Posting Date: April 28, 2008
Tom Rosenberg and "The Ugly Truth" in the Rezko trial
Tom Rosenberg deserves another Academy Award, but this time for being a creepy, headline grabbing putz.
Rosenberg shared the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture in 2004 along with Clint Eastwood and Albert S. Ruddy for the film "Million Dollar Baby," and of a new Katherine Heigl film, "The Ugly Truth."
But his best performance came last week when he played an alleged "witness" in the Federal corruption trial of campaign fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko.
Witness to what? His ego? Or maybe something deeper?
Rosenberg demanded and got "immunity" from the prosecutors before agreeing to testify in the Rezko trial.
Immunity from what? Only people who fear they have done something illegal ask for immunity.
But with immunity from prosecution tightly squeezed under his arm pit, Rosenberg took the stage - err, witness stand last week, giving "testimony" that read more like the crazed insanity of "Matthew Harrison Brady," the main character in the Spencer Tracy film, "Inherit the Wind."
Rosenberg portrayed himself as "the good guy," of course. He said he was the "victim" of a shakedown scheme that he claimed was orchestrated by Rezko to squeeze him for money in exchange for a lucrative state pension board contract.
Turns out by Rosenberg's own words, published in numerous media reports of the trial, he never spoke with Rezko. He never spoke to Blagojevich. In fact, he never heard anyone threaten him, demand a kickback, or muscle him. The only person he spoke with was his pal, another Illinois creep named William Cellini.
Rosenberg's crocodile tears were gushing, even though, as it turns out, Rosenberg got the deal that he wanted. And what a deal.
Besides being a big shot Hollywood producer, the suntanned Rosenberg is also a principal in "Capri Capital," which handles investments for the Teachers' Retirement System of Illinois.
Actually, you may know the TRS by another name: "The political trough." That's where politicians and their cronies get down in the mud and suck taxpayer dollars into their pockets, pillaging investments to make their commissions for moving money around.
Rosenberg was sworn in to tell the truth. What truth? Rosenberg's "truth" read more like scene from the HBO mini-series, "The Sopranos," when Tony Soprano discovered that "Big Pussy" was a rat in his organization.
In February 2004, the TRS reportedly discussed how to divvy up hundreds of millions of dollars in teachers' investments. They give funds to clout heavy investors who make commissions and interest depositing it in projects and banks.
Rosenberg wanted some of that investment for Capri -- $220 million in TRS contributions - which would have made a fortune for Rosenberg.
But Rosenberg admitted under "oath," according to media reports, that he never talked with Rezko. He never talked with Chris Kelly, Blagojevich's other fundraiser. In fact, "Mr. Immunity" admitted under oath that no one ever approached him to ask him to make a contribution to Blagojevich's campaign in exchange for anything.
But, Rosenberg did talk to Cellini, his pal.
Cellini, according to Rosenberg, said he wouldn't get the money unless he donated $1.5 million to Blagojevich. Cellini blamed the demand on Rezko and Kelly. The reason why he wouldn't get the money? Because Rosenberg's Capri already had a huge chunk of pension fund money.
Rosenberg, under oath, said that Cellini said Kelly threatened him saying he (Kelly) was crazier than Rosenberg. And Rosenberg is quoted in the media as vowing, "I told Cellini I would take them down. I would tell this story on the corner of State and Madison."
This is evidence?
No, the Rezko trial is little more than an off-broadway Hollywood-style play with a real political goal.
Rosenberg received "immunity" from the prosecutors who are desperate to nail Rezko as a stepping stone to bigger fish, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Presidential candidate Barack Obama. And it doesn't matter how ridiculous Rosenberg sounded on the witness stand.
Rezko is an easy target for the Feds because he is an Arab American who did exactly what every other connected political crony did in politics, raised money for politicians in exchange for clout and business and contracts for himself and his pals.
If Rezko is guilty, so is every sleaze ball low-life who ever donated money to any politician in Illinois and in the nation.
All these sleaze-bag characters are being brought in because someone in the
Bush administration wants to embarrass Obama and take down an Illinois Governor who happens to be a Democrat.
Rosenberg isn't a witness. He's a drama queen, and headline hound.
I met Rosenberg years ago at City Hall when he was just a creepy building rehabber, but more importantly, a lackey for the now indicted king of sleaze, Edward R. "Fast Eddie" Vrdolyak.
This isn't his first public controversy. A pal of Mayor Daley, Rosenberg got a $12 million no-bid contract to oversee $1.4 billion in repairs and construction for all of Chicago's public schools as the chief construction consultant for Chicago Public Schools. Rosenberg "bowed out of the deal," complaining he was weary of "the public sniping" over criticism it was cronyism.
Rosenberg says he was the victim of a shakedown. The only victim of a shakedown when the star witness is a creep like Rosenberg is the public's common sense.
(Ray Hanania can be reached at rayhanania@comcast.net. Listen to Ray's radio talk show on WCEV AM 1450 on Tuesday and Thursday from 4-6 p.m. His weekly TV Show “30 Minutes” is broadcast every Friday at 7 p.m. on Channel 19 in Oak Lawn, Burbank and Bridgeview.)
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