The State Journal Register reports:
William F. Cellini Sr., a lobbyist, businessman and longtime leader of the Sangamon County Republican Party, was indicted Thursday on charges of conspiring with convicted fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko to shake down an investment firm for campaign contributions to a public official believed to be Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Cellini, 73, for decades a major behind-the-scenes Republican player in Illinois politics, was accused of taking part in an extortion plot to raise money for an unnamed Public Official A, which is how Blagojevich had been identified in Rezko's indictment and trial.
Operation Board Games moves on.As we suggested on
October 20: Obama should be concerned about this investigation.If you read our October 20 post,we'll remind you we brought up the name of Congressman
Luis Gutierrez.Here's the Cellini
indictment.As the
Chicago Sun-Times reminds us:
Cellini -- a Republican who has wielded power in both Republican and Democratic administrations dating to that of the late Gov. Richard Ogilvie -- is the 13th person charged in the ongoing federal corruption investigation dubbed Operation Board Games.
It will not end with 13,you can count on that.
