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Rauner’s “back porch” meeting confirmed

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* Background is here. The AP had also FOIA’d the governor’s schedule back in 2015…

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s official calendar shows he scheduled a May 2015 meeting at the Executive Mansion with a former business partner who claims in a lawsuit they discussed a personal business deal.

Harreld “Kip” Kirkpatrick’s lawsuit is over a disagreement with Rauner about how to divide a $67.5 million settlement from an investment they made before Rauner became governor.

He says one meeting was May 11, 2015 at the governor’s mansion in Springfield.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of Rauner’s calendar under the Freedom of Information Act. It shows Rauner’s state-paid secretary scheduled a meeting at the mansion with Kirkpatrick for 5 p.m. that day.

…Adding… To be clear, the executive mansion is treated as a residence in state campaign finance laws, so doing a business deal on the porch is fine. The problem is that Gov. Rauner said he was handing over control of his business dealings and told reporters he didn’t know why he was being sued by Kirkpatrick when pressed last fall.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 4:53 pm

Comments

What now? Can we get Rauner out of office?

Comment by Real Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 4:55 pm
Welp, when you set up a meeting talking actual transactions and dollars, that ain’t a blind trust.

Rauner misled the state again, and used the Mansion to meet and discuss his own business transactions.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 4:59 pm
I’ll reset my egg timer for the next time Rauner lies.

Comment by Precinct Captain Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 5:00 pm
JB has plenty of money like Rauner does. Obviously Rauner is going to go down in the gutter with campaign ads. Since he can’t run on his record he really has no other choice. For every dollar Rauner spends attacking JB’s integrity JB needs to match that dollar hammering away on Rauner over this sleazy deal. Rauner has an insatiable thirst for making money, regardless of how he makes it or who gets hurt in the process. Hammer that point home.

Comment by Dude Abides Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 5:01 pm
How long has Rauner been running his businesses while being governor?

Is this the lone instance where Rauner was involved in his private businesses…

… oh, this… and trying to get Mike Tomlin fired as Steelers Head Coach…

… the only two.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 5:07 pm
Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly and Bruce Rauner’s gotta lie.

It is his nature.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 5:09 pm
Time to get some new pants, I suspect;)

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 5:18 pm
“And then I might just
Jump back on and ride
Like a cowboy
Into the dawn to Montana

Movin’ to Montana soon
Yippy ty o ty ay”

–Frank Zappa

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 5:26 pm
Somewhere, Ole Slip and Sue is waiting in the wings to help the man who hired her and these troubling facts that have appeared…

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 5:28 pm
Glad to see the tax payers are paying for the Rauner’s personal assistants.

Comment by Trolling Troll Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 5:28 pm
Is a business dealing different than a lawsuit? If Rauner is named in a lawsuit, can he legally say, “Oh, sorry, I’m not involved in my business dealings right now, you’ll have to postpone the case until I’m no longer Governor.”

(No snark intended.)

Comment by Just Me Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 5:39 pm
But really, he didn’t want this sealed. He didn’t know anything. Kip who?

Is there anyone who still believes Rauner about anything?

Comment by Chicago Cynic Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 5:42 pm
From now on, I’m calling it the $15 million dollar porch… but with respect.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 5:54 pm
==The problem is that Gov. Rauner said he was handing over control of his business dealings and told reporters he didn’t know why he was being sued by Kirkpatrick when pressed last fall.==

And also, just because nobody accused you…

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 5:59 pm
HBO - “Dad’s Home State” - Season 4, Episode 6

Bruce gets into the SUV and circles the Mansion, mutters to himself “Kip, Kip, Kip” the entire ride. Diana interviews crisis managers who specialize in handling the removal of other crisis managers. Diana’s State Employee changes title to “Food and Beverage Chairman”. Patty orders Tums by the gross, Anne disagrees with Hud if it was a porch or a veranda that Bruce did his business at the mansion, they turn to “Alexa” to break the tie. Comedy, 63 minutes.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 6:05 pm
Will the new State employee ethics test say conducting personal business on State property is ok if done on a porch and/or when values approach fifteen million dollars?

Comment by Wading in... Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 6:09 pm
He did use a state paid resource, his secretary, to schedule the private business meeting. Using state resources for private business is a clear ethics violation. It was at five, so perhaps Rauner didn’t do the business on state time.

Rauner could be in trouble with his Statement of Economic Interest filing if he failed to disclose some of his business dealings due to his claim of a blind trust.

Comment by A Jack Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 6:23 pm
“just because you weren’t accused of any wrongdoing doesn’t mean you didn’t do anything wrong”

Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 6:46 pm
Just because it is legal for the Governor to have business meetings on the mansion porch about stuff he put in a blind trust… doesn’t mean there wasn’t any wrongdoing, definitely doesn’t mean voters have to like it.
So far the only difference between him and the leader of thefree world is that Rauner understands women are human beings.

Comment by Thoughts Matter Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 6:52 pm
This is such baloney. The Guv doesn’t talk bidness on the back porch. That’s where he likes to have a cold Stagg after a hard day of work. And where he does his best whittlin’.

Comment by Henry Francis Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 6:59 pm
He’ll have to take the Quinnochiio costume back out and wear it again.

Comment by Keyrock Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 7:01 pm
A Jack @623 & ap have it he was using a state employee to schedule the meeting. It would be up to the Sangamon county states attorney to decide to prosecute and of course there is the legislature.

Comment by Not a Billionaire Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 7:32 pm
What would Bruce Rauner demand if this were any other state employee.

Comment by Not a Billionaire Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 7:35 pm
A man with 9 homes used the People’s House in Springfield to hide a meeting where he couldn’t disclose he invested millions to get a 300% return off those millions.

That’s Bruce Rauner

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 7:48 pm
===A man with 9 homes used the People’s House in Springfield to hide a meeting where he couldn’t disclose he invested millions to get a 300% return off those millions.

That’s Bruce Rauner===

Oh, Governor Rauner… Just because you weren’t accused of any wrongdoing doesn’t mean you didn’t do anything wrong.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 7:51 pm
Crain’s, 1/19/15:

–The blind trust means the couple will not be involved in decisions regarding their investments. The couple is granting a legal power of attorney to an adviser who will control the funds. They have directed that all gains from investments that have state contracts be donated to charity.–

How’s that going, all “the gains from investments that have state contracts be donated to charity?”

An accounting and press release, perhaps? I mean, you put out a press release saying you were going to do it. Don’t hide your light under a bushel.

Actually, I’d be happy to know what investments the governor has that have state contracts.

Given that his blind trust is not a blind trust, I think we all have a right to know.

Too much to ask, from a corruption-fighter?

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 8:03 pm
Maybe, just maybe Rauner was going to use the money he was cheating Kip out of to reimburse the State for some of that $7.11 billion his administration lost from the Medicaid fund?/s

Comment by Chicago 20 Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 8:09 pm
Just Me @ 5:39 ==Is a business dealing different than a lawsuit? If Rauner is named in a lawsuit, can he legally say, “Oh, sorry, I’m not involved in my business dealings right now, you’ll have to postpone the case until I’m no longer Governor.”==

It is different - he would have to respond to the suit, or lose and maybe be held in contempt. But this wasn’t a lawsuit - the lawsuit is about the business deal that was made on the back porch.

Comment by Whatever Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 8:09 pm
He was using a state employee to work for his private business.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 8:16 pm
===So far the only difference between him and the leader of thefree world is that Rauner understands women are human beings.===

Unless of course they need childcare assistance, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, domestic violence services, secondary education, homelessness services, etc, etc.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 8:27 pm
“if I ever go looking for my hearts desire again, I won’t look any further than my own back yard? Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with”

Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 8:35 pm
what is all the excitement about…..springpatch folks need to find something to get more excited about than a simple meeting. What if he met with the guy at the local hotel…would you get that excited. does this investment effect state gov… relax

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 9:16 pm
===what is all the excitement about…===

Rauner said he couldn’t even do a business deal, all his businesses and money was in a trust…

… and yet… Rauner is doing business transactions… on the porch of the Governor’s Mansion no less, when he said being governor, he wouldn’t do it, couldn’t even do it.

Ethical problem, honesty problem … no, “no problem”

Rauner wanted all this under seal. “Why?”

Welp, it would show Rauner was conducting business, his personal business, something he said he couldn’t do, wouldn’t do, but did…

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 9:21 pm
Let’s recall that the FBI started investigating and recording Blago for illegal hiring practices. But that when they discovered the real crimes were so very much bigger, they basically dropped following all the hiring fraud cases, and his wife’s real estate money laundering, though there was tons of easy evidence, to cover the more outrageous things, like shaking down a Children’s cancer hospital, a race track owner, and of course, “negotiating” the senate seat.

Rauner has been going after Pritzger for talking to Blago when all that was known publicly at that time was that Blago’s father-in-law ratted him out about hiring fraud; not any of the bigger stuff that was later discovered.

Now Rauner has no moral high ground (if he ever did in the first place) regarding Pritzger. Rauner’s caught in a similar net now, and the schadenfreude is delicious. This is going to keep eroding and eroding Rauner from now until November. Any time Rauner tries to make a play for earned media, he risks another grilling on the porch scandal.

And Rauner’s scandal is easier to explain to Joe Voter than the tenuous connections made in the anti-Pritzger attack ads.

The irony is, in grubbing to scam Kip out of a few more million on some 20mil’s profit, he’s ruined the re-election bid he spent at least fifty mil (and counting) to win. THAT is a businessman!

Or not.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 9:47 pm
Cubs

I see your point- but he’s not providing those services for men either. So he’s an equal opportunity welcher. If that’s a word.

Comment by Thoughts Matter Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 9:58 pm
And he used a state employee as well. I think this should be generating a lot more excitment.

Comment by illinois manufacturer Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 10:01 pm
The thing about it is the hubris it speskd to his lack of character Kip lives in Winnetka and it’s not like Rauner was in the mansion every session day. Even if he was, they could’ve met on the weekend back home without a trace. Instead, he does it in what is, for Rauner, the most “public” of private venues, and used hi state administrative assistant to boot. Was there some sort of urgency around the meeting?

Lotta hmmms with this one

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 11:16 pm
Pushing ethical issues aside for a minute, what kind of person gets 15 million profit and sues their friend to get a little more? Who would pursue money so aggressively? I guess that is why Rauner is a near billionaire and most people are not. Does he have a glimmer of self awareness that he is a freak?

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, Jan 25, 18 @ 5:59 am
lying Bruce doubles down, lie to kip, lie to the citizens, nothing illegal about that. A journey to the center of his mind

Comment by Rabid Thursday, Jan 25, 18 @ 6:26 am
So true 559 am ….and it seems to be how the majority of the top 1make their money….if we cant stop it we should tax and put ir to productive use like schools,universities and infrastrucure. I really want to hear him argue that somehow making this 15 million through nothing more than wheeling and dealing is more productive than preschool.

Comment by illinois manufacturer Thursday, Jan 25, 18 @ 7:56 am
I see an article about charity helping pets chemo that is more worthwhile…..its not hard to add to the list…..low income housing……They can keep doing it but we should tax it like tge gambling it is.

Comment by illinois manufacturer Thursday, Jan 25, 18 @ 8:01 am
1 Timothy 6:10

Comment by Rabid Thursday, Jan 25, 18 @ 8:02 am
“what kind of person gets 15 million profit and sues their friend to get a little more?”

The same kind who tries to slash the rights of all workers and give harsh cuts to state workers while his income skyrockets.

Bruce Rauner is exactly the reason why we need a progressive income tax and full union rights.

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Jan 25, 18 @ 8:11 am
The more I think about this, the more someone with authority needs to open a full investigation. Rauner took this meeting at the Governor’s Mansion. Did he take others? He used state resources to set it up. Did he do that with others? What was he investing in? Was it related to state finances (he’d previously invested in pension funds)? Was he taking multiple meetings on state property, using state resources, to discuss personal investments connected to state finances?

There’s probably a lot of “Nos” in there, but shouldn’t we make sure? Shouldn’t the guy who has spent the last two years whinging about other people getting rich from their state offices also come clean?

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Jan 25, 18 @ 8:36 am
=what kind of person gets 15 million profit and sues their friend to get a little more=

Well in Rauner’s defense his current job only pays him $1 so he’s gotta hustle to survive.

My general rule of thumb is that if you have to tell us that you’re being “transparent” you’re probably not. That’s the great thing about transparency, it’s kind of self-evident. Sort of like being a stable genius.

Comment by Pundent Thursday, Jan 25, 18 @ 8:54 am
===What now? Can we get Rauner out of office?===

Vote accordingly on November 6.

Comment by Nick Name Thursday, Jan 25, 18 @ 9:44 am
Starting a new business: Backporch Financial Advisors. Specializing in blind powers of attorney and coach removal.

Comment by Name Withheld Thursday, Jan 25, 18 @ 9:44 am
It might be “fine” to meet on the back porch, but you have to admit, it’s a delicious detail that won’t be forgotten.

Comment by Molly Maguire Thursday, Jan 25, 18 @ 10:44 am