Rezko lawyers want conviction tossed, slam Levine testimony

Lawyers for political fixer Tony Rezko are asking a federal judge to throw out his corruption conviction, saying the case relied too heavily on an unreliable witness -- admitted felon Stuart Levine.

In court papers filed Friday, Rezko's lawyers also argued that prosecutors didn't prove two of the charges that a jury convicted Rezko of.

"The court should order a new trial on the ground that the record in this case, polluted as it is by the inherently unreliable testimony of Levine, leaves such a strong doubt as to Rezko's guilt that it would be a miscarriage of justice to let the verdict stand," Rezko lawyer Mariah Moran wrote.

Rezko, 53, of Wilmette, was convicted in June of widespread corruption tied to state deals and is jailed pending sentencing. He was a top adviser to Gov. Blagojevich and campaign fund-raiser for the governor and for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's past campaigns.

Natasha Korecki