The Chicago Tribune reports:
One of the University of Illinois' longest-serving trustees today denied he served as former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's intermediary for admissions requests, contrary to public documents and earlier testimony before a state commission.
When pressed, however, Trustee Lawrence Eppley acknowledged he passed along up to four admissions requests per year from Blagojevich or the governor's inner circle.
With Blago comes money:
In one case, Eppley passed along a 2005 letter in which Blagojevich sought admission for a relative of convicted influence-peddler Antoin "Tony" Rezko. The applicant was admitted and his initial denial overturned.
Eppley, whose law firm donated $105,000 to Blagojevich's campaigns, often appears in the former governor's phone logs. There is at least one reference to a dental school candidate, according to records from Blagojevich's office.
Here was a
warning that everything would be for sale.
