Star witness has drug problem, defense says (Rezko)

[maddezmom]

Source: Sun Times

Star witness has drug problem, defense says
January 29, 2008
BY STEVE WARMBIR Staff Reporter [email protected]
The star prosecution witness at indicted businessman Tony Rezko's upcoming corruption trial is coming under attack by Rezko's lawyers as a braggart with a serious drug problem that calls his memory into question.

Stuart Levine, a former political powerbroker and HMO magnate from Highland Park, has pleaded guilty in the case. Levine "had a serious substance-abuse problem throughout the duration of the alleged scheme," Rezko's lawyers say in a new court filing that details their plans for Rezko's defense.

The Rezko legal team, led by Joseph Duffy, is expected to try to present testimony that such drug use can hurt a person's memory and, in Levine's case, "magnify his already-narcissistic sense of his own self-importance."

Levine's lawyer, Jeffrey Steinback, responded Monday, saying, "Stuart Levine is clear-headed, and his recollection of the events in question are equally clear, and he is going to testify truthfully. I appreciate the tactics that have to be undertaken by the defense, but the truth will come out."



Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/764451,CST-NWS-levine29.article

[ursi]

1. drug addict turned tattle tale! What a great story!

[acmavm]

2. Yersirree it sure is. A witness (drug addict or not) who is testifying

against a guy with ties to organized crime that's pumped thousands into the campaign of a guy running for president. Not to mention the fact that the defendent helped said candidte purchase his home for wwwwaaaaaaayyyyyyyy under fair market value and then had his wife buy the lot next door and sell part of it back to said candidate.

Yep, it is interesting.

[MNDemNY]

3. Then there is that "visa" thing, I Know the "campaign" has denied any connection.

But, that's the "campaign". Getting smelly 'round here.

[Kittycat]

4. FFS - it's the GOVERNOR or a staff member that is connected.

I'm so sick about how you all are spinning this. Like you actually know something. You sound like a repuke.

[MNDemNY]

5. Riiiight.

[enid602]

6. Duke

And I suppose Duke Cunningham should get his seat back.

[acmavm]

7. You boy got caught and it's out in the open. THAT'S really what

you Obamites don't like.

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. And as the trial goes on and NO connection to Obama is revealed

it won't matter because by that time his campaign will have been poisoned.

R E Z K O. That spells Whitewater.

[LandOLincoln]

12. Not even close. The wingnuts spent something like $60 million

of taxpayer money and hired a special prosecutor to "investigate" the Clintons--and came up with zip. There simply was no there there. So sorry, but thanks for repeating a wingnut meme on the Democratic Underground.

As for Rezko--unfortunately for Senator Obama and for the party, there definitely seems to be something there. I think you'd better prepare yourself for some serious disillusionment.

Illinois politics are as dirty as it comes, and I can think of only three* Illinois politicians who managed, by and large, to stay out of the mud. Unfortunately, Senator Obama is not one of them.



*Abe Lincoln, Adlai Stevenson, and Paul Simon

[jasmine621]

9. Give Rezko a drug test now!. It was ok for Rush, so what's the beef? nt

[Gman]

10. So Rezko's lawyers are going very public to discredit a witness

that probably holds the key to success for Obama's campaign. So by going public they're already saying, "Don't believe anything he says about Rezko or Obama because he's a druggie. So go vote for Obama anyway."

[maddezmom]

11. Judge orders drug test for witness

The government's star witness in the upcoming trial of Antoin "Tony" Rezko was ordered Tuesday to submit to drug testing after Rezko's lawyers accused him of having a long drug history.

U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve did not publicly explain her decision to order the testing of political insider Stuart Levine after conferring privately with lawyers in the case in her courtroom. From the bench, the judge noted that she had no reason to believe Levine had violated any bond conditions, an apparent reference to restrictions on drug use for those on bond.

Levine, who pleaded guilty to conspiring with Rezko to solicit kickbacks from firms seeking business from the state, has agreed to cooperate in the federal probe and testify at Rezko's trial, scheduled to begin on Feb. 25.

St. Eve said Levine should submit to drug testing and any drug treatment that a pretrial services officer deems necessary.



http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-tony_rezko_bondjan30,0,5219073.story