A continuing investigation by the U.S. District Attorney’s office brought about the indictment of William Cellini Sr., a Columbia donor, for corruption charges on Oct. 30.

Cellini Sr. was charged in a four-count indictment and is the 13th defendant in the case known as “Operation Board Games,” said Randall Samborn, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office. Other defendants include Antoin “Tony” Rezko, who was recently convicted, and former Ald. Edward “Fast Eddie” Vrdolyak (10th), who pled guilty on Nov. 3.

Cellini Sr. is charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, extortion conspiracy, attempted extortion and soliciting a bribe.

“[The charge against Cellini Sr.] was to deprive the Teachers Retirement System [TRS] of fair and honest service,” Samborn said.

He referred to the press release drafted on Oct. 30 by U.S. District Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s office.

” … Cellini [Sr.], Levine, Rezko and Co-Conspirator A allegedly conspired to use their influence and [Stuart] Levine’s position at TRS to prevent Capri Capital from receiving a planned $220 million allocation of TRS funds unless [Thomas] Rosenberg and Capri agreed to raise or donate a substantial amount of funds for the benefit of Public Official A,” according to a press release.

Cellini Sr. and his family have accumulatively donated between $250,000 and $499,999 to the college, according to the 2007 President’s Annual Report. The earliest donations on record are from fiscal year 2000-2001 where Cellini, Sr. and his wife, Julie Cellini, donated between $1,000 and $4,999. His son, William Cellini Jr., and his company, New Frontier Management Group, which is now operated by his son, donated the same amount that fiscal year, according to the 2001 President’s Annual Report.

Micki Leventhal, director of media relations for Columbia, said the college does not share individual giving amounts and did not have donor lists in annual reports prior to 2000-2001.

The Better Government Association, a government watchdog group, has been critical of Cellini Sr.’s practices for about 30 years, said Jay Stewart, executive director for the BGA.

“We were criticizing him under the [Gov.] Ogilvee administration,” said Stewart, who is also an adjunct faculty member in the Journalism Department at Columbia. “We’d complained that he was taking junkets and having lobbyists pay for it. At the time it was probably legal, but our allegations were [that] Cellini’s living high on the hog with people he’s been dealing with as transportation secretary.”

Stewart said back then, before his tenure at the BGA, the group was looking at the “dumb, stupid” activity, which he described as unethical, but not necessarily illegal activity.

As far as donating money to Columbia as early as 2000, Stewart said the college would have had no way of knowing that in 2008 Cellini Sr. would be indicted for public corruption.

“Columbia’s job is not to be the ethical gatekeeper of the Chicagoland area,” he said. “Its primary mission is to comport in a way that is of best interest to Columbia.”

Cellini Jr. graduated from Columbia in 1994 with a degree in film and video, Leventhal said. He is currently the Columbia Alumni Association president and a member on the board of trustees.

“William Cellini Jr. has been a hard-working and absolutely wonderful [alumnus],” Leventhal said. “I wish more alumni would model themselves after the contributions of time and investment and caring that Bill Cellini [Jr.] has given to the college.”

The college has no statement regarding the conviction of Cellini Sr., Leventhal said. It’s the college’s policy not to comment on pending legal cases.

Samborn said there is no set trial date for Cellini Sr. yet.