Rezko trial goes Hollywood

Tom Rosenberg was one of the producers of the Academy Award winning film Million Dollar Baby. Perhaps for his next film, he can entertain moviegoers about what it's like to be the victim of an alleged shakedown scheme.

Stuart P. Levine returned to the witness stand yesterday as the corruption trial of Democratic political insider Antoin "Tony" Rezko continued.

From AP:

"The more he talked the more angry he got," Springfield millionaire lobbyist William Cellini is heard telling the government's star witness, Stuart P. Levine, on a recording secretly made by the FBI.

In the May 2004 phone conversation with Levine, Cellini relayed the threat from Tom Rosenberg, a Hollywood producer who also was part owner of a Chicago-based real estate investment fund, Capri Capital.

Rosenberg's request for an allocation of $220 million for Capri from the fund that pays the pensions of retired school teachers was stalled.

Levine testified earlier that he plotted with Rezko and another key political fundraiser, Christopher Kelly, to squeeze Rosenberg for a $2 million payoff or a $1.5 million contribution to the governor's campaign.

What was in it for Capri? It would get the pension cash.

Levine and Cellini are Republicans. Cellini, who has used state government to make himself a wealthy man, has been identified as "Individual A" in the original Rezko indictment, has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Christopher Kelly is "Individual B" in that same document, he was indicted last year on unrelated tax fraud charges.

Back to the proposed movie: According to Cellini, who was trying to serve as a peacemaker in this dust-up, Rosenberg threatened to stand on the busiest corner of Chicago's Loop and and tell them of the alleged shakedown scheme.

It could be a Howard Beale-type rage--"I'm mad as hell..." immortalized in the film Network.

The name of the Rosenberg movie? How about "1.5 Million Dollar Contribution, Baby?"

Technorati tags: politics Illinois Democrats Chicago Tony Rezko corruption law legal Blagojevich entertainment movies