Mitt Romney’s campaign is raising eyebrows for accepting money from a former Iraqi politician with ties to a corrupt Chicago businessman, after Republicans slammed President Obama for taking funds from the same donor in 2008.
Aiham Alsammarae has given $4,800 to Romney’s presidential campaign since 2011, USA Today reports after reviewing Federal Election Commission records.
Alsammarae served as Iraq’s interim electricity minister under the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority. He has close ties to Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a former Obama fundraiser convicted in June 2008 on charges of fraud, attempted bribery and money laundering.
Alsammarae, who now lives in the Chicago area, helped Rezko raise bail before his trial by pledging properties he owned with his wife.
The RNC had slammed Obama from taking $2,300 from Alsammarae in 2008. Along with his ties to Rezko, Republicans had said Alsammarae was jailed for several months in Iraq on charges that he embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars as electricity minister.
Obama later donated the money he received from Alsammarae to charity.
When USA Today asked the RNC about Alsammarae’s donations to Romney, RNC spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski responded that “Obama attacked Enron in 2008 but takes money from ex-Enron employees who profited” from the collapsed energy company.
Romney’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment, the paper said.
klee@nydailynews.com
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