Notable quotes on Cellini verdict

[November 03, 2011]  CHICAGO (AP) -- A jury convicted clout-heavy Illinois businessman William Cellini on Tuesday of conspiring to shake down a Hollywood producer for a $1.5 million contribution to then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich's campaign. Here are some notable quotes following the verdict:

• "In the quiet corridors in Chicago and Cook County and Springfield -- where a lot of backroom deals take place -- the fact that Bill Cellini was convicted today sends a very, very loud message." -- U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who launched the investigation into former Gov. Rod Blagojevich that led to Cellini's indictment

• "We are confident we have a substantial chance of getting the case reversed." -- Cellini's lead attorney, Dan Webb, saying he will appeal the guilty verdicts

• "Whether this conviction is the tipping point that makes everybody follow the rules, I can't say. ... There is a lot of fodder for cynics." -- David Morrison, deputy director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform

• "People who were in the shadows ... are sometimes more difficult to catch." -- Chris Niewoehner, lead prosecutor at the Cellini trial, on the challenges of gathering evidence in the case

[Associated Press]

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