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All-Star cast touted in Rezko trial
Monday, Mar 24, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning * A lot has been going on in the Rezko trial since last week. I’ll spare you the play-by-play, but the prosecution’s case was greatly buttressed on Friday:
This is important. Several witnesses have testified that they believed Rezko was pulling the strings on the two panels, but the wiretap was the first time that the jury actually got to hear it from Rezko himself. *While the tapes themselves aren’t incriminating, they help to illustrate Levine’s ongoing tale about his Godfather. Among Levine’s most damaging testimony against Rezko was that he agreed to split a $1.5 million bribe to approve the Mercy Hospital application for a Crystal Lake site.
* As the State Capitol Notebook says today though, Tony Rezko may be the defendant in an ongoing federal corruption trial, but an all-star cast of Illinois politicos is getting dragged into the case, too:
Levine allegedly arranged for Ald. Mell to receive a cut from a finder’s fee. However, Mell denies the charge, and says that he never received any money. Cellini and Kjellander joined the fray when Levine testified about how he helped steer clients to the lobbyists’ firm, among other things. Kjellander has denied any wrongdoing, and neither has been charged with a crime. Levine admitted to two bribes that involved Vrdolyak, who has spent years inside the powerful world of Chicago politics, as a middleman. Vrdolyak quickly denied any wrongdoing. That’s a whole lot of collateral damage. Finally though, Blagojevich remains as the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. Levine told the jury this week that Blagojevich told him, “You stick with us and you’ll do very well for yourself.” Levine said to him, this meant he stood to get a lot of money if he did what the governor wanted. The governor’s name was all over the case Wednesday, with Levine uttering it at least 30 times in under three hours and in ways that often did not appear to paint Blagojevich in a flattering light. The administration then issued its standard response:
In Rich’s column today, he answers the perennial question of the trial, will the governor be indicted?
* Everything hinges on Levine’s credibility. The defense can argue that Levine was a weasel who made his career by lying and scamming others. Oh, and did I mention that he was in a constant drug induced state that purportedly cost him $25,000 a month and included Special K? No, not the cereal, but a drug that can be enough to sedate a horse. However, it may be hard to sway a jury against Levine’s testimony when Rezko does such a good job of filling in the gaps himself on those tapes. More Rezko stuff * Suit says Rezko, doctor stole man’s mansion
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- Wacker Drive - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 11:48 am:
Where’s Rod been hiding the last 3 weeks? Winston & Strawn’s office.
- True Observer - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 11:48 am:
A Silly Question-
If somebody says they bribed someone with a certain amount of money and that person denies it, why can’t they just trace the money?
Banks keep records.
- Kevin Fanning - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 11:53 am:
Because a cash withdrawal from an account isn’t evidence of a payoff. Even if that withdrawal ends up in a brown paper bag or in an envelope accompanying a pie like in Shawshank Redemption.
- chiatty - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 11:54 am:
Rezko and Levine are dirty enough on their own. I have no idea why the judge let Levine throw mud at Vrdolyak before he had his chance to defend himself. It sure seems like the federal judiciary lets the US Atty’s office put on whatever evidence they want.
- MOON - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 11:54 am:
I agree that Fitzgerald is working his way up the ladder. If that is the case, then what about Patti Blago’s real estate deals.If I was Fitzgerald I would go after Blago’s wife. That would put real pressure on the Gov.
- The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 11:58 am:
Please. Couldn’t anyone tell Levine was tweaking at work?
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 12:01 pm:
“* Everything hinges on Levine’s credibility. The defense can argue that Levine was a weasel who made his career by lying and scamming others.”
True, but it is ALMOST ALWAYS true in corruption and conspiracy cases that key witnesses have prior convictions and/or shaky pasts. Yet, the Feds still get their man, much more often than not.
- steve schnorf - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 12:04 pm:
So far, I see the feds demonstrating that Rezko did unseemly things, and crimes were committed by various people. Interesting, sad, but no proof that Rezko did illegal things. Are the feds going to prove that Rezko did illegal things, or are they hoping the jury will intuit that?
- wordslinger - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 12:06 pm:
If you’re in the crosshairs of the U.S. attorney, get ready to make a deal. Their conviction rate is over 90% — they don’t indict unless they can win, and they like to win.
Still, no smoking gun of Tony on tape yet. Influence, yes, kickbacks, no. And yes, this judge has allowed the U.S. Attorney to drag a lot of names into this.
- History Question - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 12:43 pm:
Has an Illinois Governor and their spouse ever been indicted or both gone to prison?
Further more, Mel would never let that happen…..
- RMW Stanford - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 12:47 pm:
I suspect that the Fed will get a conviction on Rezko the big question is, will Blagojevich join him on trial and in the Fed Pen at some point and for that matter what does it say about Illinois Government and politics if we have two Governors in a row end up in prison?
- so-called "Austin Mayor" - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 1:10 pm:
“Will the governor be indicted?”
I think that the key question isn’t if Blagojevich will be indicted by the federales, but when. That is, Will his indictment play a role in the November election?
– SCAM
so-called “Austin Mayor”
http://austinmayor.blogspot.com
- A Citizen - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 1:17 pm:
QOTD - It is so good to have CapFax back on the air again, should Rich and Kevin be allowed one and two week vacations or just an alternating day off once in a while?
- Just Because - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 1:36 pm:
I think everyone here needs to remember the Fed’s are just getting started!! Go back and look at the ryan case. a Lot less was done and several convictions. Rezko is going to jail, he needs to ask himself How long. Rod is right behind him and I agree they should indite Pattie.
- Captain America - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 1:38 pm:
No doubt that Fitzgerald is pursuing the Governor. Not much doubt that Rezco will be convicted - Levine looks and sounds credible to me, irrespective of his lifestyle issues that the Rezco defense will attempt to exploit. Testimony by others has corroborated what Levine has said about Rezco’s influence.
But if Rezco and/or Kelly don’t flip on the Governor, then I don’t see how Fitzgerald can prove the Governor is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. To paraphrase James Laski, it looks like Kelly and Rezco were the Governor’s buffers - if the “buffer zone” collapses, then the Governor will be indicted and convicted.
I have no synmpathy for Fast Eddie - he’s been operating on the fringe for his entire career and getting away with it until now.
I think Levine’s testimony lends credence to the John Kass’s combine theory explaining how things really get done in Chicago,Cook County, and Illinois. What a total cesspool of corruption - it boggles the mind!
- Carlos - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 2:31 pm:
Fitz cannot indict a KING!
- fed up - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 3:09 pm:
when blago gets indicted(Ibelieve its a done deal) he will drag the court case out tell the end of his term. We are stuck with this egomaniac until the next election. Sptizer, kilpatrick, and soon blago Dems having a rough few weeks. The Gop needs all the help they can get.
- Just Because - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 3:18 pm:
I think Kelly will turn on the Gov. Unlike Rezko kelly has a fear of prison and total loss.
- Shelbyville - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 4:21 pm:
I remember distinctly, evidence being submitted in the Ryan trial about other people’s bank accounts. Heck they testified that Ron Swanson had withdrawn money from his bank every year around George Ryan’s birthday.
The feds also had every check that staff members had ever written.
So, yes, they follow the money trail.
- Leave a light on George - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 5:08 pm:
With all the real estate shenanigans coming out of this trial I think Patty B being indicted is a real possibility.
- A Citizen - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 5:13 pm:
Maybr Rod will turn state’s evidence on Patti and cut a deal to keep out of the slammer. Sort of throw mama under the bus.
- Truthful James - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 6:34 pm:
Pat Fitz is climbing up the hill, just like he did in the DC case. Scooter was a goner and would have flipped if GWB had not given him the golden wand. The next one there was the Veep.
Now in Illinois, we have two tracks to the Guv. Kelly and Rezko. Rezco may be holding out for a Blago golden wand.
But this cuts much deeper. The morass that is Springfield with Cellini — the equal opportunity Creature from the Great Lagoon — and the Shill Lander holding up the dishonor of the Republican side, Jim Edgar may have to start toi sweat a little.
The swamp needs to be drained, and the sooner the better. Both sides are in it above their waists and it is the Illinois taxpayer who has been suffering through it all.
- A Citizen - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 7:27 pm:
- Truthful James -
“…Rezco may be holding out for a Blago golden wand…” This is a Fed thing not State - Rod has NO golden rod despite his claims of T virility. Patti best cut her deal now, before Rod throws her under the bus, Rezko too!
- Bookworm - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 8:00 pm:
The mere fact that Blago would appoint a weasel like Levine to not one but TWO state boards, after he had accumulated a record of drug use, shady deals and God knows what else, tells me he’s totally unfit to be governor regardless of what else he may or may not have done wrong.
Even if Levine is making all this stuff up purely to save his own skin, he’s still a lying weasel who has NO business being dogcatcher let alone on a state board. Of course he got his original appointment from the GOP administration — which doesn’t reflect well on them either. Yep, I do believe in the Combine now.
- A Citizen - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 8:30 pm:
Or perhaps it is guv who will “cut a deal” with the Feds and throw all the rest under the bus. Stranger things have happened with this turkey.
- Fox Mulder - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 10:01 pm:
For you swamp drainers and housecleaners, a couple questions and comments:
Will the tidying up include the corrupt labor unions, whose leaders have been named in the wiretaps and testimony? The Fed claim that old man Schmidt was more “politically connected” than the Rockford IEA boss about made me fall off the grassy knoll. Then there’s Ed Smith and Balanoff hand in hand with Stu and Tony.
Weasel Stu and credibility are hard to put in the same sentence. The mope has had more flavors than Baskin Robbins. Wait until the cross examination starts and Tony Soprano will go right back to the Elmer Fudd on the tapes.
The Weasel aside, Tony’s goin’ down like Ashly Alexandra Dupree on the third date.
PS:What in the heck does any of this have to do with Edgar?
- A Citizen - Monday, Mar 24, 08 @ 10:32 pm:
- Fox Mulder -
“…PS:What in the heck does any of this have to do with Edgar?…”
MSI!
And don’t leave out Pete Vallone - he gave AFSCME the gift of unionizing virtually all of state employees and the frosting on the cake was Union Shop - everyone pays dues.