Posted on 08/03/2005 6:58:03 PM PDT by STARWISE
A politically connected businessman has been indicted for a second time on federal fraud charges. Stuart Levine is linked to a scam involving the Illinois Teachers Pension Fund along with one of the Democratic party's biggest fund raisers, Joseph Cari.
The message from the feds Wednesday is crystal clear: Chicago City Hall is only one of the fronts in the war on government corruption. It also appears to be rampant at the boards and commissions that oversee billions of dollars in state of Illinois programs. One of the alleged scammers is multi-millionaire businessman Stuart Levine. Another is Joe Cari, one of the Democratic parties biggest national fundraisers.
Joseph Cari, a 52-year-old Chicago lawyer and major Democratic party fundraiser for Bill Clinton, Al Gore and others, allegedly conspired with Highland Park businessman Stuart Levine, a former member of the Illinois Teachers Retirement System. The two were attempting to extort $850,000 in kickbacks from a Virginia investment firm that was seeking an $850 million contract to invest the money of 325,000 retired teachers.
"Cari called the firm and told the firm they had to sign the contract by the end of the day or their application for the money would be pulled off the table. He made clear this is the way things are done in Illinois," said Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. attorney.
(Excerpt) Read more at abclocal.go.com ...
Stuart Levine is fighting the charges in the hospital shakedown scheme, but the government has at least one major cooperating witness. We don't have a reaction to the new indictment from Levine or his attorney, but Joe Cari is pleading guilty along with another lawyer, Steven Loren of Highland Park, who allegedly drafted the phony legal documents in the scam. Both lawyers are cooperating with the government.
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No moss gathering under Fitzgerald's feet ... noooo way.
Ping! Can't help but think of Monique.
Now there's a name with a familiar ring to it.
If everyone else has to submit, they need to also.
Does anybody believe in a billion years that this investigation and these indictments would have occurred under a Clinton, Gore, or Kerry administration?
Is there ANYONE in the Democrat Party that ISN'T crooked??? geesh.
...and his partner, Gerald Fitzpatrick...
A good kickback would be minimum 18%.
Must be a pair of idiots.
L
ping
It's like the 1930's all over again in that town
What makes you think that it ever changed?
And that suggestion has exactly what to do with this article or the corruption that is rampant in Illinois?
That comes from experience.
People that are involved in fraud, and corruption are many times also involved in drugs.
Kinda of a no brainer.
"Can the Feds just come in and take over all facets of Gov. in Chicago? It's like the 1930's all over again in that town"
Wasn't that the kind of thing we used to hate about the Soviets? It's Chicago's mess. Let them clean it up.
If there's anyone there with the ability to do so.
10%???
A good kickback would be minimum 18%.
Must be a pair of idiots.
Which Senator do/did you work for?
The problem is the Chicago pols are so powerful that they impact the nation.
I find it incomprehensible that Sandypants Berger will get away with a slap on the wrist for theft and destruction of National Security documents - thanks to the current administration.
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