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* You should probably take everything Stu Levine says with a large grain of salt, but here’s a snippet from his testimony yesterday…
Political power broker Stuart Levine said he once worried about new ethics laws — but was assured by Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a former Gov. Rod Blagojevich insider and fundraiser, the laws were “there just for show.”
Levine, the government’s star witness in Rezko’s corruption trial, testified Monday that he had concerns he would be blatantly breaking Blagojevich’s new ethics law by talking to others about business on his state board overseeing billions of dollars in teacher pensions.
“Mr. Rezko told me that no one of consequence was going to pay attention to the ethics ordinance — that it was there just for show,” Levin recounted at Rezko’s corruption trial.
The ethics ordinance, meant to clamp down on influence peddling and conflicts of interest in the wake of former Gov. George Ryan — now imprisoned on corruption charges — was highly touted by Blagojevich.
Maybe nobody in the administration was paying attention, but the feds sure were.
* A little architectural snobbery made it into the Tribune’s story on the case yesterday…
Levine estimated he spent $1 million between 2000 and 2004 on drug parties. Sometimes, he said, he would fly to Springfield to snort away with friends at all-night hotel parties. More often, he said, he would meet with a regular group at the garishly painted “Purple Hotel.”
* Besides Levine’s personal, um, choices, this is one of the bigger holes in the government’s case against Rezko…
Some of the deals [between Levine and Rezko] involving hospital construction and teacher pensions had already been completed, and jurors heard numerous taped phone conversations Monday detailing ins-and-outs of the alleged conspiracy.
Still, the true depths of Levine’s plan was never reached. Just a month after Levine’s pinnacle meeting with Rezko, FBI agents were knocking on his door.
* But this may show how much power Rezko wielded in order to pull off the alleged scheme…
Earlier, Levine testified that a small group of insiders wielded power over the teachers pension fund but that in May 2004 they were in danger of losing their majority on the board.
He said he urged Rezko to get two more members willing to play ball onto the board quickly before their control was lost.
Soon afterward, Blagojevich named attorney Anthony Abboud to the board. Levine said he asked Rezko if the second member to be named to board would be “another team member.” He said that Rezko responded: “Absolutely.”
Blagojevich then named attorney Jack Carriglio to the board. Both Abboud and Carriglio phoned Levine before the first meeting and said that Rezko had told them to do so to get acquainted, Levine testified. Neither is charged with any wrongdoing in the case.
* More Rezko roundup, compiled by Kevin…
* Governor’s office sought favorable vote for hire
* Rezko Trial Witness Tells Of All-Night Drug Binges
* Fast times at Purple Hotel
* Rezko jury told of all-day drug parties
* A grand old partyer shatters stereotype
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 8:59 am
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I thought the potential recording from Cellini, discussing his fear over kelly and Rezko overly blatant tactics mught get them caught was the most interesting bit. Not sure if that piece of the recording actually survived the defense motion. But that sure smacks of the truth.
Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 9:06 am
““Mr. Rezko told me that no one of consequence was going to pay attention to the ethics ordinance — that it was there just for show,” Levin recounted at Rezko’s corruption trial.”
Obviously, Mr. Levine is on drugs if he needed to be told this!
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 9:07 am
Isn’t it time for another pronouncement from Cindi Canary on the need for real ethics/campaign finance reform. Alas, her organization, like so many other organizations and individuals, seems to have given up on getting Illinois honest. Let the good times roll–for the pols and their business cronies and, of course, their relatives.
Also, somewhat odd is the rather deafening silence from the teachers whose pension fund was at play
in the Levine/Rezko shenanigans. We’ve heard barely a peep from the various teacher organizations who are usually so noisy about teacher issues. I guess they don’t want to bite the ever generous hand of Blagojevich.
Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 9:32 am
Who says Springfield isn’t a wild and crazy town?
Comment by archpundit Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 9:46 am
The Tribune was being kind labeling Levine’s drug tryst hideaway as “garish”. The Lincolnwood “Purple Hotel” resembles a trip in the good ol’ daze by LSD guru Timothy Leary
Comment by The Fox Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 9:48 am
Laws almost never apply to either lawmakers or executives, and certainly not a self-policing law like the ethics act. Ms. Canary, writers to this blog (I’m no exception), Jane and John Q. Illinois Public can all b**** and moan about the corruption until anytime-you-choose, but there is not a one, or any group, of us that can do anything about it. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss ad infinitum.
Comment by anon Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 10:06 am
Wonder who the boy toys were for the SPI fetes?Former law partners? CampaignCash receivers? Where was TMZ when they were needed?
Get the airplane landing reports
Comment by My Kind of Town Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 10:12 am
The Purple Hotel was pretty well known in its hey day in the Lincolnwood/Skokie area. I believe it is now closed and facing demolition. The last few years it was open it was pretty run down.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 11:02 am
I can tell you from first hand experience that none of the people Blago dumped on my department paid any attention to the ethics rules. When you mentioned anything to them the answer was always the same - “its been done that way for years.” They paid no attention to the fact that the ones who did it that way for years were indicted, convicted, in or on their way to prison, testifying in court, ect. As a result I have a particular disdain for this bunch of phonies. They deserve everything that is happening to them. Unfortunately the citizens of this state do not deserve what is happening to them.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 11:07 am
If you are a junkie run down hotels are perfect…SPI is ground zero for more run down hotels per square mile than any other capitol in the US.
Comment by My Kind of Town Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 11:17 am
What a sad and pathetic man. Just think — after all this, he still has to do time. And what he’s done to his wife and his poor children — they still have to face the world every day.
He was the King of the World, a Macher, as they would say in Highland Park. But even at the height of his power and wealth, he was a complete and utter loser. To sell your soul for money, blow and sex - I thank God for my blue-collar, immigrant parents. The Depression, the War — every time they got knocked down, they got back up — and they had the “audacity of hope” to come to America. Money? It’s nothing. I’ve been broke and happy all my life, thanks to them.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 11:45 am
For My Kind of Town, for what its worth, the “Purple Hotel” was not in SPI. See note from Louis G. above as well as the article link Rich so kindly provided.
Comment by Cogito Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 3:10 pm
So, how did Levine kick the habit? I mean, is he testifying loaded or has he been to rehab and is working a 12 step program? Certainly, no one thinks that one day he was using $2,000 dollars a day in coke and meth and animal tranquilizers - and the next day he decided to quit.
Comment by Shelbyville Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 3:33 pm
I believe what is now the “Purple Hotel” was a Hyatt or Hilton at one time.
Why was it purple, though, in the first place?
Comment by Touhy Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 4:35 pm
When I was a kid it was known as the Purple Hyatt although the official name was something along the lines of the Hyatt Lincolnwood Hotel. It was considered an upscale hotel in its heyday.
The building has purple brick facades. And I mean PURPLE! You couldn’t miss it. When I would attend events there and would have to give directions to others, I would simply tell them to keep an eye out for a big, purple building and turn into its driveway.
It underwent a number of name changes as it got older (and may have been sold a few times) and finally was just called “The Purple Hotel” until it closed.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 5:31 pm
I’ve driven pass the building numerous times in my life. I rank it up there with the Leaning Tower YMCA in Niles and Barnaby’s an example of Northwest (Nortwes?)Side architecture and culture, kind of like the place in Norridge on Harlem that still rented powder blue, yellow and red tuxedos through the mid-90s.
Comment by Touhy Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 5:48 pm
Of all the eye-popping stuff this slimy crook has said so far, this has got to be one of the best: According to Levine he spent “in excess of a million dollars” between 2000 and 2004. The drugs included crystal methamphetamine, the animal tranquilizer ketamine — also known as “Special K” — cocaine and ecstasy.
Levine said he stopped using after the FBI told him he was under investigation for other crimes.
“I was afraid of being caught,” Levine said.
Comment by Fox Mulder Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 6:56 pm
I, too, am wondering who his druggie friends were here in Springfield. Were they our home-grown boys who got a by? And someone mentioned sex in all this. Levine claims it was himself and 5 male friends doing the snorting, etc. Hmmmmm? Or am I just naive?
Comment by Disgusted Tuesday, Apr 1, 08 @ 10:00 pm
Ethics? We don’t need no stinkin’ ethics!
Comment by What can I say? Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 6:26 am