Kelly often worked in the political shadows

SPRINGFIELD - For the day he took the oath of office to become governor, Rod Blagojevich turned to pal Christopher G. Kelly to preside over the ceremony.

That 2003 inauguration at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield marked a rare occasion when Kelly stepped out from the political shadows.

His unofficial role in helping Blagojevich run Illinois, much like his death this weekend, is shrouded in secrecy and intrigue.

Kelly, a 51-year-old roofing contractor from Burr Ridge, was a trusted gambling adviser who Blagojevich assigned early in his tenure to figure out how to get a long-dormant suburban casino license up and running.

Kelly, Blagojevich said at the time, was knowledgeable of gambling. Exactly what he was doing was unclear, as Kelly never appeared on the state payroll. His unofficial duties were decided by Blagojevich.

"I don't know that he ever had to file any kind of job description," said David Morrison, deputy director at the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.

A state gaming board member once said Kelly implied board members would be replaced if they didn't do as the governor wished. And within months of Blagojevich taking office, lawmakers began clamoring for new ethics laws intended to shed light on this circle of shadow advisers the new governor had assembled.

Blagojevich's father-in-law, Chicago Alderman Dick Mell, once said Kelly was trading state appointments for $50,000 in campaign contributions, only to later recant the allegation. However, the claim prompted investigations that were ongoing.

Earlier this year, Kelly pleaded guilty to tax fraud charges stemming from allegations he hid more than $1 million in gambling debt through his roofing business.

Earlier this month he'd pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering charges from a bid-rigging scheme for roofing work at O'Hare International Airport.

He was still awaiting trial for charges stemming from elaborate kickback schemes allegedly perpetrated by Blagojevich and his allies to enrich themselves when he died Saturday at John H. Stroger Hospital in Chicago. Kelly had pleaded not guilty.