As embattled Illinois Democrat Senate hopeful Alexi Giannoulias (D-IL) heads to the White House this evening, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) posed questions to President Barack Obama and his Administration regarding Giannoulias’ ethically-challenged resume and failing family bank.

• Will President Obama endorse and campaign alongside Giannoulias, considering his ethically-challenged background?
  • President Obama previously said: “Bankers don’t need another vote in the U.S. Senate,” and decried “fat cats” who are getting “rewarded for their failure.” Considering there’s now a “fat cat” banker who is running for his former Senate seat and looking to get rewarded for his own banking failures, how does Giannoulias differ from these “fat cats” who Obama vehemently condemned?
• It’s been reported that Giannoulias may meet with David Axelrod today, who previously voiced concerns about Giannoulias’ background and lamented the fact that the White House was unable to recruit a stronger candidate in Lisa Madigan. Does Axelrod still think Madigan was a stronger candidate?
• Were Axelrod’s concerns assuaged after Giannoulias’ “clearing the air” tour last week, during which the Democrat Senate candidate:
  • Acknowledged for the first time that his family bank, Broadway Bank, will likely fail.
  • Defended his family withdrawing $69 million in dividends from the bank in 2007 and 2008, but strongly denied the family was irresponsible for taking $69 million out of the bank just before the real estate collapse that he said they didn’t see coming.
  • Defended the loans that he made to “a few colorful characters” — convicted bookmaker Michael Giorango, Russian mobsters Boris and Lev Stratievsky, and convicted influence peddler and slum lord Tony Rezko — and claimed that they were not representative of his portfolio.
  • Argued that his role in loaning money to mobsters should not be considered “reckless” or “risky” behavior.
  • And denied that he was aware of Giorango’s mob ties – despite the fact that he admitted to personally traveling to Florida in order to inspect the properties.

“As Giannoulias visits our nation’s capital this week, voters in Illinois want to know where the President stands on his potential successor and his ethically-challenged background. Will the President support Giannoulias’ candidacy whole-heartedly, or will the White House keep its distance? Will the President denounce Giannoulias for looking to get rewarded for his own banking failures, as he did with other ‘fat cat’ bankers, or will the White House turn a blind eye? These are critical questions that face the White House and the Democrat Senate nominee in Illinois this November,” said NRSC spokeswoman Amber Marchand.

To read more about the questions that remain unanswered about Alexi Giannoulias and the White House’s role in his candidacy, click here