* From June 7th…

Businessman and former candidate for Chicago mayor Willie Wilson said he’d like to talk to Governor Pritzker about the new state budget.

Willie Wilson said the increases in the gas tax and license plate fees in the new state budget hurt poor and middle class voters. He said he would like to talk to Governor Pritzker about creating a state budget that takes some of the pressure off of the working class. But right now, he said, his calls are going unanswered.

“Governor, I have sent you three or four emails, I’ve sent you a letter, I’ve called you two or three times. Your people have not responded back to me,” Wilson said.

I sent a FOIA request to the governor’s office that very day asking for any “e-mails, letters and phone log records from Willie Wilson to the governor and/or employees of the governor’s office since April 1, 2019.” The governor’s FOIA person eventually responded that she needed additional time to check the records.

For some reason, I remembered my FOIA request yesterday and fired off an email to the governor’s office asking what the heck ever happened to their response.

* Turns out, they sent it to me on June 25th and I didn’t notice it. Oops. I was in Chicago that day for the cannabis bill signing, which may have been why I didn’t see it…

Re: FOIA Request # 2019-152
Dear Mr. Miller:
June 25, 2019

This letter is in response to your Illinois Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) request received on June 11, 2019 seeking: “e-mails, letters and phone log records from Willie Wilson to the governor and/or employees of the governor’s office since April 1, 2019.”

The Governor’s Office conducted a search and found no records responsive to your request.

So, apparently, Mr. Wilson wasn’t telling the truth. No surprise and it means little now because so much time has passed, but I’ll remember that the next time he makes a similar claim.

*** UPDATE *** My FOIA was for attempted contacts dating back to April 1. But the Wilson people sent me some documents showing attempted contacts before April 1…

* Phone logs to governor’s office (March 15, 19, 22)

* Email sent to the governor’s office (March 19)

They also sent me a photo (click here) of Wilson seated next to Pritzker at the 103rd birthday party for Elizabeth Jordan in mid-June, as well as this social media post from the event…

From Wilson’s spokesman…

I was standing beside him on Monday June 17th at a luncheon for this 103 y.o. Woman at 1546 west water st, blue island 11am when he asked the Governor ‘why he had not returned his calls?’ And JB said ‘ he didn’t know and would call him from the car now’ - and never did.

Sorry about that, Reverend! If the governor did promise to call him, he should.

       

21 Comments - Northsider - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 1:14 pm: Shorter WW: LOOK AT ME! Why won’t you LOOK AT ME?! - A guy - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 1:27 pm: ==For some reason, I remembered my FOIA request yesterday == Finally. After Willy sent you 4 emails, left 3 messages, and a couple of texts to remind you. /s - Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 1:35 pm: Dont these poor and middle class voters know whats good for them? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 1:36 pm: ===Willy=== “ie”, please. Willie Wilson doesn’t want to be confused with me, he’s spent too much cash for that. - OutOfState - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 1:49 pm: ===he’s spent too much cash for that.=== Does it count as spending when you hand the money out on the streets? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 1:51 pm: ===Does it count as spending when you hand the money out on the streets?=== Cash is just as good as money. - JS Mill - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 1:55 pm: =Does it count as spending when you hand the money out on the streets?= I am sure Willie (not OW) asked himself WWJD? And then immediately told a fib. - oh? - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 2:00 pm: Willie, the pit addresses your concerns….go out and talk it up. - A guy - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 2:07 pm: ==Willie Wilson doesn’t want to be confused with me, he’s spent too much cash for that.== Whoa dude. I meant you. The other guy have proven he fibs about this. No one in their right mind would FOIA you…it’d be an ecological disaster reducing all those posts to paper. We’d lose the Amazon. lol - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 2:13 pm: - A Guy - This makes no sense… ===After Willy sent you 4 emails, left 3 messages, and a couple of texts to remind you=== Then… ===No one in their right mind would FOIA you=== Stay out of the heat. - JoanP - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 3:07 pm: I swear I read the header as “Belated Willie Nelson fact check”. - Fscott - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 3:10 pm: Why didn’t you ask WW? He would have given you copies. I was with him when the letters and calls were made and with him at the luncheon when JB said ..”I didn’t know, I’ Call you now when I’ Back in the car..” - and never did. Be careful when intimating WW is lying, he never does. - A guy - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 3:39 pm: ==Stay out of the heat.== All these years later, you still can’t take a compliment. I was teasing Rich about the notifications he did NOT receive from Mr. Wilson. When you pointed out that I got my Willie confused with my Willy…well no one should do such a thing! I tried to make light of it. But, alas, no fun in the sun with you today. Hey, at least it’s humid. lol - Fscott - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 4:03 pm: By the way dis you speak with : Adalyne- his schedule director, Ziggy or Gabe? Just a few of his people that we spoke with….. - Henry Francis - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 4:25 pm: Considering how much Willie worked with Bruce, maybe he was the one dialing Madigan’s and Cullerton’s numbers on election night 2014. - Fan of IL - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 4:48 pm: Why would a businessman that is well respected continue this bird talk? Maybe he is looking to run for congress? - Former State Worker - Tuesday, Jul 16, 19 @ 6:41 pm: Just start mailing out $100 bills to every household in Illinois, Willie. - Da Big Bad Wolf - Wednesday, Jul 17, 19 @ 6:33 am: ==By the way dis you speak with : Adalyne- his schedule director, Ziggy or Gabe? Just a few of his people that we spoke with== Well then I’m sure the phone company can provide the records. - Fscott - Wednesday, Jul 17, 19 @ 8:13 pm: We can provide phone records, copies, affidavit’s, etc. What is the penalty for lying about a FOIA? - Fscott - Friday, Jul 19, 19 @ 10:07 am: Ok Rich, we provided you with OVERWHELMING evidence that Dr. Wiison is truthful. Waiting for your apology/retraction. We provided: -phone logs -videos -TV reports where he called out JP to return his calls -copies of emails sent to JP’s office -Photos and testament that WW spoke to JP in person and asked him for a meeting So time to retract your statement above..”apparently Mr. Wilson wasn’t telling the truth”.. We have proven that he was. And the FOIA response was garbage….. - Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 19, 19 @ 10:15 am: It’s coming. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.