As I mentioned in the first article I wrote on the subject, it would have come earlier had I not had a Cub Scout meeting to attend the night that Bill Cellini made his successful pitch to be the TIF developer at Vulcan Lakes.

As it turns out, Cellini was cited as Individual A in Tony Rezko’s indictment three days after Mayor Aaron Shepley’s city council voted to hire Cellini and his associates.

Northwest Herald reporter Karen Long figured out the connection in mid-December. The headlines and subheadlines were

CEO out of Vulcan Lakes
Project Exec said he’d step aside after
alleged links to separate kickback plot

CL Mayor satisfied with letter saying
Cellini would not have a personal role.

Clearly Mayor Shepley had stepped into a tar pit.

The questions still remains about how Cellini, et al, found his way to the Crystal Lake City Council chambers. After I read the NW Herald article, I wrote,

“It should be noted, but is not by the Northwest Herald, that Cellini has long known former McHenry County Republican Chairman Al Jourdan. When Cellini was Secretary of Transportation under Governor Richard B. Ogilvie, Jourdan was Don Udstuen’s top assistant in Ogilvie’s patronage operation. IDOT had many, many patronage workers.”

I think you might find the conversation that Shepley had with Cellini of interest.

Here’s the short 30-second version:

Here’s the longer version, just so you can see I have not taken anything out of context.

The two television stations I watched last night used a still photo of Cellini that Associate Press took.

Here’s another story on Cellini on McHenry County Blog:

Bill Cellini Close to Owners of Shopping Center CL Mayor Shepley Wants to Make Another Deer Park

1,011 people had viewed the short version as of last night; 774 for the 2 minute, 19 second version.

Nothing in the indictment relates to Crystal Lake.