Christopher Kelly

Springfield powerbroker William Cellini was sentenced to a year and day in prison today for his role in corruption tied to imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Cellini, 77, a longtime Republican lobbyist and fundraiser, had operated for years...

William Cellini, Illinois' ultimate political insider who for more than four decades worked quietly behind the scenes to amass wealth and power, was convicted Tuesday for joining an age-old conspiracy scheme that demanded campaign cash for access. A...

William Cellini's influence behind the scenes in Illinois politics and government has grown over four decades as he turned contacts and access into contracts and cash with a reach that left some envious and others awed. He has arguably been the most...

The last scheduled trial arising from the pay-to-play scandal that toppled former Gov. Rod Blagojevich begins today in Chicago's federal courthouse, this time with a longtime Springfield power broker on the hot seat. William Cellini is charged with...

After listening to a federal prosecutor for nearly 40 minutes lay out how Springfield power broker William Cellini allegedly plotted to extort campaign cash from a Hollywood producer, veteran attorney Dan Webb stood up and put a decidedly different spin...

Stuart Levine, a flawed political insider whose cooperation helped take down the Blagojevich administration, returns to the witness stand today to testify about more backroom criminal deals. Levine is the star witness against Springfield power broker...

Stuart Levine, a flawed political insider whose cooperation helped take down the Blagojevich administration, returned to the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Wednesday to tell of more backroom criminal deals. Levine is the star witness againstSpringfield power...

A small but key group of people involved in the Illinois Teachers' Retirement System had gathered for a meeting in a Chicago office building in February 2004. TRS Executive Director Jon Bauman and board member Stuart Levine were already there, but...

For days, jurors have heard how Springfield power broker William Cellini's formidable reach and connections in Illinois politics spanned the decades and earned him millions of dollars. On Thursday, they finally listened to details about the alleged...

Attorneys for Springfield power broker William Cellini, on trial for attempted extortion, could wrap up their cross-examination of the government's star witness today. Stuart Levine has been on the witness stand for five days. Cellini's attorneys spent...

Attorneys for Springfield power broker William Cellini, on trial for attempted extortion, spent much of Tuesday trying to suggest to the jury that the prosecution's case hinges on the interpretations of a star government witness burdened by a deeply...

When his multimillion-dollar deal at the Illinois teacher pension board suddenly stalled in Springfield seven years ago, Hollywood producer Thomas Rosenberg turned to an old friend for help. William Cellini, a Springfield power broker whom Rosenberg knew...