* Remember how the Illinois Policy Institute’s Diana Rickert denied my claim that I’d been duped into appearing in the Institute’s “documentary” about Speaker Madigan?…

Illinois Policy’s Diana Rickert said in a response to Illinois Playbook: “Rich’s comments are strange. The film crew is top notch, and was very forthcoming about the scope of the documentary and our involvement when asked who was funding the project. We’ve been critical of Speaker Madigan and his political machine for many years, so we’re certainly not shy about our work on this issue. It’s not like Rich was stopped on the sidewalk in Springfield and caught off-guard with a random guy filming with his iPhone; the interview was scheduled in advance, he signed a release form and he even went out for drinks with the film crew after they were done. Our research was used as the premise of many questions. Some of the other interviews for our documentary were even filmed in our Chicago office.”

Rickert’s statement was refuted last month when the production company told Bernie that I had, indeed, been duped.

* And the film’s “executive producer” John Papola admitted it again yesterday after a special screening in Chicago…

Papola admitted he kept many of the subjects in the dark about Illinois Policy Institute’s involvement in the project. “I know there’s been some controversy in the local press … Because this was an independent project, because that was a condition of us coming on board, because we know Illinois Policy takes stances on issues, we treated this in much of the same way we handled our other projects … The partners or financiers of the film was really not something — that was kept close to the vest as far as myself and the head of production and the field team wasn’t really armed to talk about that.”

Except they did tell some people, like John Kass and Dick Simpson.

* The Institute was also far more involved with the content than Rickert initially admitted. The production company didn’t just use the Institute’s research, an Institute employee wrote the script…

Illinois Policy “gave us creative control over the project,” Papola said after the event. Then he explained that the film’s writer was Austin Berg, who works for the Policy Institute.

Creative content — After he was pressed, Papola said Berg: “was bringing lots of material to the table … Austin brought a wealth of knowledge to the table that would have been very difficult for us to produce from scratch.”

* So, they financed it and wrote it. And Mark Brown isn’t buying that Papola had total control…

So they hired John Papola, an “award-winning documentary filmmaker” from Texas who hails from the East Coast and probably couldn’t find Springfield without Google Maps. Papola then made a movie channeling the exact narrative that Rauner and the Illinois Policy Institute embrace. […]

Berg assured me after Tuesday’s screening at the Siskel Center that the movie was financed by the organization’s “thousands of contributors,” not any particular billionaire.

But Papola swears he took a journalistic approach and had final creative control. As far as adopting the Policy Institute’s point of view of Madigan, Papola said he didn’t see how anyone could hold any other opinion after reviewing the facts — that were spoonfed to him by the Policy Institute.

* And then there’s weird stuff like this…

Odd portrayal of Blago impeachment — seems to suggest it's due to Madigan, doesn't mention um, federal case against him.

— natasha korecki (@natashakorecki) October 11, 2016

For instance, the doc frames Blagojevich's impeachment as a product of a rivalry with Madigan. It barely mentions arrest for selling O seat

— David Thomas (@DaveThomas5150) October 11, 2016

The Blago arrest for trying to sell Obama Senate seat is a "blink-and-youll-miss-it" moment in the Madigan documentary #twill

— David Thomas (@DaveThomas5150) October 11, 2016

The film also doesn't even mention that Rob Blagojevich was charged the first time around #twill

— David Thomas (@DaveThomas5150) October 11, 2016

Did I mention that Rod’s brother Rob cooperated with the project and appears in the “documentary”?

* And this…

Papola said they didn't try to outweigh negatives of Madigan with positives to create a "faux balance." #twill

— David Thomas (@DaveThomas5150) October 11, 2016

The film mentions Rauner-Madigan fight over the budget, but doesn't mention gov's refusal to sign one without reforms he wants #twill

— David Thomas (@DaveThomas5150) October 11, 2016

Film brings up Dunkin vs. Stratton, mentions that it's because Dunkin didn't go along with vote override. But leaves it at that #twill

— David Thomas (@DaveThomas5150) October 11, 2016

* This parody preview, however, is priceless…

A little bit of naughty language at the end, so be careful at work, but it’s pretty darned funny…

From the same people who brought you fake newspapers, fake radio networks, and fake policy institutes comes the fake documentary Gov. Rauner (fake) says he didn’t pay for.

And then Sgt. Schultz makes an appearance. Whoever did that is brilliant.

*** UPDATE ***  The parody video was removed after the Illinois Policy Institute objected to the creators using its name on the Vimeo page and in e-mails to publicize it. But the Institute said they had no problem with me posting it on YouTube, so here it is…