Sweet: “I don’t think you tread there”
Monday, Sep 11, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet appeared on Bill Cameron’s “Connected to Chicago” show and kinda got into it with the Tribune’s Ray Long over his paper’s story about JB Pritzker’s $100,000 campaign contribution to Rod Blagojevich three days before Blagojevich announced a $1 million state grant to the Holocaust Museum. The grant was actually dated October 1, weeks before the contribution, and the money wasn’t released until January. An excerpt…
LYNN SWEET: With all due respect, I thought the Tribune story just wasn’t up to the regular, usual Tribune standards of deep context and reporting. The United States Holocaust Museum and the Holocaust Museum in Skokie are very important standalone projects that have been funded by a variety of people in Illinois and the national community. JB Pritzker has been a big donor to the Holocaust Museum and it’s not just this one donation, Ray. He has a track record of many donations.
RAY LONG: Well sure, he does. I don’t disagree with that…
LYNN SWEET: Hold on, hold with me… It is correct to say that JB Pritzker is a major Democratic donor to Blagojevich and a list of Democrats throughout the country. To make the connection that it was a quid pro quo or to give the appearance of that without the larger context, that when you’re talking about the issues of the Holocaust…
You’re talking about something singular in American history, excuse me, singular in world history. You’re taking about a subject that is standalone in importance, the gravity that has been much bigger than anything we have been talking about today. So, I don’t think you tread there.
When you talk about donations to build a museum and make it look like it’s just like any old cronyism deal because the forces that led to the building of that museum in Skokie were big and important and did depend on the philanthropy of a lot of people who are the big givers in the community, and it’s a relatively small community.
And it also, the story also didn’t address that there could’ve been many political motives on Blagojevich’s part to want to do that grant to curry favor with a lot of other big donors besides JB Pritzker who were involved in the project. So I think that story didn’t show the bigger picture, the bigger environment, of big donors, big giving, Blagojevich, the singular importance of the Holocaust Museum, and why Blagojevich on his own might have had motives to want to seem like he was moving the money, $1 million, to…
RAY LONG: Sure but the timing is really… a few days in between…
LYNN SWEET: Oh the timing is so… okay, it’s not conclusive, Ray.
* And then it devolved from there…
LYNN SWEET: Even if you look at it in more political terms, okay, Blagojevich had every reason if he wanted to curry favors in the Democratic vote-rich northern suburbs. We’re talking… I mean let’s not mince words. You’re talking about Jewish Illinois voters who Blagojevich may have wanted to have courted with the donation. That story doesn’t take into account that there were politics independent of JB for giving that grant. Just as if you look at many grants that have been given by political figures to ethnic groups, religious groups or racial… institutions aligned with racial groups or nonprofits. Without putting this into context, just telling a larger story, is unfortunate because you cannot and should not make an inference. You should make a story based on a little more solid information and a lot more context…
RAY LONG: Let’s, let’s, let’s wait. A little more solid information? C’mon.
LYNN SWEET: No, Ray, I’m sorry, this…
RAY LONG: Ok, fine. You’re sorry. I agree.
LYNN SWEET: …this is a unique, this is a unique institution within…
RAY LONG: I don’t disagree that the Holocaust is an important thing. I don’t disagree that JB Pritzker has made many, many efforts to improve the Holocaust. I do think that a guy giving…
LYNN SWEET: No. The Holocaust Museum. Be careful here.
RAY LONG: …the Holocaust Museum, I agree. I don’t disagree with any of that stuff.
- Truth - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:41 pm:
So wait, people want to go after a private citizen who donated money to get state money for a very worthy museum?
Compare that with the current Governor who donated money to Rahm to get his kids into Walter P. because his kids couldn’t test in on their own.
- Anonymous - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:42 pm:
I didn’t realize Lynn Sweet had joined the Pritzker campaign. Congrats on the new gig.
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:43 pm:
Yeah, it devolved into worthless bickering. But the light needed to be shined on the Trib’s majorly relaxed reporting standards when it comes to JB.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:45 pm:
I don’t think there’s much here. JB doesn’t need to give 100 grand to Blago to get a million for the museum. If that was the goal he’d write the million dollar check himself. That’s walking around money for him.
- Thomas Paine - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:45 pm:
Sweet is correct that the story was a bunch of hyped-up malarkey framed as some sort of conspiracy.
Sweet is incorrect that the story was beneath the journalistic standards of the Chicago Tribune.
Cutting and pasting opposition research pieces and splicing timelines is the kind of stuff the Tribune is known for. Meanwhile, UNO and Barbara Byrd Bennett scandals, Operation Safe Roads happen right under their noses.
Good for Lynn Sweet.
- Anonymous - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:46 pm:
Anon is right. Accurate, non-stilted reporting is on JB’s side.
- igotgotgotgotnotime - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:46 pm:
12:46 is me
- DuPage Saint - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:47 pm:
I don’t know if it was quid pro quo or not. However a shake down is a shake down even if the project itself is noble. Not sure if this is 100% correct but Blagoevich convicted or charged with shaking down a hospital to approve its expansion?
- Norseman - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:50 pm:
Sweet +1
Sorry Ray. You do good work, but this is not that big of a deal.
- Leave a Light on George - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:51 pm:
At the time of the donation who didn’t know that Blago was tainted goods?
- lake county democrat - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:52 pm:
I rarely hear Lynn Sweet talk or write about local politics, but I’m sure she knows where her paper stands. She’s right, context matters and the Tribune story didn’t provide enough of it. But those taped conversation, especially the tone of JB and Blago’s voices, is a kind of context too. As she says, there could have been many motivations, especially with a character like Blago.
- NIU Grad - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:53 pm:
Good to see Lynn let him him get a couple of words in there…
- Anonymous - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 12:56 pm:
“I don’t disagree that JB Pritzker has made many, many efforts to improve the Holocaust. ”
*Phrasing*
- Responsa - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:00 pm:
I don’t quite get why Sweet who is usually a savvy political journalist thought it was a good idea to plow so deep into the weeds to defend JB, here. Praising JB’s significant personal and standalone contributions to the Holocaust Museums was fine. But refusing to recognize how, at least to some, a state grant might look juxtaposed against Pritzker’s Blago donation was not up to *her* “regular, usual standards”.
- Phenomynous - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:02 pm:
Blago didn’t have to release the grant. $100k certainly lubes the process…especially for a guy like Blago
- Fax Machine - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:08 pm:
It’s worth reporting because Blagojevich was convicted of making state money contingent on political contributions.
However, I don’t think any of the other Dems will use this in their Pritzker attacks because they don’t want to be seen as attacking the Holocaust museum.
- Shytown - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:09 pm:
Oh snap Lynn Sweet! She’s just saying what most others are thinking as well.
- TopHatMonocle - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:11 pm:
Pritzker has billions, with a B. Why go through the trouble of trying to squeeze money out of Blago and the state. Does anyone doubt he could have just cut that million dollar check himself? And of all things, it’s for the Holocaust Museum. It’s not like he got money for a business interest of his. What a ridiculous story.
- A guy - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:15 pm:
Ray is no lackey for the GOP or Rauner. Lynn has lost all objectivity a long time ago. Amid the many cuts the Sun Times has made, it’s surprising to me that she’s lasted this long.
- Sharon - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:15 pm:
Funny that a poster named Truth got the facts wrong on Rauner. His daughter got into Payton in 2008…three years before Rahm was mayor. Nice try, though!
- Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:17 pm:
Look, the simple fact is that the tronc story *did* make the inference that there was quid pro quo - to say otherwise is ridiculous and would render the story entirely without merit.
I won’t say the story wasn’t up to tronc standards, but it was definitely not up to the standards of actual accepted journalism. She’s right.
- Chris P. Bacon - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:19 pm:
Lynn Sweet is one reason why I thought the $1 sale price for the entire Sun-Times company was far too high.
- Ahoy! - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:19 pm:
One can agree with both statements that the Holocaust Museum is good and JB and Blago are corrupt people.
- DeseDemDose - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:22 pm:
The Chicago Tribune is bias TRONC, Kass, and editorials. Ray Longs story is par for the course. Line your birdcage with it if you still subscribe.
- Arsenal - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:25 pm:
==I don’t quite get why Sweet who is usually a savvy political journalist thought it was a good idea to plow so deep into the weeds to defend JB, here.==
Isn’t she an access journalist? Which is fine, that’s a very useful kind of journalist, but it gives you a reason to try to be nice to people.
- Chris Widger - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:25 pm:
==Pritzker has billions, with a B. Why go through the trouble of trying to squeeze money out of Blago and the state. Does anyone doubt he could have just cut that million dollar check himself? And of all things, it’s for the Holocaust Museum. It’s not like he got money for a business interest of his. What a ridiculous story.==
It’s not germane to the choice between Rauner and Pritzker (both of them doing just fine financially), but this very same argument was made by many before and after the national election, and people like CNBC’s Larry Kudlow were rightfully lambasted for it. It does not take a lot of effort to find wealthy folks who engage in corruption.
- DeseDemDose - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:27 pm:
How many current and past Republican donors gave to George Ryan? Can the Chicago Tribune please publish that list?
- Arsenal - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:27 pm:
I understand that anytime you mention the word “Blagojevich” it’s gonna gross people out, and I don’t wanna waste my time raging against that. But guy was Governor for 6 years. Hard to avoid him that whole time.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:27 pm:
===Funny that a poster named Truth got the facts wrong===
Anytime you see someone use the word “truth,” expect their facts to be off.
- wordslinger - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:29 pm:
Like Blago wouldn’t have released funds to the Holocaust Museum to curry votes.
Like JB would participate in a quid pro quo felony for a million bucks to benefit a third-party.
Most unbelievable of all is that Rauner’s ILGOP crew would accuse the Holocaust Museum of corruption, with tronc help.
- Amalia - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:30 pm:
jeez, when did the Queen of skeptical become a softie? this is not the Lynn Sweet I knew once upon a time. I guess when you are on national cable and not covering local this compared to, oh, say Russian collusion seems small. Small adds up.
- Phenomynous - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:35 pm:
–Pritzker has billions, with a B. Why go through the trouble of trying to squeeze money out of Blago and the state. Does anyone doubt he could have just cut that million dollar check himself?–
Why go through the trouble of tearing the toilets out of a house to save on property taxes?? A dollar is a dollar.
- low level - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 1:58 pm:
I made the EXACT same point as Lynn Sweet did on a friend’s FB page regarding this. The whole story is silly to begin with and when you start inferring politics when talking about the Holocaust you really have crossed a line. Disgusting.
Then the IL GOP pouncing on it. Sounds like some folks are really afraid of Pritzker.
I was going fo stay neutral in the race. Not anymore.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 2:01 pm:
Lynn was 100% right on this. This was such an orchestrated smear-job.
As has been pointed out (and as was buried in the Trib piece), he gave the Museum $12 million. As was also buried in the piece, the State gave $5 million to the museum under Ryan. Holocaust Survivors are very persuasive people in support of their museum both under George and under Ryan. But that didn’t stop the Trib from rehashing all kinds of irrelevancies about Rod including Tony freakin Rezko who had nothing to do with either JB or the museum.
In other words, it was a pathetic hit job and Lynn called them out for it.
- hisgirlfriday - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 2:02 pm:
It is 100% fair to ask JB to explain what was up with the $ 100,000 donation at a time that was a year and a half after Dick Mell publicly accused Blago of trading govt favors for campaign cash.
It is not fair to tie the Holocaust museum to JB’s donation just based on timing IMO. The feds went all through Blago’s donors and never raised any red flags about this one as part of his criminal case and there’s no statement by anyone involved saying there was a connection. Rod had reasons to support the Holocaust museum independent of Pritzker ever donating to him. think this is what Lynn Sweet is getting at.
- Veil of Ignorance - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 2:12 pm:
I’m not sure I completely follow Sweet on the “tread” comment. Would it be different if it was a History of Milk museum instead? I’ll admit that I didn’t think the Trib story had alot to it, but I’m okay with folks generally asking the question and letting the elected or candidate just answer it. If this is a problem for Pritzker to handle, I’m not sure how his campaign holds up once the full Blago barrage begins.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 2:16 pm:
===If this is a problem for Pritzker to handle, I’m not sure how his campaign holds up once the full Blago barrage begins.===
If the Pritzker Crew finally decides to put to bed the Blago whispers (they ain’t whispers) they can do it.
But, as I said, it’s up to them.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 2:16 pm:
===Would it be different if it was a History of Milk museum ===
Yes. Don’t be dense.
- Anonymous - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 2:17 pm:
Ray couldn’t fully respond to Sweet’s accurate description of the story as a nothingburger for a couple of reasons. He didn’t write that story, so he was in the uncomfortable position of defending the team without necessarily knowing what the research found but the editors left out of the final.
- Veil of Ignorance - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 2:28 pm:
@Rich: My Milk hypo question was put forth because I don’t follow why the subject matter of the museum matters if the Trib is chasing a quid pro quo story. We all understand the Holocaust is a super important topic, but does that mean Sweet is saying journalists should shy away from a story even if they think something unethical might have occurred or that the bar for publishing a story is higher based on the relative importance of the musuem’s focus? I’m not a journalist, but I could see reasonable folks strongly disagreeing with either.
- Thomas Paine - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 2:42 pm:
https://www.google.com/amp/www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-mayor-rahm-emanuel-water-tax-chicago-city-council-vote-20160913-story,amp.html
60 days before the election, and Governor Rauner and the First Lady announce they are going to the Holocaust Museum luncheon.
All Ray had to do to put this donation in context is Google his own newspaper.
- Downstate43 - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 3:06 pm:
Even if there is some connection, which other than drawing a subjective inference, doesn’t seem to be the case, I would then urge everyone to see, “Bob McDonnell”, re: this is not a crime, just (legal) politics, per SCOTUS.
Selling a Senate seat? Crime. Steering a grant towards an institution with demonstrable public benefit? Not a crime…or really anything other than politics as usual.
Also, people who don’t believe billionaires would bother with spending a $100,000 to get $1 million (in a sense) haven’t interacted with fabulously wealthy people.
- We can hope - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 3:07 pm:
Anonymous 2:17 - You hit the nail on the head - it is Tronc’s editors. Feel for Ray.
- Sillies - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 3:35 pm:
The larger takeaway from me is when JB was questioned about the donation after the story ran he indicated he did not recall the details of his donation to Blago. That fact that he could not recall making a six-figure gift spoke volumes.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 3:36 pm:
===when JB was questioned about the donation after the story ran===
After or before? The Tribsters ambushed him without warning at an event, I’m told.
- wordslinger - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 3:58 pm:
–Lynn has lost all objectivity a long time ago.–
She’s giving her opinion on the troncs journalistic standards regarding this story. What are you talking about?
- Michael Westen - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 4:26 pm:
Sweet is a hack. So according to her it is impossible to question the close timing of campaign contributions and the awarding of state grants no matter how worthy the grant?
- Albany Park Patriot - Monday, Sep 11, 17 @ 5:14 pm:
Boy, is it difficult for a reporter to admit when they may have hyped something goofy.