Prosecutors spell out more of case against Cellini

By CHRIS WETTERICH
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER

Federal prosecutors have provided more details in their case against Springfield businessman and Republican Party fundraiser William Cellini, serving up new nuggets about what they say was Cellini’s influence over the Teachers Retirement System board and former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration.

In a proffer of its evidence filed Tuesday, the U.S. attorney’s office described Cellini as a man who viewed his relationships with Blagojevich fundraisers Tony Rezko and the late Christopher Kelly as legally perilous because of the risks Rezko and Kelly took in extracting campaign contributions.

“Defendant (Cellini) described how Rezko and Kelly were acting more blatantly than defendant had in the past, creating risks,” according to the government’s filing, which quotes wiretapped conversations between Cellini and Levine.

“He (Cellini) said: ‘I know that their (modus) operandi is different than what ours was. ... I know that uh, we would not call somebody after they got something or before they were gonna get something. ... As the general rule they do. That will set up a pattern that could be used and then all they (investigators)  gotta do is ask some of these people and these guys will cave in like a herd of turtles.’”