"I experimented with LSD, marijuana, cocaine, quaaludes, Ecstasy, crystal methamphetamine, ketamine," answered Levine, explaining that his drug use spanned from 1972 to 2004, when federal agents confronted him about corruption.
How many times was he interviewed by the Government? More than 100.
Levine said he agreed to cooperate with the government in January 2006 and was interviewed "certainly more than 100 times" by federal prosecutors and agents. Levine said he initially lied in those sessions to protect [former Chicago Ald. Edward]Vrdolyak but ultimately decided to be straight when he realized federal agents were on to his deception.
Vrdolyak has separate federal criminal charges pending. His lawyer, Michael Monico (full disclosure, he's a long time friend)blasted Levine's allegations as false today.
"It's hard to imagine a witness with less credibility than Stuart Levine," said Monico, adding that he was upset that the allegations were leveled during the Rezko trial when Vrdolyak was not present. "It was unfair," Monico said. "We had no opportunity to defend ourselves."
Levine laid out his own bad deeds -- decades worth of bribery and other political misconduct.
Levine said he also quietly slipped money through straw donors to some Democrats over the years. Levine said he did so at the request of Vrdolyak, whose political allegiances have flip-flopped between the Democratic and Republican Parties.
Niewoehner asked Levine what he expected to get in return for his secret donations. Levine had a one-word answer: "Access." Levine explained how he had become wealthy by carefully cultivating access to politicians and the levers of power.
Sounds like we're going to hear a comparison to Rezko soon. And here it is.
[Levine] has served on three state regulatory panels spanning the administrations of two Republican governors as well as Blagojevich, a Democrat.
He resigned one board position but remained on "one that regulated hospital expansion and one that invested state teacher pension money." Prosecutors say Blagojevich reappointed him to both boards at Rezko's request.
Levine also had a real estate tale to tell about Rezko. He had been trying to buy a property. At a dinner party,
...Levine complained to his dinner partners that he was having trouble closing the sale on the Scholl building. Rezko then admitted that he was the one gumming up the works, trying to line up his own deal for the property, Levine said. Rezko promised to back off, and he quickly did, Levine said.
According to prosecutors, that was the beginning of their beautiful friendship:
Prosecutors say that was the start of a corrupt relationship between the two men that fed off Levine's board positions and Rezko's clout with Blagojevich.
The defense should have a field day with Levine's purchased testimony. Nonetheless, there are some takeaways.
Why do men like Rezko and Levine bribe and contribute to political campaigns? For access. They are groomers. They carefully cultivate the politicians by raising money for them and lavishing attention on them, get themselves in the door, and then ask for their payback. Does anyone believe men like Rezko and Levine do the fundraising and bundling of contributions out of the goodness of their heart?
If the jury doesn't decide that Stuart Levine is too much of a slimeball to believe, the person that will likely take the biggest hit in the Rezko trial, after Rezko, is Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Levine is scheduled to be on the witness stand for several days.
