Rezko lawyers ask judge to bar call

Tony Rezko's lawyers are trying to keep out of his corruption trial parts of a secretly recorded phone call in which political power broker William Cellini talks about pay-to-play tactics in Gov. Blagojevich's administration.

"Tony and [fellow Blagojevich fund-raiser] Chris [Kelly] ... are . . . essentially hammerin' people . . . with contracts for fund-raising," Cellini says on tape, according to a defense motion filed Friday. "I'm a nervous wreck over it myself."

Rezko's attorneys say that part of Cellini's chat with star prosecution witness Stuart P. Levine in 2004 should not be played for jurors at Rezko's trial because it amounts to "double and triple hearsay."

Besides that statement, Rezko's lawyers say it isn't fair to their client to include a portion of the call where Cellini claims he once told Kelly what to do "if someone comes in with badges and flashes them at you," according to the filing.

They're also trying to block a portion of the call in which Cellini speculates about the possibility of an investigation into Kelly and Rezko's alleged practices and says there "is no question that it will happen."

Lawyers for Cellini and Kelly could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Rezko's trial continues today after a break last week.