For those who don't know, Rezko is accused of gathering illicit funds from companies seeking government contracts and individuals wanting to be appointed by the Gov. to state boards. The Feds caught on to his pal Stu Levine's rampant drug use and questionable "private behavior," so they wired the guy up and sent him after Rezko in exchange for a reduced 5-year sentence. My out of state pals may know him as "that guy giving fodder to Clinton and other anti-Obamans," as he has been described as a friend of our IL senator-cum-presidential candidate.
I've been in court watching the proceedings thrice since the trial began late last month and I have to say I've enjoyed myself. Since I'm new to Chicago, this whole corruption thing hasn't gotten old yet.
I thought I'd share some of my scribblings from the past few weeks for all those judicial junkies out there. First, to orient you, here's the newspaper-y piece I did on Thomas Beck's testimony on March 12:
"Friends in high places"
Jurors in the Antoin "Tony" Rezko case got to hear Stuart Levine's stammering voice for the first time Wednesday, though the prosecution's chief witness wasn't in the court room.
During the testimony of Thomas Beck, former Cook County comptroller and chair of the Illinois State Health Facility Planning Board, a recording of an FBI wiretap between him and Levine was played in court. Beck, now a consultant in Glenview, testified under immunity.
Though the jury was riveted by the playback of the conversation, Beck's testimony was more illustrative of the way Rezko was able to control the inner workings of planning healthcare in Illinois. Rezko is a politically connected former fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
According to Beck, everything from his board appointment to the opening of new hospitals went through Rezko. Though Beck had originally been appointed to the board by Gov. Jim Edgar in the 1990s and retained by Gov. George Ryan, he told prosecutors that when he wanted to be reappointed after Gov. Rod Blagojevich's 2003 shake-up of the board, he called Rezko.
"The newspapers and the word on the street was that Tony was close to the governor," Beck testified. "I thought he could be helpful to me."
He said he made an appointment with Rezko and brought a $1,000 check made out to Friends of Blagojevich. Soon after, Rezko asked him to serve as chair of the Health Facility Planning Board.
Beck identified three newly appointed doctors whom, in addition to Levine, Rezko could count upon to vote the way the governor wanted: Glenview pathologist Imad Almanaseer, Kankakee neurosurgeon Michel Malek and Winnetka podiatrist Fortunee Massuda. Beck described introducing himself to them at the board orientation in 2003.
"[I told them] 'I believe we have a mutual friend in Tony Rezko,' and they said, 'Oh, yes, he's our friend," Beck testified.
The "mutual friends" of Rezko were also Friends of Blagojevich. Dr. Malek donated $25,000 to Blagojevich on July 25, 2003, the same day that Foot & Ankle Clinics of America (based in Chicago and run by Dr. Massuda at the time) contributed an identical amount. The contributions were received just weeks before Gov. Blagojevich named the two doctors to the board. Levine donated $1,900 to Friends of Blagojevich in 2003.
Beck said he always met with Levine before the board's monthly meetings because Levine "never read anything he had received" regarding the agenda.
"[Levine] wanted to know what Tony wanted him to do," Beck testified.
Beck's communication with the three doctors was more complex. He said he wrote instructions on index cards for each of them.
"I would give one to each of the doctors [and say] 'these are of interest to our friend,'" Beck said.
The conversation played in court was taped by the FBI April 19, 2003, two days before a scheduled board meeting. Beck and Levine talked about a Mercy Health System proposal to build a new hospital in McHenry County. The proposal had been denied six months before the April meeting and needed to be reconsidered soon, per board rules.
At the time of the meeting, the Mercy application was unacceptable to the board. Beck testified that he told this to Rezko, but was told to pass it anyway.
"I got my marching orders," Beck told Levine. "Our boy wants some help."
Beck detailed a way to make the board seem like it was being fair to all three hospitals being considered at that meeting. He told Levine to tell Mercy's lawyer that the board would formulate new questions for each hospital to answer, necessitating extending the board's six month deadline for resubmitting a proposal.
Mercy's $81 million proposal was ultimately approved and the hospital continues to operate in Crystal Lake.
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Here's what it's like for all the reporters who show up late to Judge Amy St. Eve's courtroom to cover the proceedings and get shuttled to the overflow room:
Despite the black velvet curtain around the big screen TV in the overflow room for the Tony Rezko trial, observers there were less than solemn.
Stuart Levine, the prosecution's key witness, continued his testimony from yesterday in a packed courtroom today. In the overflow room, reporters laughed over Levine's flippant answers to objections filed by the defense over the specificity of the location of meetings between Levine and Rezko.
Besides that, the testimony was rather dull.
Levine's answers to the prosecution's questions about his relationship with Rezko were blunt, but not surprising.
"I felt that Mr. Rezko and I could make a lot of money together," he said, referring to "illegal deals" he said he could bring regarding the two boards he served on: the Illinois Teachers' Retirement System and the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board.Observers could be seen doodling, yawning and playing hangman. Empty Dunkin' Donuts cups littered the courtroom tables. The door was never closed for more than a minute or two; people kept coming and going. One guy passed time picking his nose.
The view might be shitty (the camera shot catches the least interesting part of the courtroom, leaving out the evidence projection and the witness stand. And, I don't know about everyone else, but I am plain sick of looking at Tony's bald spot), but at least you can't be found in contempt of court.
During the morning break, one reporter said the former fundraiser "thought he was the next Gary Hart," referring to Levine's testimony that Rezko believed Gov. Blagojevich was going to run for president.
Other, less confident reporters checked quotes against their neighbors notes during the break. Someone went to go get more coffee. Judge Amy will never know.
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