Saturday, August 05, 2006
Crystal Lake’s Mercy Hospital Crook Spilling Guts about Blagojevich; Time for Blago Bye-Bye, Part 2
What started with a whisper to a fellow Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board about changing a vote on Mercy Health System’s proposed Crystal Lake hospital, looks like it is going to be quite injurious to Governor Rod Blagojevich’s health.
Stuart Levine was indicted for stopping hospital expansions where the administrators would not agree to hire his buddy Jacob Kiferbaum’s construction firm. (Mercy agreed.)
But, Levin was multi-talented.
He was appointed by Blagojevich, not only to the hospital approval board, but also to the Downstate Teachers Retirement Fund’s Board.
There, he apparently co-opted former Democratic Party National Finance Chairman Joe Cari of Chicago to try to shake down a firm who wanted pension fund investments.
Blagojevich received $4,267 in airfare from Levine after his law school study partner and candidate for governor, Attorney General Jim Ryan, was defeated in 2002. Levine was Jim Ryan’s biggest contributor. (One can only wonder what corruption would have been attempted had Ryan beaten Blagojevich.)
In his plea agreement, felon Cari swore that Levine had told him about how campaign contributions were directed to Public Official A” and two associates in exchange for state government investments.
The Chicago Tribune reveals the flip in a very small and, I believe, last minute story.
[The Sun-Times chimed in Sunday, providing additional confirmation that Levine is cooperating with the U.S. Attorney's Office.]
And, there are two more McHenry County connections to this story.
Former super-lobbyist and George Ryan campaign strategist Don Udstuen introduced former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson aide Nicholas Hurtgen to Naperville’s Edward Hospital officials. Hurtgen was then investment house Bear Stearns' Chicago head.
According to a whistle-blower suit the Chicago Sun-Times obtained, Hurtgen urged Edward to hire Jacob Kiferbaum’s firm, because he was “politically connected to the [previous] Illinois state government administration and can 'get things done.’”
Edward Hospital’s chief administrator later agreed to be wired at a Deerfield breakfast meeting with Kiferbaum. Levine and Hurtgen were at the same restaurant. At least that’s what the Sun-Times reported.
How coincidental.
The second McHenry County connection is $1,500 in contributions toDemocratic Party State Representative Jack Franks from Kiferbaum Construction Corporation:
See also “Time for Blago Bye-Bye.”
And, “Blago in the Toaster.”
And, maybe even, “Blago Roasting on an Open Fire.”
For more McHenry County Blog, click here.
Stuart Levine was indicted for stopping hospital expansions where the administrators would not agree to hire his buddy Jacob Kiferbaum’s construction firm. (Mercy agreed.)
But, Levin was multi-talented.
He was appointed by Blagojevich, not only to the hospital approval board, but also to the Downstate Teachers Retirement Fund’s Board.
There, he apparently co-opted former Democratic Party National Finance Chairman Joe Cari of Chicago to try to shake down a firm who wanted pension fund investments.
Blagojevich received $4,267 in airfare from Levine after his law school study partner and candidate for governor, Attorney General Jim Ryan, was defeated in 2002. Levine was Jim Ryan’s biggest contributor. (One can only wonder what corruption would have been attempted had Ryan beaten Blagojevich.)
In his plea agreement, felon Cari swore that Levine had told him about how campaign contributions were directed to Public Official A” and two associates in exchange for state government investments.
The Chicago Tribune reveals the flip in a very small and, I believe, last minute story.
[The Sun-Times chimed in Sunday, providing additional confirmation that Levine is cooperating with the U.S. Attorney's Office.]
And, there are two more McHenry County connections to this story.
Former super-lobbyist and George Ryan campaign strategist Don Udstuen introduced former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson aide Nicholas Hurtgen to Naperville’s Edward Hospital officials. Hurtgen was then investment house Bear Stearns' Chicago head.
According to a whistle-blower suit the Chicago Sun-Times obtained, Hurtgen urged Edward to hire Jacob Kiferbaum’s firm, because he was “politically connected to the [previous] Illinois state government administration and can 'get things done.’”
Edward Hospital’s chief administrator later agreed to be wired at a Deerfield breakfast meeting with Kiferbaum. Levine and Hurtgen were at the same restaurant. At least that’s what the Sun-Times reported.
How coincidental.
The second McHenry County connection is $1,500 in contributions toDemocratic Party State Representative Jack Franks from Kiferbaum Construction Corporation:
· $500 on 2-20-2Franks’ father, Herb, was one of the attorneys for Mercy Health System of Janesville, when the controversial decision was made to allow construction of a new hospital in Crystal Lake.
· $1,000 on 2-11-4.
See also “Time for Blago Bye-Bye.”
And, “Blago in the Toaster.”
And, maybe even, “Blago Roasting on an Open Fire.”
For more McHenry County Blog, click here.
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Interesting. Did yu see how much Hurtgen's company Knight Infrastructures gave? Tens of Thousands by news reoprts. Also, Udstuen and Hurtgen had connections to Wisconsin Energy, here you tie in also familair name Jim Klauser- DOA Chief to Tommy Thompson. Moreover, Hurtgen had simulair connections in Wisconsin where Knight Infrastructures was the Number 1 earner of State contracts last year. Also, Hurtgen was trying to run simulair scenarios with Milwaukee County Pension fund when he was indicted in Chicago. With Levine apparently cooperating and kiferbaum already pleading out Hurtgen is either or prob. cooperating? Look out Wisconsin the Chicago political shake down is coming your way.
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