Donor to Illinois Democratic Senate Candidate Arrested for Writing Bad Checks

Published March 12, 2010

| AP

CHICAGO -- The Illinois Democrat running for President Obama's old Senate seat has a new political hassle.

A campaign contributor to Alexi Giannoulias was arrested Thursday on charges of defrauding banks by writing bad checks.

Restaurant chain owner Nick Giannis and two others were accused in a $2 million scheme that included writing bad checks from accounts at a bank owned by Giannoulias' family.

It was not immediately known whether Giannis had an attorney. Prosecutors have not accused Giannoulias' family's bank of wrongdoing.

Giannis has donated $110,000 to Giannoulias' state campaign fund and $4,800 to his Senate bid. Giannoulias says he's donating the money to charity.

The bank is in danger of failing and has been a political problem for Giannoulias.

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