politics as normal...

Obama Earmarks Benefited Donors and Relatives, Group SaysTuesday, October 07, 2008
By
Fred Lucas, Staff Writer (CSN)

(CNSNews.com) – As an Illinois state legislator, Sen. Barack Obama secured at least $300,000 to fund projects that benefited friends, relatives and contributors, according to a conservative government watchdog group.Those projects included a botanical garden that was never built, a church with a controversial pastor and an organization headed by Michelle Obama’s cousin. Judicial Watch, using the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, says it obtained information on earmarks doled out by Obama when he represented his Chicago district in the state Senate. Obama obtained a $100,000 grant for a garden project in Englewood, Ill., which was initiated by campaign volunteer Kenny Smith, according to Judicial Watch. The “Englewood Botanical Garden” project was never built, however. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, “Today the garden site is a mess of weeds, chunks of concrete and garbage.” State records show that $65,000 of the grant money obtained by Obama went directly to Smith’s wife Karen, Judicial Watch said. In July 2000, Obama helped secure a $100,000 grant for the Community of St. Sabina, the Catholic Church headed by the Rev. Michael Pfleger. Pfleger has long been a controversial figure in Chicago. He made headlines earlier this year when he made racially charged remarks about Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign while speaking at Obama’s former church, Trinity United Church of Christ. Also in 2000, Obama helped secure $75,000 for FORUM, a political activist group run by Yesse Yehudah. Five people working for FORUM donated $1,000 to Obama’s campaign after getting the grant, according to Judicial Watch. FORUM also contributed $5,000 to help pay Obama’s campaign debt after Obama lost his 2000 Democratic primary challenge to incumbent U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush. In 2002, the State of Illinois sued Yehudah for failure to account for some of the money from the Obama-driven grant, according to Judicial Watch. As a state senator, Obama helped shore up a $25,000 grant for the Blue Gargoyle in August 2000. Blue Gargoyle is a community-based employment program headed by Capers C. Funnye, Jr. Funnye is Michelle Obama’s first cousin once removed, according to Judicial Watch. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement that the earmarks from Obama’s early career should raise questions. “Barack Obama’s earmark for his wife’s cousin, Rabbi Funnye, raises ethical question,” Fitton said. “Some of these earmarks show that Barack Obama may have abused his office in the Illinois state Senate.”