illinois businessman who donated to Obama

CHICAGO — The trial of political fundraiser Antoin Rezko has been delayed one week to give his attorneys more time to prepare.

Rezko has raised thousands of dollars for Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He was jailed Monday after U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve determined that he might flee to avoid trial.

Rezko is accused of shaking down companies seeking state business.

Neither Obama, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, nor Blagojevich has been accused of any wrongdoing.

St. Eve offered Thursday to delay the trial’s start from Feb. 25 to March 3 to give Rezko’s attorneys more time to prepare.

Rezko initially said he would rather the trial start sooner, but he ended up agreeing to the weeklong delay.

Rezko has been a patron of Illinois politicians for years and Obama’s connections to Rezko go back more than 15 years.

Obama’s campaign has given to charity nearly $150,000 in contributions received by Obama’s House, Senate and presidential campaigns that came from Rezko, his employees, his associates and his family.

Obama represented partners of Rezko’s company in government-subsidized apartment rehabilitation projects, not Rezko himself. Obama has said he did no more than five or six hours of work for the partners.