from the Kirk for U.S. Senate campaign
Northbrook, Ill. – The Kirk for Senate campaign today called on Alexi Giannoulias to end his silence and come clean about his role in approving loans for Nick Giannis, the Giannoulias contributor and family friend who arrived in Chicago Police custody yesterday facing bank fraud charges.
Giannis, owner of Boston Blackie’s, was arrested on March 11th as he attempted to flee the country. Records held by the Cook County Recorder of Deeds show a $4.25 million loan was made to Boston Blackie’s in February 2005 – at the height of Giannoulias’ tenure as Vice President and Chief Loan Officer of Broadway Bank – despite Giannis’ 1996 conviction for illegal possession of a firearm. Giannis told the Chicago Tribune that he knew the Giannoulias family for years and was a friend of Alexi’s father.
“After nearly two weeks, Alexi Giannoulias remains silent on his role in approving loans for a major campaign contributor and family friend with a known criminal record,” campaign spokesman Eric Elk said. “This should not be difficult – it’s a simple yes or no response. Alexi, did you authorize a $4.25 million loan for Boston Blackie’s in 2005 or a $1.2 million loan for Nick Giannis in 2002?”
In addition to the 2005 loan, Broadway Bank authorized a $1.2 million loan for Giannis in December 2002 – also during Alexi’s tenure as Chief Loan Officer. Twelve days ago, a Giannoulias campaign spokeswoman “said she had found no evidence that Giannoulias himself signed off on the $1.2 million loan” to Giannis but provided no further detail into what records she checked, who signed off on the loan or what other role Giannoulias may have played in the loan process.
Giannoulias has accepted $114,800 in campaign contributions from Giannis since 2005, making Giannis the second-highest Giannoulias campaign contributor outside the Giannoulias family.
On March 4, 2010, the Chicago Tribune wrote: “When the family bank was flying high and Giannoulias had his eye on the treasurer's office, he was the senior loan officer, but when the tough decisions were made or the questionable characters came to call, it was almost always Alexi's day to empty the wastebaskets.”
