CHICAGO (Reuters) ? An Illinois power broker accused of trying to extort a campaign donation for disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich was convicted of corruption charges by a federal jury on Tuesday.
William Cellini, a longtime state capital lobbyist and Republican fundraiser, was accused of trying to get the campaign donation for Blagojevich, a Democrat, to keep his own power over a state pension board.
His victim in the extortion plot was Thomas Rosenberg, a Hollywood producer who won an Oscar for the film "Million Dollar Baby."
Cellini's trial is the last one related to the former two-term Illinois governor, who was thrown out of office in 2009.
Blagojevich was convicted in two separate trials, with the second in June finding him guilty of attempting to trade President Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat for financial and political gain.
Cellini was convicted of conspiracy to commit extortion and aiding and abetting solicitation of a bribe, but was acquitted of attempted extortion and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
He faces a maximum of 20 years on the extortion count and 10 years on the bribery count.
Sentencing for Blagojevich, originally set for October 6, has been postponed with no new date set, according to Randall Samborn, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office.
Blagojevich could face a lengthy sentence on 18 convictions on fraud, bribery and lying to investigators.
(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Xavier Briand)
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