More bad news for Gov. Blagojevich: Top fundraiser pleads guilty

Stuart Levine is the personification of what is wrong with Illinois politics. He was appointed to two seats on Illinois boards by Republicans. Democrat Rod Blagojevich kept him on, and Levine continued as a soldier in what Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass calls "The Combine," the bi-partisan machine of graft, corruption, and sleaze that has run Illinois for decades.

Today Levine pleaded guilty to mail fraud and money laundering today in a Chicago federal court.

From AP:

A businessman who funneled thousands of dollars into Gov. Rod Blagojevich's campaign pleaded guilty Friday to using his seats on two state boards in a bid to collect millions of dollars in kickbacks.

But Stuart Levine's plea agreement with federal prosecutors contained no direct charge of wrongdoing on the part of the governor, who is waging a reelection campaign while coping with a federal corruption investigation.

All the same, the 58-page plea agreement was crammed with details of corruption in state government and guaranteed to fuel campaign fireworks.

Levine said that to get his power he drew on access to unspecified higher-ups in state government and in April 2004 sought to squeeze an investment firm for $1.5 million in campaign contributions to "a certain public official" in exchange for $220 million in state pension business.

According to a source close to the investigation, that "certain public official" is Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Much will be made by the Blagojevich camp that Levine was a Republican appointee. But Blago re-appointed him. Besides, Blagovevich promised Illinoisans that he would "end business as usual" in the state. Perhaps that's one promise he's kept. Blagojevich has made Illinois even more like such ethically-barren states such as Rhode Island, Louisiana, and New Jersey.

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