Niranjan Shah, CEO of Globetrotters Engineering, repeatedly has been shut out of DNC fundraising events, including ones with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, the emails show. In 2009, Shah resigned as University of Illinois board chairman after the Chicago Tribune's "Clout Goes to College" series unveiled an admissions scandal at the university.



The report detailed how influential politicians and appointees, including Shah, used their political ties to gain favorable treatment for family members and friends. Shah also used his influence to get a job for his future son-in-law at the university, the Tribune reported.



In addition, Shah was a major donor to the campaign of disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and the Tribune reported in 2009 that records from Shah's engineering firm were subpoenaed as part of the pay-to-play investigation into the former governor's administration. Companies associated with Shah received more than $30 million in state contracts over a five-year period while giving $53,000 to Blagojevich, the Tribune reported. Shah also hosted a fundraiser at his home for Blagojevich.



As a result, the leaked emails show, Shah was blacklisted from many events and his contributions to the DNC turned away.



In May, Chicago attorney Patrick M. Collins sent a letter on behalf of Shah to address his "ongoing vetting evaluation" by the DNC. Collins, a former federal prosecutor who sent ex-Republican Gov. George Ryan to prison for corruption, said his letter was sent on the recommendation of Clayton Cox, a finance director for the DNC.



"Importantly, the negative publicity is quite dated — from seven years ago — and there was never any regulatory or other action taken against him," Collins wrote in making Shah's case. "In short, we respectfully submit that the seven-year-old media attention that Niranjan received, much of which was sensationalized in a hyperaggressive environment, should not be a basis for denying Niranjan the basic status he has earned: a hard-working, law-abiding loyal Democrat."



Collins also noted Shah had suffered a heart attack and several health setbacks while arguing Shah wasn't the sole focus of the "negative media attention" on the university. He also claimed his client was never investigated in connection with the Blagojevich administration.



The internal DNC messages that followed give a glimpse into the sausage-making process behind vetting potential donors.



Collins' letter served as a follow-up to Shah's daughter, Smita Shah, reaching out to Cox about her father, the emails showed. Smita Shah, the president and CEO of Chicago-based Spaan Tech, Inc., is an at-large Illinois delegate for Clinton at this week's DNC convention. She hosted a fundraiser at her Chicago home last year for Clinton with former President Bill Clinton.



DNC officials then went over Niranjan Shah's past vetting history. In 2010, his name was submitted to attend an event with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was then Obama's chief of staff. Shah was referred to as a "no-go" by DNC staffers in a series of 2010 emails, but an email on his event history dated this year showed Shah had attended the Emanuel event.



In 2012, Shah tried to attend a Biden fundraiser in Chicago, the emails showed. Obama campaign staffer Sheila Nix (a former top Blagojevich staffer) wrote to DNC officials, "Don't think we should include him."



"This is a no on my end as well," wrote Nicole Lamberson, a Biden staffer.



Shah tried again in 2014, when he sought to attend a roundtable hosted by Obama in Chicago.



"Finance would like for Niranjan Shah to attend, donate and get a photo with POTUS at the Chicago roundtable in April," wrote DNC staffer Kevin Snowden. "He's been failed numerous times in the past."



"Still fails," replied Bobby Schmuck, a White House political adviser to Obama.



Also included in the emails were thorough summaries of newspaper clips on Shah, a detailed contribution history and a list of events he'd been denied access to.



"Here's his vet," Alan Reed, the DNC's compliance director, wrote on May 6. "The WH is very sensitive to Blagojevich ties. I could be OK for DNC donations and events. However, the WH and OVP might not want him at their events." (Bill Ruthhart)