Former Hillary Finance Guru Applies for Marijuana License in Illinois

David Rosen wants a piece of the state's growing pot industry.

Hillary Clinton's former political finance director wants to break into Illinois' budding medical marijuana industry.

The Better Government Association reports David Rosen, a Chicago-based businessman-entrepreneur, applied for a state pot growers' license through one of his companies, Waveseer, eyeing the Rockford area as prime growing ground.

Clinton hired Rosen to oversee campaign finance when she ran for U.S. Senate in 2000; five years later, he was federally acquitted of accusations of not fully reporting the true bill for a glitzy, pro-Hillary fundraiser in LA. He was found not guilty, dodging as much as 10 years in prison.

Rosen also bundled cash for Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn's 2010 victorious gubernatorial showdown against Republican rival Bill Brady.

Speaking with the BGA, a tight-lipped Rosen would address neither his pot-business ambitions nor his status with a prospective Hillary-for-president campaign in 2016.

"I'm just a lay leader," he said. "I'm a businessman that supports Democrats."

Hundreds of applicants have filed to snag highly coveted licenses to dispense medical marijuana state-wide, but only 60 will be approved. The state will approve just 21 licenses for plant-cultivators, and Rosen could be among the winning bidders. The BGA said winners could be named in the coming days.

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