Month Before Rezko Trial:David Wilhelm's Name in Important Memo

Pantagraph.com reports:

A month before opening arguments were made in Antoin Rezko’s federal corruption trial, Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s top lawyer issued a memo to the governor’s senior aides.

The Feb. 8 directive called on staff members to search their computers, calendars and files for any information relating to Rezko and eight other notable people.

“If you find any documents or information relating to these individuals, you must notify the Office of the General Counsel in accordance with the directions set out below,” wrote William Quinlan, the governor’s senior legal adviser.

The memo appears to show the governor’s office was attempting to determine the extent of information in its own files about Rezko, whose trial is now nearing its end.

Quinlan didn’t respond to requests for information about the memo.

Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff offered no insight on why it was sent and what kind of information may have been gleaned from the files of senior staff members.

The head of a government watchdog group says the memo represents another link between the governor’s office and federal investigators.

“It’s another record showing the heat is on at the governor’s office,” said Jay Stewart, executive director of the Chicago-based Better Government Association, which has sparred with the administration over the release of documents.

The two-page memo contains the names of prominent political insiders who have either since been mentioned during Rezko’s trial or have surfaced in connection with the administration.

Chief among those on the list is lobbyist Milan Petrovic, a leading fundraiser for Blagojevich. Petrovic did not return messages left at his Chicago office.

Others on Quinlan’s list include indicted adviser and fundraiser Christopher Kelly, campaign strategist David Wilhelm and Republican insiders William Cellini and Robert Kjellander of Springfield.