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Dems use Greitens to attack Rauner

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* DGA from last night…

This afternoon, Governor Eric Greitens of Missouri was indicted stemming from an alleged sexual blackmail scandal. Governor Bruce Rauner was featuring Greitens in his campaign ads when these allegations first became public and refused to call for Greitens to step down before an investigation was complete. Rauner did remove the ads, but only for scheduling purposes.

Now, a City of St. Louis Grand Jury has formally indicted Greitens on a Felony Invasion of Privacy charge.

“Governor Bruce Rauner stood by Governor Eric Greitens even as these disturbing allegations became public,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “But now that Governor Greitens has been criminally indicted, Governor Rauner must call on him to resign immediately.”

* Pritzker campaign this morning…

Bruce Rauner-ally Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted yesterday for felony invasion of privacy related to a sex scandal, but Rauner has remained silent.

Last year, Rauner spent $1.3 million airing ads starring the Missouri governor badmouthing Illinois, and Rauner pumped $100,000 into Greitens’ campaign coffers. But now that he’s headed behind bars, will Bruce Rauner finally speak out against his pal Eric Greitens?

“After putting his face on televisions across Illinois and writing him a six-figure check, Bruce Rauner is now afraid to say Eric Greitens name,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “It is time for Bruce Rauner to break his silence on his favorite TV star and make it clear where he stands.”

* DGA this morning…

Flashback Friday: Rauner Donated $100,000 to Gubernatorial Candidate Eric Greitens

Since Then, Rauner Spent $1.3 Million on Ads Boosting Greitens’ Profile

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has still not called for Missouri Governor Eric Greitens to resign following news he was indicted by a St. Louis Grand Jury. Greitens’ has been indicted on a Felony Invasion of Privacy charge for “taking and transmitting a non-consensual photo of his partly-nude lover.”

Rauner has long been a fan of Greitens and very generously helped out his neighbor. In 2016, Rauner was one of Greitens biggest individual donors to Greitens when he and his wife cut a $100,000 check. And Rauner’s put $1.3 million behind ads profiling Greitens and Missouri’s economic growth.

* And speaking of Missouri…

An Illinois megadonor is contributing $500,000 to the effort to make Missouri a right-to-work state.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Richard Uihlein donated the money Tuesday to a political action committee named “Freedom to Work.” It’s raising cash to fend off a union-led attempt to kill efforts to change state labor laws.

Last year, lawmakers passed a right-to-work law barring mandatory union fees in workplace contracts. But labor unions gathered enough petition signatures to put the law on hold until a statewide referendum can be held in 2018.

Uihlein is a wealthy packaging company executive from Lake Forest who is also helping to bankroll Attorney General Josh Hawley’s bid for the U.S. Senate. Uihlein also contributed $360,000 to Gov. Eric Greitens’ maiden bid for statewide office in 2016.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 10:55 am

Comments

This is all going to leave a mark on Rauner. I don’t see a viable excuse the Governor can come up with, that will lead to this all turning out good.

Comment by Retired Educator Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 11:02 am
I’m sure Rauner’s demand that Greitens resign would resonate with the Mo. Governor, and cause him to REALLY feel bad about what he did. Only a moral giant like Rauner could cause such a humiliation for the disgraced Governor.

Comment by Pesky1 Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 11:07 am
Should be an easy one.

“These allegations are disturbing, if they are true, then he should resign immediately.”

Or will he just hide from it?

Comment by m Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 11:12 am
Boy that Uihlein has a lot of money

Comment by DuPage Saint Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 11:15 am
We don’t think IL is doin’ enough to highlight Uline’s backin’ of Roy Moore and CommandoIves via CecilleBdeProft.
Credit where credit is due.

Comment by Annonin' Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 11:17 am
The fact that Rauner would feature multiple governors from neighboring states in an ad mocking Illinois is disgraceful and an indictment of Rauner’s judgment.

That one of those handpicked Rauner buddies turned out to be an adulterer engaged in blackmail of his lover may not be something that Rauner could have seen coming, but Rauner is the one who tied himself to this guy and he deserves all the grief he gets for it.

Comment by slow down Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 11:17 am
As they should attack Rauner on this.

Rauner had the chance in January to disavow his support for Greitens and call on him to resign the way some Missouri GOP legislators have but instead Rauner chose to stand by his man and say the investigation needed to play out and also said his decision to stop airing Greitens ads was not connected to Greitens’ conduct.

Greitens is not just indicted for creating revenge porn against a plain mistress but for doing so against a former employee of his campaign.

Rauner needs to say firmly and clearly he regrets his support and donations for Greitens or all the Illinois GOP criticism of Madigan for his handling of underlings on harassment is a load of dung.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 11:17 am
Uihlein is just another rich business man looking to make himself richer by attempting to get a law passed to make it easier to pay people less.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 11:18 am
Demoralized - Uihlein obviously does not need more money, as evidenced by his millions in donations. Tim Gill, Bloomberg, Fred Eychaner, Tom Steyer, et cetera, do the same on the other side?

Comment by Put the fun in unfunded Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 11:38 am
Greitens is toast. I’d have to think pretty hard to pick out a politician on the rise who has fallen out of favor as quickly as he has.

Comment by Stones Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 11:40 am
Uihlein is a prime example of why we need a “wealth” tax in this country.

Comment by kimocat Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 11:47 am
@Stones - I would like to think Greitens is toast but at this point the Missouri GOP is pushing this indictment as a George Soros conspiracy.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 12:12 pm
So George Soros took the pictures not Greitens? Is that the conspiracy? Or was Greitens taking pictures of Soros?

We should run tv ad with Madigan. The ad should start with the 3 governors saying “Thank you, Mike” and then Greitens frogmarched. And then, cut to Mike, sitting in a chair smoking a cigar, smiling and saying, “one down…”

It would really mess the MO GOP with their conspiracies. Not Soros, after all. It’s all Mike. All of it. Always, Mike.

Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

Comment by Alice Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 12:32 pm
–Demoralized - Uihlein obviously does not need more money, as evidenced by his millions in donations.–

Why would you assume a rich dude doesn’t want more money? What evidence do you have of that? The fact that he can play with his Schlitz inheritance money is irrelevant.

Uihlein sure took the pay-to-play corporate welfare from CrazyEyez Walker in Cheeseheadland.

But he continues to live in Lake Forest for the low taxes.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 1:01 pm
====Missouri GOP is pushing this indictment as a George Soros conspiracy.

The party comm people may be doing this, but Greitens angered a lot of Republican officials and he has few friends.

Comment by ArchPundit Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 1:11 pm
–Bruce Rauner-ally Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted yesterday for felony invasion of privacy related to a sex scandal,–

“Sex scandal” is a rather mild and inaccurate description in this case.

The dude isn’t accused of slipping the bonds of holy matrimony for nooners at the Motel Notel. Some real twisted stuff going on there down in his basement — and not sex, as far as I can tell.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 1:22 pm
If Greitens is convicted, should we send Missouri a gift basket welcoming them to the Convicted Governors Club?

Comment by Name Withheld Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 1:57 pm
If they want proof of a crime, history tells us to look for a blue dress.

And cigars. LOL

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 2:06 pm
–If they want proof of a crime, history tells us to look for a blue dress.–

What crime was that? You’re hyper-attuned to Pavlov’s bell.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 2:16 pm
It’s Friday afternoon, Crankypants.
Head over to Biggs and chill.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 2:28 pm
Uihlein really needs to look in the mirror.

Comment by Lt Guv Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 3:10 pm