* The Tribune has more on the AP story from late yesterday which exposed some e-mails between Tribune Co. adviser Marc Gainis and then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s chief of staff John Harris on a state deal to help the Trib sell Wrigley Field…
In an exchange of e-mails between Ganis and Harris on the day prior to the arrests of the governor and his chief of staff, Ganis provided Harris with a copy of a news story noting Tribune Co. had filed for bankruptcy. Harris responded, “Lousy product. Inevitable.” […]
Ganis also noted the Cubs were not part of the firm’s bankruptcy filing and said “Nils is going to call you and Sam is going to call the Gov.”
We don’t know if Tribune owner Sam Zell ever did call Blagojevich before the governor was arrested the next day because Zell isn’t talking. This is the Tribune Co.’s only comment to its own paper today…
A Tribune Co. spokesman said in a statement late Monday: “We have no reason to believe that Mr Ganis’ actions on behalf of Tribune have been anything but appropriate at all times.”
Um, OK, but on September 11th last year, Ganis appeared to pitch himself for an appointment to the 2016 Chicago Olympics board. “It’s one appointment where I can help a lot and also watch out for things and be Rod’s (hopefully credible) voice,” he wrote to Harris.
Ganis also pitched a wind power deal to Harris on September 4th. “Sorry for the sales pitch language, I am just excited by the opportunities to do something good and create a new business.”
* Ganis explains to the Trib today…
Asked if his Tribune work had any relationship to his other dealing with Harris and Blagojevich, Ganis said, “Zero, zero, zero.” He also said he received no indication from the Governor or his aide that the stadium deal was contingent on any changes in Tribune’s editorial board. “I’m not a naïve person, but I didn’t get a whiff of that,” Ganis said.
* I’ll repeat what I posted late yesterday…
The Tribune Co. has been subpoenaed by the feds, but the company has (ironically) refused to disclose a copy of that document. Tribune Co. owner Sam Zell has admitted to being contacted by the FBI, but won’t specify what the G wanted. A top Tribune editor has denied ever feeling any heat to change the paper’s editorial stance on the governor. But Rod Blagojevich pretty much admitted on Rachel Maddow’s program that he at least made the suggestion.
The Tribune editorial page has pressed hard for more open, responsive state and local governments. That’s a good thing. Wouldn’t it be nice, though, if the edit board pushed just as hard to get its own parent company to fess up?
Here are some unanswered questions…
1) Why won’t the Tribune Co. release the federal subpoena?
2) Did Blagojevich mention the alleged shakedown attempt [state deal on Wrigely in exchange for firings at editorial board] to anyone at the company, and if so, was the FBI then notified? And if not, why not?
3) Who at the company and at the paper have been interviewed by the FBI? What were those interviews about?
4) Did anyone at the company know their consultant was apparently cooking up side deals with the governor’s office?
5) Did Sam Zell or Tribune Co. executive vice president Nils Larsen call Blagojevich and Harris as mentioned in the above e-mail? About what, exactly?
These sorts of questions and plenty more have been asked of Sen. Roland Burris and lots of other people connected to Blagojevich by the media. So I don’t think it’s unfair to suggest that the Trib live up to its own standards.
Do you have any other questions the Trib should answer?
* Related…
* Tribune editorial: Will it be New Illinois?
* Testimony in federal corruption trial details Mayor Richard Daley’s machine
* City jobs promised for Daley votes?
* Abuse of Power or BB-Q at Sanchez’s?
* Quinn on Blago book: ‘I’m not sure I can read all that fiction’
* Buddy of key witness to plead guilty