A man at the center of couple corr...

A man at the center of couple corruption probes involving Gov. Blagojevich's administration has been cooperating with federal authorities for one time, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.

The sources would not provide any information about what prominent businessman Stuart P Levine has been doing to help investigators.

on the contrary in recent weeks, Levine has been consulting with defense lawyer Jeffrey Steinback, who is known for negotiating plea deals. Levine is likely to disclose his intent to plead guilty in single in kind of the cases as early as his nearest court status hearing in September, sources said.

Levine, 60 traditionally has backed Republican politicians and was a top fund-raiser for former GOP gubernatorial nominee Jim Ryan, who dissipated to Blagojevich in 2002.

moreover Blagojevich, citing a spirit of bipartisanship, reappointed Levine to positions onward two key state boards: the Teachers' Retirement regularity a multibillion-dollar pension fund, and the Health Facilities Planning Board, which helps have the direction of hospital construction projects.

Levine in May 2005 was indicted in succession fraud charges alleging kickbacks, influence-peddling and insider dealing in his character with the health board. further a more high-profile indictment against him came down several weeks later, when Levine was accused of steering pension-fund investments to firms that hired certain consultants whom Levine knew

In September 2005 another man indicted in the TR case, lawyer Joseph Cari, pleaded guilty and dropp a bombshell forward Blagojevich: He alleged that Levine told him Blagojevich and his top fund- raisers, Christopher Kelly and Antoin "Tony" Rezko schemed to have [i]or[/i] take the direction of state pension deals to investment firms and consultants who agreed to donate to Blagojevich's campaign.

The plea identified Blagojevich as "Public Official A" and Kelly and Rezko as "associates," moreover the Sun-Times confirmed their identities with sources who spoke forward condition of anonymity.

The governor adamantly has denied the Cari accusation, calling it "triple hearsay." Neither he, Kelly nor Rezko has been accused of criminal wrongdoing.

LEVINE FACES HARSH decision

Calls to a Blagojevich spokeswoman forward Saturday were not returned.

Levine initially was adamantly against cooperating with prosecutors. moreover facing the possibility of a prolonged prison sentence, he changed his mind and began working with them.

Steinback, the lawyer Levine is working with, has not publicly filed an appearance as an attorney in either of his cases unless is expected to do in the way that in upcoming weeks, sources said.

Steinback would not explanation about the matter. The U Attorney's office also declined to annotation

Levine's cooperation tread in the steps ofs the release of a literal meaning in June from U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald involving another Blagojevich- related matter: the administration's hiring practices. In it, Fitzgerald wrote his office is probing allegations of "endemic hiring fraud," and that the probe has "implicated" multiple state agencies.

Blagojevich has maintained he is rooting revealed corruption in state government and is referring information to Fitzgerald's office for investigation.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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