* Closing arguments started today in the Tony Rezko trial…
[Assistant U.S Atty. Reid Schar] pointed out that in his opening statement, [Rezko’s defense attorney Joe Duffy] had mentioned that Rezko was so concerned about the appearance of impropriety that he had backed off the opportunity to get leases for his franchise restaurants at the Illinois Tollway after his friend, Rod Blagojevich was elected governor.
But in testimony, Schar pointed out, “We never heard about tollway leases and the defendant walking away.”
Instead, Schar said, witnesses testified that Rezko had inserted himself into numerous state business deals while trying to hide his involvement and the cut he expected to take.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Interesting…
Schar described Rezko as Levine’s “insurance policy.” Levine, Schar said, was intent on using his position on two state boards to extort money, but he needed Rezko, who was close to Gov. Rod Blagojevich, to make sure Levine stayed on the boards.
“On the night of April 14 [at the Standard Club] Levine invested $3.9 million of his insurance in Tony Rezko,” Schar said.
Earlier in the trial, prosecutors submitted Levine’s bill from the dinner as proof that he was at the Standard Club on April 14, but there was nothing on the bill that suggested Rezko was there with him.
To underscore that notion, Schar pointed to another piece of evidence presented at the trial: phone records that showed in the middle of the time the meal was taking place, Rezko placed a cell phone call to Tom Beck, the chairman of a state hospital board on which Levine sat.
Levine said one of the key deals he and Rezko discussed at the dinner was a plan to get the hospital board to approve a new McHenry County hospital in exchange for a $1 million bribe from a corrupt contractor who was to build the facility.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The prosecution is expected to wrap up closing arguments about 3 o’clock or so…
Should Schar wrap up before 3 p.m., Rezko defense attorney Joseph Duffy told the judge his preference is to begin his closing immediately thereafter and go for about an hour. The judge had given Duffy the option of waiting until tomorrow to start his closing, but, apparently, he wants to launch right in.