One year ago today Illinois downstate Republican Bill Cellini was indicted by a federal grand jury in charges connected to Blagojevich.
Why talk about this now, you might ask? Because
- Andy McKenna’s ad campaign for Governor came out on October 27, 2009-practically on the one-year anniversary of the Cellini indictment last October 31.
- Andy McKenna’s ad for Governor points the finger at Blagojevich,
- Andy McKenna’s ad for Governor sidesteps the fact that Republicans have been in bed with Blagojevich and even indicted on charges connected to him;
- Andy McKenna was Chairman on the Illinois GOP Central Committee when the indictment came down~!
The bottom line is; whether it was on the Judy Baar Topinka’s watch or Andy McKenna’s watch; we’re talking about the same incestuous bunch that have a stranglehold on the GOP in Illinois; which has shut out any other than a democrat’s point of view.
Heck, take a look at the tremendous numbers of democrat seats in both the Illinois House and Senate! Then take a closer look at all the RINOs sitting there!
So let’s take a closer look and take a stroll down memory lane:
Political power broker Bill Cellini was charged with a four count indictment: conspiracy to commit mail fraud, extortion, attempted extortion and soliciting a bribe.
In part this was about his company, Commonwealth Realty Advisors, which did business with the state. In a prime example of Chicago style maneuvering and a demonstration of Chicago-style political muscle, (prosecutors charged) he threatened to block $220 million worth of state pension money for Hollywood producer Thomas Rosenberg’s real estate investment firm, Capri Capital; attempted to extort $1.5 million from Rosenberg for Blagojevich’s campaign fund; and discussed throwing Pat Fitzgerald under the bus. The charges stemmed from an investigation regarding Rezko’s renovations to Blagojevich’s house for which Rezko was convicted of fraud.
The King of Clout Indicted – Cellini indicted by federal grand jury in state corruption probe (Suntimes)
The grand jury that indicted Cellini is the same one investigating renovations of Blagojevich’s North Side home, according to court documents. That work was done by a company run by Rezko, a former Blagojevich adviser and fund-raiser convicted in June of wide-ranging corruption involving state deals. He’s now talking with prosecutors.
Waddya know, Rezko squealed.
Cellini is a longtime Republican power broker and campaign fund-raiser for Republican and Democratic governors alike, including Blagojevich. Dubbed “the King of Clout” by a 1996 Chicago Sun-Times investigation, he was known as “the Pope” when it came to the sway he held with state pension investments, according to testimony at the Rezko trial.
In an investigation named Operation Board Games, Cellini is accused of conspiring with Rezko and Stuart Levine, then a state pension fund board member, to shake down Thomas Rosenberg, a Chicago businessman-turned-Hollywood producer of “Million Dollar Baby” who is a principal in Capri Capital, which was seeking to handle a $220 million investment for the pension board.
Illinois sure has been ‘all about the hair’; McKenna has not only had a front row seat, he and his connection to Daley, his Obama-connected dad has taken an active role in it; and his buddy Cellini is another Blago-connected example of it. Remember Junior was Illinois’ GOP Chair for 4 1/2 years, which makes Fred Davis’ ad blaming trouble in this state on Blago’s blue state Illinois as “a culture of hair” rather humorous in its hypocrisy, if not a giant lie of omission. The GOP’s own “culture of hair” under Judy Baar Topinka, McKenna, Jr. and others when they were on the Central Committee as the Chair is why Illinois conservatives feel betrayed. They have played nice with the democrats on their agenda items for political and personal gain.
Andy McKenna Senior – the Obama and Daley-connected Democrat, has probably been very happy with all of this.
Nepotism, extortion, bribes, the Illinois GOP has it all; but as you can see they’re in bed together, which is something we need to change in the upcoming February primary.
Prosecutors also accused Cellini of conspiring with Rezko in 2004 to get Fitzgerald dumped as a way to quash any investigation into their alleged wrongdoing — allegations that surfaced at Rezko’s trial.
Levine, a star witness against Rezko, testified that Cellini, Rezko and another Blagojevich adviser and fund-raiser, Chris Kelly, worked to shake down Rosenberg for campaign cash after learning Capri was set to land the $220 million deal. In Thursday’s indictment, Kelly appears again as an unnamed and unindicted co-conspirator.
Ill. insider accused of scheming for campaign cash (Chicago Tribune)
Much of Cellini’s influence as a behind-the-scenes mover and shaker has stemmed from his ability to raise campaign funds, not only for his fellow Republicans but also for Democrats when it suited him.
See also: Everything you ever wanted to know about indicted GOP Pooh-Bah Bill Cellini – Champion News
Cellini’s other indictment came in April of this year.
Bill Cellini is Blagojevich’s Co-Defendant and the Blago trial is due to begin early next year.
This is a good explanation of the ironfisted monopoly the political elite has over Illinois politics. which is also known as the ‘bipartisan combine’. This is precisely why the RINOs and the entrenched politicos need to be voted out if we are to capture the heart of the republican party again and give the voters what they’ve been voting for and not getting; a choice, not an echo.
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