From the Tribune:

Ethics law allegedly was described as 'just for show'
March 31, 2008; 12:48 p.m.
One of the early showcase initiatives of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration was a sweeping ethics law that was designed, it was said, to instill voter confidence in the integrity of government after the scandals of the administration of Gov. George Ryan.
The ethics law presented a potential dilemma for political fixer Stuart Levine and Blagojevich fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko as they plotted to take control of two state panels at the center of Rezko's corruption trial, said Levine, who is testifying against Rezko as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
Republican Levine said Rezko made sure that Democrat Blagojevich kept Levine as a member of both panels. But the ethics bill included a strict prohibition on state board members talking with others about board business unless the members publicly disclosed the communications.
Before the bill passed, Levine said he raised the proposed restriction with Rezko and worried that any conversations they had about board matters would in theory be illegal.
Levine said Rezko said there was nothing to fret about. "Nobody of consequence was going to pay any attention to the ethics ordinance," Levine said Rezko assured him. "It was there just for show."