Vrdolyak Indicted
I was told by his University of Chicago Law School classmate Harry Leinenweber, then a state representative sitting in front of me and now a federal judge, that Ed Vrdolyak was the only law student defending himself on a charge of murder.
It's forty-some years later and the lawyer who made a lot of money and got the nickname of "Fast Eddie," became
- an alderman,
- candidate for Cook County Assessor,
- Chicago mayoral candidate,
- Cook County Democratic Party Chairman under Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne,
- opposition leader to her successor Mayor Harold Washington,
- a member of the Cook County Republican Party ,
- a radio talk show host and
This time I'll bet he won't be his own attorney.
Levine was an appointee of Democratic Party Governor Rod Blagojevich to the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board and the Downstate Teachers Retirement System Board. He was originally appointed to the hospital licensing board by Republican Governor Jim Edgar, then re-appointed by Republican Governor George Ryan. Levine was 2002 GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Ryan's biggest lifetime contributor and his law school study partner.
The Feds called its investigation "Operation Board Games."
Not quite the game of Monopoly, but certainly containing deals that experienced players might recognize.
You can read the detailed-filled press release at McHenry County Blog.
