CHICAGO, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., helped a Chicago developer who had been his boss get $1 million seven years ago from a housing group, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.
At the time, Obama, now a presidential candidate, was a lawyer and on the board of the Woods Fund. Obama's law firm also represented the developer, Allison Davis.
Davis has since donated $25,000 to Obama's campaigns.
Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama's presidential campaign, defended Obama's action.
"It was a worthwhile project," Burton said. "It's not a conflict of interest to do what's right for your community."
The Woods Fund said it had no records on whether Obama had told other board members of his ties to Davis at the time of the vote. Obama is no longer a member of the board.
Obama went to work for Davis' law firm in 1993. Davis left three years later.
Some of the Woods Fund money was used for an apartment building for the elderly.
