Rezko Watch: Blagojevich kept informed on extortion attempts
posted at 9:05 am on April 3, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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The trial of Tony Rezko has promised an explosive look at Illinois politics, and yesterday it delivered a large detonation regarding Governor Rod Blagojevich. After an attempted shakedown of a Hollywood producer failed to generate the million-dollar payoff for Blagojevich’s campaign, fixer Stuart Levine testified that Blagojevich agreed to cut state business with Tom Rosenberg in response:
A Chicago businessman-turned-Hollywood producer who believed he was being shaken down by two of Gov. Blagojevich’s campaign fund-raisers threatened to “take them down” if they didn’t back off, according to a recording played at the Tony Rezko corruption trial today.
And the governor was made aware of the “situation” and agreed the producer shouldn’t get any more state business, star prosecution witness Stuart Levine testified this afternoon. …
Levine, who has pleaded guilty to taking part with Rezko in schemes to get kickbacks from companies seeking state business, testified that the decision to approach Rosenberg for cash came after Rezko and fellow Blagojevich fund-raiser Chris Kelly learned Rosenberg won big-money deals with the state but hadn’t given to Blagojevich’s campaign fund. On the recording, Cellini tells Levine that Rosenberg angrily rebuked Cellini’s attempt to squeeze him for a campaign donation.
“ ‘I’ll take them down,’ ” Cellini recounts Rosenberg telling him, speaking about Kelly and Rezko. “ ‘They’re known by the G” — the government — “as to what they’re doing. They’ve got 48 hours. If they’re going to do this to me and think they’re going to blackmail me — I’m going to take them down.’
When informed of the conversation, Blagojevich didn’t react by saying, “The state’s business affairs have nothing to do with campaign contributions,” or “How dare you try to force Rosenberg into contributing to my campaign because of his business connections with the people of Illinois!” That might make a great line in a future Rosenberg film, however, akin to “I’m shocked, shocked to find gambling in this establishment!”
No, the Governor of Illinois instead agreed with his fixers to lock Rosenberg out of any more state contracts as a result of Rosenberg’s intention to expose their sleazy kickback scheme. That, if corroborated, would be a prosecutable abuse of power. The governor’s office immediately issued a denial, but the trial continues — and if more evidence arises, then Blagojevich may find himself out of a job, or worse.
The exposure of this shakedown racket shows that Rezko is no anomaly in Illinois politics. This testimony also highlights the deeply corrupt nature of Tony Rezko and his associates in that environment. Rezko was no overeager fundraiser who got tripped up by Byzantine campaign-finance regulations, but a political gangster who worked to abuse government power for his own ends. His association with Barack Obama should send up all sorts of red flags — and by the time the trial is over, perhaps it will.
Update: Rod, not Roy. Thanks to the Hurtibises for the correction.
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Barack only hung around with these guys to get them to change their ways, man. Just keep singing brother - Hope and Change. Hope and Change. Hope and Change.
Sugar Land on April 3, 2008 at 9:13 AM
What’s his party affiliation? If he’s a democrat, we have an opening he’d be perfect for here in NY.
JiangxiDad on April 3, 2008 at 9:17 AM
Ed, you might want to change the name to ROD Blagojevich.
mike in NV on April 3, 2008 at 9:18 AM
Shakedown early and often. Then deny ,deny, deny.
Obama is probably even dirtier than we imagine, and my imagination is pretty vivid.
bbz123 on April 3, 2008 at 9:21 AM
Your average Obama devotee has no clue what his policy stances really are, or what exactly his brand of ‘hope and change’ really is. I doubt very seriously if they have any clue who this ‘Tony guy’ is either or why he’s a problem.
The Wright stuff was easy to understand…that’s why the Obama camp had to apologize several times. If the MSM would cover this like a Republican scandal, then it might sink it, but otherwise it’s just too obtuse.
I think it’s important for people to keep up with it, but in the end I think it matters not a whit in this campaign.
Asher on April 3, 2008 at 9:22 AM
Why didn’t Blagojevich just ring up Obama’s pal Oprah for a few million?
fogw on April 3, 2008 at 9:27 AM
Obviously the Gov is a democrat…since there was no mention of party affiliation.
right2bright on April 3, 2008 at 9:29 AM
How many more democrats are we going to find involved in corruption or lewd behavior? I say throw all democrats in jail.
jencab on April 3, 2008 at 9:30 AM
Obama was just talking to Rezko about “change”.
$25,000 here, $50,000 there and pretty soon, you’re talking about real money.
NoDonkey on April 3, 2008 at 9:31 AM
Sir, are you suggesting that if it were, uh….I don’t know, like a Republican, that each blurp would be preceded with the obligatory “Disgraced Republican…” “Indicted Republican” “Investigations into Republican…”
How cynical.
I humbly suggest that it is time to move on from the divisiveness of partisan politics and enter a new era of putting the needs of people first rather than playing gotcha politics, the politics of destruction and labels. I think it is time to move on and I am pleased to see that the news media has embraced this world view. ~snark
moxie_neanderthal on April 3, 2008 at 9:33 AM
You mean voting present 125 times is failing to taking a position?
One could call this “doing the Larry Craig ” meaning “he has a very wide stance.”
moxie_neanderthal on April 3, 2008 at 9:38 AM
Things are starting to look REAL good for Herself!’s “Post Presidential Experience Gathering Tour”. First there was New York, now Illinois. Where, oh where will she land?
SeniorD on April 3, 2008 at 9:44 AM
I think Her Majesty will be helped by all of this.
The Clintons are whiter than white and purer than pure. There are no skeletons in their closets.
To paraphrase the esteemed Reverend Wright “Obama’s Chickens…are coming home to ROOOST!”
Ares on April 3, 2008 at 9:52 AM
Yes he is a Democrat as are most of the elected officials in my home state of Ill-noise. This is the culture that Obama was brought up in.
LOL, our previous governor is now serving time for corruption. He was a Republican and the big “R” always showed up after his name.
Waiting to see how many times Obama’s name shows up in this hearing. Yes, there are connections between Rezko and Obama.
BobK on April 3, 2008 at 9:54 AM
Obama Says:
I HOPE I don’t get taken down by this stuff.
I will need to CHANGE the subject by pointing out something Hillary did.
In the FUTURE I should be more careful.
brtex on April 3, 2008 at 9:56 AM
Obama…..That phony is as crooked as a corkscrew. Whats worse is he is also deeply overinvested in victimism. Put those two attributes together, and you have a Huey Long/Tricky Tick hybred without the Nixon smarts.
This guy will tank before the election once the smart American voters snap out of their trance.
Minorities are the key constituants of the dems, and their collective “Judgement to Lead” is evident in Detroit and New Orleans. But don’t worry, we have 20 million cheating illegal immigrants soon to come on board at the voting booth.
It looks like our inevitable decay is in full swing.
saiga on April 3, 2008 at 9:59 AM
So, is IL going to make it 2 for 2? George Ryan left office and was prosecuted and is in jail (IIRC). Will Blago be his cell-mate?
IL politics is really dirty. I couldn’t believe what it was like when we moved there, but over the 12 years we lived there, I realized that it was just how things worked there. Ugh.
acleaver on April 3, 2008 at 10:01 AM
The entire Illinois political culture is like this. Find a 3 year period when a Cook County commissioner hasn’t been charge in some corruption case.
Clark1 on April 3, 2008 at 10:04 AM
Hey, the MSM has lectured us repeatedly that we are NOT allowed to judge Obama based on the people (like Wright) with whom he has chosen to have long and close associations. That’s “guilt by association” and that’s not permitted to taint Saint Obama. I’m sure the same applies for Obama’s longtime criminal friends, like Rezko.
AZCoyote on April 3, 2008 at 10:12 AM
Oh he most definitely is a Democrat and he is probably the most useless Governor this state has ever had since Dan Walker from a few years back. Blago has promised all sorts of things, but delivers on few of them. The things he has done is double the tolls on the Illinois Tollway (which was supposed to have been converted over to a freeway system years ago, until Illinois politicians saw the system for the cash cow it presently is) so as to pay for this massive idiotic roadway revamping project that has turned into a motorist’s nightmare for the last two years. He has also raised taxes, bloated the budget of the state, cut spending for education, attempted to instigate massive spending plans on some of his own pet projects, and even refuses to live in the governor’s mansion in Springfield, so he takes a private jet back and forth between Chicago and Springfield daily. For whatever goofy reason, people have re-elected this guy to office, but now, thanks to the Rezko trial, he may joining the club of former Governors we have had here in Illinois who eventually wound up going to prison on various corruption charges. In fact, our last illustrious Governor, George Ryan, is presently cooling his heels in prison for the next 6 years. With what was revealed at the Rezko trial, Blago may wind up sharing a cell with him.
pilamaye on April 3, 2008 at 10:12 AM
Boy, you can really tell the Illinois posters on this story- we post things like “Yeah, like this is news?”.
Illinois is the most corrupt state in the union in terms of state government. I can’t wait to see Rod in prison.
Unfortunately, the Republican party in Illinois is just as complicent, just as corrupt. They’re just dumber, doing things like not vetting candidates (Jack Ryan), importing Alan Keyes to run for senate, and pushing multiple-time losers (Oberweiss) for important seats because they think having money and name recognition is all that matters.
Maybe we need an independent governor. Anybody know what Ross Perot is up to these days?
playblu on April 3, 2008 at 10:18 AM
“How many more democrats are we going to find involved in corruption or lewd behavior? I say throw all democrats in jail.”
There are two kinds of Democrats:
1) Democrats who are in jail
2) Democrats who should be in jail
NoDonkey on April 3, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Heh.
Jaibones on April 3, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Hey, not fair to say they don’t identify the political party!
It’s right there in the 3rd paragraph:
The secretly recorded, May 2004 conversation was between Levine and longtime Illinois Republican Party power William Cellini.
Sheesh. To listen to you guys one would think they were biased or something.
[Q: Why was a GOP power broker trying to raise all that money for a Dem governor?]
jeanneb on April 3, 2008 at 10:32 AM
“Welcome to Chicago. This town stinks like a whorehouse at low tide.”
–David Mamet, The Untouchables (though most go straight to the church scene)
Karl on April 3, 2008 at 10:42 AM
For the love of God and for the good of the people of Illinois, I wish somebody would. That goes for Blagojevich, Durbin, Daley, Madigan and the whole lot of ‘em. Including Barack. Every one of the scum bag SOB’s from top to bottom ought to be locked up. I cannot begin to tell you how much all of these people are loathed and despised south of I-80… Particularly Rod. However they keep getting elected year in and year out because Chicago and the collar counties dominate the electorate. So basically everyone else in the state has to bend over and take it. No thanks to our spineless, pathetic excuse for a state GOP by the way.
John on April 3, 2008 at 10:48 AM
I found it interesting there was no party affiliation in this article, so that must mean he must be a Democrat. :-)
JeffinSac on April 3, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Chicago politics as usual. Blago still lives in Chicago and his father-in-law is a chicago alderman. Oh by the way, he and his father-in-law don’t get along. Ain’t that odd.
Another Illinois Gov. destined for the big house. And now they want to close Stateville.
dalec on April 3, 2008 at 10:50 AM
I can’t for the life of me figure out how this guy got re-elected here in Illinois. Like another poster said, business as usual. I really hope he goes down and takes YObama with him. Plus, don’t forget…we’re the home of Dick-Durban-before-he-Dicks-you. Oh, and one other thing, we and Wisconsin are the only two states in the Union that don’t have some sort of concealed carry. I mean even Califoria and Mass have it. Sheesh.
Big John on April 3, 2008 at 10:56 AM
Don’t forget the Metro East area that includes East Saint Louis and several other ghettos. Large Dem crowd down here too and it’s Durban’s home turf. It’s tough being a Repub in these parts.
Big John on April 3, 2008 at 11:02 AM
I wish you would quit fretting about that. Any state with Joba and Riveria has very little to worry about in the more important picture.
a capella on April 3, 2008 at 11:02 AM
Guy… You won’t believe how the politics work here in Illinois. Blago is from Chicago. He’s not well liked by many down state Dems, but he always sqeeks by. The “Land of Lincoln” has turn to the “Land of scum” I’m sorry to say. Keep an eye on Blago… He’s the next IL Gov to hit the big house. Our last Gov (Republican) is service 7 years for corruption.
cattekc on April 3, 2008 at 11:06 AM
One by one, they fall.
I expect some hooker to come forward any day now and tell all about her relationship with the gov.
PattyJ on April 3, 2008 at 11:08 AM
Dude, it has gotten so bad here with political corruption, if Abraham Lincoln himself were to rise from the grave, walk out of his tomb, head to the nearest Greyhound Bus Terminal and purchase a one-way ticket back home to Kentucky, I doubt few here would be surprised. It is THAT bad!
pilamaye on April 3, 2008 at 12:21 PM
How bad is corruption here in Ill-noise?
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/875018,CST-NWS-pilgrim03.article
BobK on April 3, 2008 at 1:08 PM
How many more democrats are we going to find involved in corruption or lewd behavior? I say throw all democrats in jail.
jencab on April 3, 2008 at 9:30 AM
Now, now, we can’t have any profiling (sarc).
cs89 on April 3, 2008 at 1:22 PM
Illinois is merely the Louisiana of the north.
I hear Jesse Ventura is available.
Al in St. Lou on April 3, 2008 at 1:40 PM
Hey! What’s going on here? This stuff has never been illegal in Chicago/Illinois.
burt on April 3, 2008 at 1:46 PM
Hey, look! It’s the Goodrich blimp!…
mojo on April 3, 2008 at 3:24 PM