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Bernard Schoenburg: Libri defends Cellini involvement in Blagojevich fundraiser

Posted March 11, 2008 11:00 pm

Bernard Schoenburg

Sangamon County Republican Chairman TONY LIBRI has made it pretty clear he likes party loyalty.

But Libri says he'll need more proof than he's seen to be concerned about the loyalty of a key member of his party organization, known statewide as a "Republican powerbroker" but also identified by a witness in the ongoing trial of TONY REZKO in Chicago as having held a fundraising event for Democratic Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH.

Last week, Libri tapped BILL CELLINI, long-time treasurer of the Sangamon County GOP, for another two-year term in that post. It's not surprising the vote from GOP committeemen was unanimous to ok Libri's full slate. Local Republicans may have their divisions, but those rifts have rarely broken into the public in recent years. And Cellini has long been seen as, at a minimum, a guiding force of the party, mostly behind the scenes.

He's also had that official title of "treasurer" that he now gets to keep for another term.

A title Cellini likely doesn't enjoy is "Co-Schemer A." It's been widely reported that he is the person so identified in documents leading up to the trial in which Rezko stands accused of helping lawyer STUART LEVINE in seeking bribes or other improper payments from companies seeking to do business with or get regulatory approval from the state.

Cellini has not been charged with any criminal activity, and there's no indication he will be called to testify at the trial, which is expected to take months.

But the government's first witness last week dropped Cellini's name. As reported by the Chicago Tribune and its columnist JOHN KASS, KELLY GLYNN, who was director of finance for the Blagojevich campaign for governor in 2002 and is now a New York-based fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said Cellini was behind a fundraiser for Blagojevich at a Wyndham hotel in suburban Chicago.

But, according to Kass, Glynn was asked not to attach Cellini's name to the event, instead calling it the "Rezko-DeLeo-Roadbuilders" fundraiser for Blagojevich. She said CHRIS KELLY, another chief fundraiser for the governor who now faces an indictment on tax fraud charges linked to gambling debts, "told us to call it that."

DeLeo would be state Sen. JAMES DeLEO, D-Chicago.

Cellini wears many hats, one of which is executive vice president of the Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association. He holds the same title with the Illinois Association of Wastewater Agencies, and is on staff of the Illinois Concrete Pipe Association and the Precast Prestressed Producers of Illinois and Wisconsin.

He was also principal partner in the group of dozens of investors that used a state loan to build what is now the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel & Conference Center in downtown Springfield. The state recently took back title to the property.

Cellini has chaired the board of a riverboat casino company and is a founder of New Frontier companies, which are involved in real estate development and/or management of private and public buildings, including some used by state government.

Cellini's main fundraising footprint has been through the asphalt group, whose political action committee is called the Good Government Council. That group has given Blagojevich at least $52,500 since 2002, including $25,000 in 2005, $12,500 in 2006 and $5,000 last Dec. 28.

The news accounts I saw of the trial did not indicate if Cellini was acting as an individual or for a group, other than using the name "roadbuilders." And to Libri, that gives Cellini an out -- even if he was asking other donors to give to the Democrat.

"My contention is if you're working for an organization … and if that organization tells you to donate money … to the candidate, then you don't have a whole lot of choices," Libri said. "My point is, as long as they didn't come out of his pocket, why is this a problem?

"If I found out that our treasurer was writing personal checks to a Democrat … then, obviously, I'm sure my executive committee would ask him to step down. We're not going to treat Bill any different than I would expect Bill to treat me."

Back in 2005, Libri made it clear that he didn't like Republicans with official positions to donate to Democrats. In referring to CLAUDIO PECORI, then head of the Evening Republican Club, Libri said that those with leadership positions in the GOP "shouldn't be giving money to the other side." While not officially a result of that conflict, Pecori soon thereafter left his leadership post.

"I've never found fault with just a Republican giving money to a Democrat," Libri said. "I could care less about that, or the other way around."

I asked Libri if he has questioned Cellini about his Blagojevich fundraising role.

"His comments to me the last time I asked him," Libri said, "which was many months ago, was that, 'You don't see my name on the personal check, do you? Don't worry about it. If my organization asks me to write a check, I have to do that.'"

Libri said he doesn't have a problem, given that explanation.

"I will tell you, he has never once given me any indication that he has not been totally loyal to this party," Libri said. "And I have gotten him more involved in this party than he has been in the past. I seek his counsel. I have retained him as treasurer because he's always given me good advice.

"I'm not a mushroom," Libri added. "I hear all these things going on out there. And until they're proven to me, I'm going to defend somebody who I think has been loyal."

I asked Libri if it would offend him to say that Cellini is the real power behind the county GOP, and Libri said it would.

"Bill is not nearly as involved as people … think," Libri said, adding he doesn't counter such thoughts because "if people think Bill is pulling the levers, they're not going to mess with him."

"I seek the advice of Bill and several other people, and it's been darn good advice," Libri said. "But … he doesn't run the day-to-day and never has."

Back when he first ran for county auditor in 1992, Libri said he met with Cellini about it, but that was partly because "we have that Italian connection" and both have a National Guard background.

He said some local GOP candidates may still meet with Cellini if they want, but the process these days is "they come to the chairman and executive committee."

Libri also thinks that Cellini's wealth makes him a target for many.

"There are so many people that are so jealous of Mr. Cellini that they'll do anything they can to bring him down," Libri said. "If you're the nail that sticks out, everybody wants to hammer you. I sympathize with that, because I know what it's like to be jumped on when someone doesn't like you. And I'm going to give the guy a fair shake until proven guilty.

"Bill Cellini wasn't always the rich guy," Libri added. "It wasn't too long ago he was running for (Springfield) streets commissioner and playing in a dance band to make extra money. He's a very normal guy. And he has prospered through the years because of his hard work and his intellect. … He was a precinct committeeman, very committed to the ideals of the party -- you know, smaller government, people helping people, that kind of thing. And he's just not forgot that.

"Even though he has prospered, he is still just Bill Cellini. You ask anybody. He'll sit down and talk to you, I don't care who you are. And he has this marvelous ability to make you feel like you are the only person on earth that matters when he's talking to you. He gives you his undivided attention when you're sitting there talking to him.

"Until (it's) proven that my friend Bill Cellini is doing something improper, then, you know, I'm sticking with him."

Cellini's wife, JULIE, remains chairwoman of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, and Blagojevich back in 2003 praised her dedication to bringing the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to Springfield, as well as her role in recruiting the first director of the complex, RICHARD NORTON SMITH.

Bill Cellini did not return a message left Wednesday at the asphalt pavement association office in Springfield.

Still raking in the dough

Rezko trial testimony about Blagojevich fundraising, which some might consider embarrassing, doesn't appear to be putting a damper on the governor's interest in continuing to rake in dough.

DOUG SCOFIELD, a spokesman for Blagojevich's campaign fund, said recently that the governor did very little fundraising most of last year, but "there have been discussions recently about kind of getting back to being a little more aggressive."

Scofield said there is no specific goal, and last year's efforts were hindered by "the long legislative session." He did say that there was a fundraising event "toward the end of the year," and "we were quite successful."

Blagojevich's campaign fund has been billed more than $2 million by the Chicago law firm of Winston & Strawn, but it hasn't been reported exactly what the firm has been doing for Blagojevich.

His campaign fund reported in January that as of July 1, it had less than $289,000, but that more than $2 million was raised, and the end-of-year balance was almost $2.1 million.

So, does this mean Blagojevich is seeking re-election in 2010?

"He has not said anything specifically," Scofield said. "The governor's focused on doing his job and being the best governor he can."

Bernard Schoenburg is a political columnist for The State Journal-Register. He can be reached at (217) 788-1540 or bernard.schoenburg@sj-r.com.

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