Bigfooted by the Trib
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Chicago Tribune reported yesterday shortly after noon about that new federal grand jury subpoena of Gov. Pat Quinn’s anti-violence program.
But the Sun-Times had filed a Freedom of Information Act request “seeking ‘any state or federal subpoenas’ received by the governor’s office dating back to Aug. 1.” Instead of releasing it to everybody at once, the governor’s office chose to give the Tribune the scoop. The CS-T understandably ain’t pleased and found a Springfield attorney who was more than happy to pile on…
Quinn’s administration released a copy of the two-page grand jury subpoena Tuesday to the Chicago Tribune. When a Sun-Times reporter called to complain about the selective release, the administration finally provided a copy to the Sun-Times, even though the newspaper’s subpoena request had been in the administration’s open-records pipeline for nearly two weeks.
One of the state’s preeminent experts on the Illinois Freedom of Information Act said those justifications by the administration don’t hold muster, particularly given the gravity of a federal subpoena.
“We’re talking about two pieces of paper. It’s not a complicated subject. They know the rules about release of federal subpoenas, and they’re playing games with you,” Springfield attorney Donald Craven said.
“Then, they further play games when they pick and choose who they release records to. For Mr. Openness and Transparency,” Craven said in a barb at the governor himself, “it stinks.”
Actually, my colleague David Ormsby scooped both papers in his subscriber-only edition early Tuesday morning, but, whatever, I feel the CS-T’s pain here.
The Tribune has a pretty darned big foot. It can hurt sometimes.
* And the Illinois Republican Party relished jumping into the fray today…
Quinn’s Not The First Governor To Play Games With Subpoenas
Experts say Quinn’s handling of media requests for subpoenas “stinks” — because it smells like Rod Blagojevich
After Being Hit With Three Subpoenas In Late 2005 By Federal Investigators Looking Into Illegal Hiring Practices, The Blagojevich Administration Stopped Releasing Subpoenas It Had Received. ” Last fall, the Tribune reported that federal investigators had begun issuing subpoenas to Children and Family Services, Corrections and Transportation–as well as the governor’s office–in response to allegations of wrongdoing in state hiring. Those subpoenas sought documents on hiring that dated to March 2002, the month Blagojevich won the Democratic primary for governor. After acknowledging those original federal subpoenas, the Blagojevich administration adopted a new policy in which it has refused to say whether any additional subpoenas have been received.” (John Chase and Matt O’Connor, “State memo hints at broad jobs probe,” Chicago Tribune, 6/29/06)
In 2007, The Better Government Association Sued The Blagojevich Administration To Force The Subpoenas’ Release. “The Better Government Association plans to sue Gov. Blagojevich’s office today to force it to release copies of all subpoenas that corruption-busting federal investigators have sent it. Told of the planned lawsuit Wednesday, a Blagojevich aide didn’t stray from the administration’s long-standing opinion that the subpoenas can’t be made public.” (Chris Fusco, “Watchdog Puts Heat On Gov’s Office: Suit To Seek Copies Of Feds’ Subpoenas,” Chicago Sun-Times, 1/4/07)
In 2008, A State Judge Ruled The Blagojevich Must Release The Subpoenas. “The Blagojevich administration must release the subpoenas it has gotten from federal prosecutors who are investigating possible corruption, a judge has ruled. The U.S. attorney in Chicago is looking into possible misconduct in the way Gov. Rod Blagojevich awards state jobs and contracts. He has issued subpoenas requiring the administration to turn over various documents. Blagojevich has refused to show the subpoenas to reporters and government watchdog groups, so the Better Government Association sued. Sangamon County Judge Patrick Kelley ruled Wednesday that the subpoenas must be released to the public.” (”Judge Rules Blagojevich Must Release Federal Subpoenas,” The Associated Press, 1/9/08)
- Mike Smythe - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:04 am:
Quinn must have learned a thing or two from his position as Rod’s number two guy.
- SAP - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:07 am:
I don’t see how currying a little bit of favor with the biggest paper in the state, which is not going to endorse you anyway, is worth angering the second biggest paper in the state. I don’t get it.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:13 am:
I am sure as soon as he found out this was happening he told someone to stop it…
- Illinoise - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:22 am:
I don’t really can’t imagine how this could do any real harm for Quinn. It seems like the Rauner camp was easily distracted on this one. Oh, look, a fly!
- Illinoise - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:23 am:
*really can’t
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:25 am:
I’d bet there is a lot more to this than meets the eye. But I dare not speculate, because I have no idea. Seems like an odd move, but maybe there was a point.
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:47 am:
Between Rauner blowing off students and Quinn blowing off newspapers, who says our candidates for Governor don’t embrace transparency, openness and fairness?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:47 am:
And I thank you for your poll, lol.
Meh, just kidding, it’s nothing like that. Might be a reflex from the old days to spoon-feed the Tribbies, not like they have the juice anymore. No newspaper does.
Or it could just be something personal among the staffers and reporters.
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:48 am:
== can’t imagine how this could do any real harm for Quinn ==
Because deliberately jerking around those who buy ink by the barrel is a good thing for political campaigns to do?
- Cassiopeia - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:54 am:
Actually its just an example of the incompetence in the Governor’s office.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:56 am:
1. I like Don Craven. I Really like him. But to be transparent, he is the lawyer for the Illinois Press Association.
2. The Sun-Times gladly scoops the Chicago Tribune. Everybody does it. Journalism is a cutthroat business.
3. Given #1 and #2, Craven should have stuck to the issue: release the info.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 10:58 am:
It is getting hard to keep up with Quinn’s scandals. Eventually, it will get packaged by his political opponents and hurt him.
- A guy... - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 11:01 am:
===Might be a reflex from the old days to spoon-feed the Tribbies, not like they have the juice anymore.===
Slinger, this action suggests otherwise. It’s not 220 volts anymore, but it’s enough to get a slight shock. lol
- Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 11:06 am:
The Quinn media operation is incompetent. This violates so many rules of (1) fair dealing and (2) smart media relations, it’s hard to know where to begin.
- Judgment Day (on the road) - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 11:26 am:
“I am sure as soon as he found out this was happening he told someone to stop it… ”
—————
Quinn has to be working both “tirelessly” and “night and day” first….
Give him a couple weeks or so and he’ll get there….
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 11:50 am:
And for the record, I love McKinney too!
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 1:19 pm:
==It is getting hard to keep up with Quinn’s scandals. ==
Man, if this is a scandal in your eyes then your threshhold for “scandal” is pretty low.
This is a “who cares” for me. It’s a newspaper ticked off that another newspaper got the scoop over them. They weren’t denied the info. They just didn’t get it before the Tribune.
To me it’s just whining. Justified whining. But still whining.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 1:39 pm:
When the BGA sued to force Blago to turn over subpoenas, the BGA was headed by Jay Stewart, who now works for…Quinn.
Just saying.
- orzo - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:21 pm:
I don’t think this a big deal, but to show favoritism to a paper that will never endorse you over one that still might doesn’t make a lot of sense.
- A guy... - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:37 pm:
Whispering a scoop and complying with a FOIA are different. One has a law backing it up.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Sep 17, 14 @ 3:46 pm:
Did they release it? Yep. Story ends there for me. This is a lot of huffing and puffing about nothing.