Factcheck.org on Ayers, Keating, Rezko, Singlaub and Davis

FactCheck.org:
-William Ayers: Forty years ago, Ayers was a founder of the Weather Underground, but after Ayers surrendered in 1980, the charges against him were dropped because of prosecutorial misconduct. Eventually, Ayers became a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, specializing in education reform and even advising Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. In 1995, Ayers hosted a meet-the-candidate session at his home for Obama as he prepared to run for the state Senate. Later, the two worked with the same charity and social-service organizations in Chicago. Obama has denounced Ayers' violent activities, which occurred when Obama was a child.

- Charles Keating: Keating was a real estate speculator and savings and loan owner. His institution failed, costing many investors their life savings and sticking taxpayers with a $2.8 billion bailout cost. McCain received $112,000 from him, his family and associates, and took trips to the Bahamas at Keating's expense. McCain took up Keating's cause with financial regulators who were investigating the businessman. Keating eventually went to prison, and McCain received a mild rebuke from the Senate ethics committee. McCain repaid $112,000 to the U.S. Treasury and reimbursed Keating for the trips. He later said attending two meetings with bank regulators on behalf of Keating was "the worst mistake of my life" and that it had made him more sensitive to the need for government reform.

- Antoin "Tony" Rezko: Rezko was a key supporter and donor throughout Obama's political career. Obama estimates Rezko raised $250,000 for his various campaigns, though not for his presidential bid. The two were friends who talked frequently about politics and occasionally dined out together with their wives. Rezko was convicted this summer on federal charges, the charges do not involve Obama. Obama consulted Rezko, a real estate developer, before buying a home in 2005. Rezko ended up buying a vacant lot next door and then selling some of the land to Obama. But Rezko did not help Obama pay for his house, and the sellers say Obama got no special treatment. As a state senator, Obama wrote letters endorsing government support of a Rezko housing project for senior citizens. Obama aides say he was simply supporting a project that would help residents of his district, not doing a favor for a friend.

- John Singlaub: A retired Army general, Singlaub founded the U.S. Council for World Freedom, which aided rebels trying to overthrow the leftist government of Nicaragua. That landed the group in the middle of the Iran-Contra affair and in legal trouble with the Internal Revenue Service. The council was connected to the World Anti-Communist League, an organization linked to former Nazi collaborators and ultra-right-wing death squads in Central America. McCain served on the council's advisory board in the early 1980s. McCain says he resigned in 1984 and asked to have his name taken off the group's letterhead in 1986. Singlaub says he doesn't recall McCain resigning, but also says McCain was never active in the organization and instead just let the group use his name for public relations purposes.

- Rick Davis: McCain's campaign manager had financial ties to mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac almost up to the time the government took them over last month and the nation's financial system went into a tailspin. Davis or his lobbying firm have taken more than $2 million directly or indirectly from the mortgage companies dating to 2000. In 2005, the lobbying firm began getting $15,000 a month from Freddie Mac, although sources told The New York Times the firm did little work for the money.