Stuart Levine sentencing July 19, 2012, Obama corruption buddy and drug user, Key witness Rezko trial, Long time associations with Rezko and Obama
“Why did the Illinois Senate Health & Human Services Committee, with Obama as chairman, create and push Bill 1332, “Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act,” early in 2003, which reduced the number of members on the Board from 15 to 9, just prior to rigging by Tony Rezko and Rod Blagojevich?”…Citizen Wells
“Why did Patrick Fitzgerald and the US Justice Department wait until December 2008 to arrest Rod Blagojevich?”…Citizen Wells
“At Rod Blagojevich’s December sentencing Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar called Levine one of the most significant cooperators the Dirksen Federal Courthouse had ever seen.”…Natasha Korecki, Chicago SunTimes
Will Stuart Levine actually be sentenced today?
Stuart Levine, corruption buddy of Tony Rezko, Rod Blagojevich and Barack Obama is scheduled for sentencing today, Thursday, July 19, 2012.
Daily Calendar
Thursday, July 19, 2012 (As of 07/19/12 at 05:48:25 AM)
Honorable Amy J. St. Eve Courtroom 1241 (ASE)
1:05-cr-00691 USA v. Levine 10:15 Sentencing
http://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/home/DailyCal/0.htm
From Citizen Wells June 22, 2012.
“Prosecutors: Levine among ‘most valuable’ witnesses in 3 decades”
“Prosecutors called their key witness against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and two top advisers “one of the most valuable cooperators” in three decades of public-corruption prosecutions in a late-Friday filing arguing for a light sentence.
Stuart Levine could have faced life in prison under federal sentencing guidelines but prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of 5 years and 7 months in exchange for Levine’s cooperation. Friday’s filing comes after U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve, during a hearing in April, asked for a “lengthy recitation of Levine’s cooperation.”
Levine didn’t testify against Blagojevich, but prosecutors noted “the case against Blagojevich was made possible only by Levine’s cooperation.”
“The government not only used information provided initially by Levine in the case against Blagojevich, it was Levine’s decision to cooperate that set in motion the series of events that led directly to the government obtaining the evidence and witnesses it needed to prosecute Blagojevich,” prosecutors wrote.
Friday’s filing, in advance of Levine’s June 28 sentencing, recognizes both Levine’s cooperation and his extensive criminal history.
Levine testified against former Blagojevich fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko, who is now in federal prison, and was the star witness against Springfield power broker, William Cellini, who is awaiting sentencing. During his testimony at Cellini’s trial, Levine described in detail the million-dollar bribes he tried to orchestrate and told of his extensive drug use and cocaine parties he attended.
“Levine’s cooperation has proven to be every bit as important as the government hoped it would be. As a result of (his) assistance, the government charged and convicted people of extremely serious crimes who otherwise would not have been caught.””
“Federal prosecutors have lauded Stuart Levine as a great, cooperative witness. Why then did they not prosecute Blagojevich first to protect the citizens of Illinois and then wait until after the 2008 election to arrest him?
Couple the value given to Levine by the prosecutors with the timeline. There is only one logical conclusion to come to. The prosecution of Rod Blagojevich was delayed to protect Barack Obama.”
“2006 is the pivotal turning point.
1. Blagojevich and his corruption buddies are in trouble.
2. Blagojevich, the presumptive presidential candidate, is out and Obama, the unknown, is in. So is the fix.
Rod Blagojevich was elected governor of Illinois in 2002.
From the Blagojevich Criminal Complaint.
“Since approximately 2003, the government has been investigating allegations
of illegal activity occurring in State of Illinois government as part of the administration of Governor ROD BLAGOJEVICH. As further detailed below, the investigation has developed evidence that: (a) beginning not later than in or about 2002, ROD BLAGOJEVICH has conspired with multiple individuals”
From the Washington Post December 22, 2008.
“The wide-ranging public corruption probe that led to the arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich got its first big break when a grandmother of six walked into a breakfast meeting with shakedown artists wearing an FBI wire.
Pamela Meyer Davis had been trying to win approval from a state health planning board for an expansion of Edward Hospital, the facility she runs in a Chicago suburb, but she realized that the only way to prevail was to retain a politically connected construction company and a specific investment house. Instead of succumbing to those demands, she went to the FBI and U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald in late 2003 and agreed to secretly record conversations about the project.
Her tapes led investigators down a twisted path of corruption that over five years has ensnared a collection of behind-the-scenes figures in Illinois government, including Joseph Cari Jr., a former Democratic National Committee member, and disgraced businessman Antoin “Tony” Rezko.”
“June 7, 2004: Stuart Levine, a longtime Republican reappointed to the powerful Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, abruptly resigns on the eve of several important hospital expansion votes. The revelation is the first indication that the Blagojevich administration is under federal criminal investigation.
June 27, 2004: The Tribune discloses that an official for one hospital seeking permission to expand was wearing a federal bug during meetings in an effort to expose extortion attempts by Levine and others for contributions to Blagojevich.
July 2, 2004: Levine resigns from his seat on the board of the state Teachers’ Retirement System. It remains undisclosed that federal authorities had secretly taped Levine’s conversations.
May 9, 2005: Levine is indicted on corruption charges. Federal subpoenas are issued to numerous administration sources, including top Blagojevich fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko”
“Aug. 5, 2006: The Tribune reports that Levine is cooperating with the federal investigation of state government.”
Citizen WElls 