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* Remember last week’s Illinois Times story?…
Illinois Times [yesterday] sued Gov. Bruce Rauner after Attorney General Lisa Madigan ruled that the governor must turn over his appointment calendar in response to the paper’s request made under the state Freedom of Information Act.
The newspaper asked for Rauner’s appointment calendar last spring after the governor walked out of a Holocaust remembrance ceremony. The newspaper’s request came after the governor’s press office ignored an emailed query asking where the governor had gone while a Holocaust survivor spoke at the annual ceremony held at the Old State Capitol.
* Bernie followed up…
LYNDSEY WALTERS, a Rauner spokeswoman, told me this week: “Gov. Rauner left the Holocaust Memorial Service early to hold a four-leaders meeting at a time in which all were available. Since May, the governor has invited the four leaders to meet as a group, and members of the majority party have declined. Despite their unwillingness to meet as a group, the governor has held individual meetings with the leaders whenever and wherever they’ve agreed to meet.”
RIKEESHA PHELON, spokeswoman for Senate President JOHN CULLERTON, D-Chicago, said there was an hourlong meeting with the governor and leaders starting at 11:30 a.m. April 16, and Cullerton attended.
Phelon also said there have been no such meetings with all four leaders and the governor since May, and she denied that Cullerton has turned down any meetings since the last one took place.
“At this point, we’re ready to work with the governor to resolve the budget issues in whatever forum that works,” Phelon said.
Discuss.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:09 pm
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It’s Madigan’s fault that the governor had to leave . Now it all makes sense.
Comment by Roadiepig Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:15 pm
Why the secrecy on Rauner’s part?
Comment by DuPage Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:15 pm
I am very appreciative of the Illinois Times taking the step of suing to get access to what should be public information.
The Governor’s official duties and schedule should be public information.
Comment by siriusly Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:15 pm
This would have been a non-story had the governor’s office been as “open and transparent” as they claimed they would be on the campaign trail.
Comment by Tournaround Agenda Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:17 pm
===LYNDSEY WALTERS, a Rauner spokeswoman, told me this week: “Gov. Rauner left the Holocaust Memorial Service early to hold a four-leaders meeting at a time in which all were available.===
No one leader came out to say this before Rauner released the details.
So revealing on so many levels…
One level? So glad the GOP Caucus leaders had Rauner’s back… The Dem leaders? “The Illinois Times asked Rauner, why help him out”(?)
Hmm…
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:18 pm
Wow, they made the Illinois Times go through the FOIA process because they didn’t want to admit Governor Rauner was doing his job?
Seems like they had a pretty good answer to give the reporter, yet instead they stuck their thumb in his eye. Nice work. Is Kevin Artl advising Team Rauner?
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:24 pm
Why does the Rauner office keep fudging the truth? First no explanation, then one that claims it was to meet with the 4 leaders when it clearly was not. It may have been an important meeting, but it was not what they said. He must think that the press is stupid and voters more stupid….
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:25 pm
Darn, I was really hoping the FOIA would have shown the Gov. was meeting with members of Trilateral Commission, Bilderberg Group and Skull & Bones members to go over the schedule at the Bohemian Grove.
Comment by Give Me A Break Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:28 pm
Yawn. Same stuff, different day. The Governor needs people to believe that he actually wants a budget..but in reality, he doesn’t. He needs to string that budget out a long as it takes to get what he wants. He’s not telling the truth. Go figure.
Comment by Corporate Thug Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:29 pm
===LYNDSEY WALTERS said “Since May, the governor has invited the four leaders to meet as a group, and members of the majority party have declined. Despite their unwillingness to meet as a group, the governor has held individual meetings with the leaders whenever and wherever they’ve agreed to meet.”===
Rich - have your asked the “majority party leaders” if this is true? I have a hard time believing they have declined meetings.
Comment by Way South of I-80 Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:30 pm
Goofy. No wonder we are stalemated.
Comment by illinoised Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:30 pm
The Governor’s office is weird like this. They are secrecy nuts, even when the secrecy is asinine like in this instance. You went through all of this to avoid telling somebody the Governor was meeting with the leaders? Seriously? These guys need to worry more about governing and less about acting like a secret club.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:38 pm
Seems like the IL Times is carrying the water for Bernie and the boys. The SJR has quoted the IT a few times lately. WTG SJR, aggressive journalism.
Comment by anon Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:40 pm
I don’t understand why neither side is playing the PR game? Why doesn’t the governor or the a leader on either side walk into the opposing sides office every morning for a week, sit there for 10 minutes waiting for a meeting, take a picture, tweet that you waited for a meeting and will be back tomorrow at the same time, and then leave?
Comment by Anon Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:40 pm
So Madigan and Cullerton made the governor they comtrol leave early?
They are all-powerful.
Comment by Wordslinger Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:42 pm
Anon - it doesn’t matter if there is a meeting, the outcome would be nearly the same. Dems would refuse to discuss Turnaround Agenda so Rauner would refuse to discuss budget - end of meeting.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:43 pm
Lede buried in the Bernie piece. MJM and gov met on Monday.
Comment by Conn Smythe Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:44 pm
Wordslinger, I count this as an admission that Rauner is one of the politicians Madigan controls.
Comment by AC Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:49 pm
“When Speaker Madigan says ‘Jump!’, I say ‘How high, Chief’…” - Gov. Rauner (snark… ?)
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:53 pm
==MJM and gov met on Monday.==
Woohoo! No snark. Happy they are at least talking now.
Comment by Robert the Bruce Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:54 pm
“(S)ecrecy nuts” is an understatement. To Rauner, transparency is only something that applies to his opposition. Yes this is the same ole politics that Rauner falsely promised he’d change. Reminds me of another former governor, cough Blago.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 1:57 pm
Mountains out of molehills.
Comment by DuPage Bard Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 2:17 pm
The Illinois Times still needs copies of the official, un-redacted calendar. I’m glad they provided a press release, but the point is that the calendar is public information and may reveal other important information. Are they releasing a statement about the date in question in hopes the Illinois Times decides not to continue the fight for the remaining information ?
Comment by ABC123 Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 2:20 pm
There’s a way to read this as an attempt by the Rauner crew to cover for Madigan’s refusal to meet, possible then, or certainly later. Otherwise why keep this one secret?
Comment by walker Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 2:28 pm
I’m surprised Lance Trover didn’t come out blaming “Speaker Madigan and the schedulers he controls!”
Comment by Jocko Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 2:30 pm
ABC123 - yep.
Secrecy on steroids.
Almost makes one nostalgic for Rauner’s OMA-resistant shadow government “working groups.” At least there was reason to be cagey and reason to believe work might be done.
Comment by crazybleedingheart Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 2:51 pm
I guess the Illinois Times folks were too respectful to leave the museum and just follow him to where he and four pretty public folks were meeting. Some story.
Comment by A guy Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 3:18 pm
I bet the Governor has two sets of appointment books.
Comment by Dale Cooper Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 3:50 pm
===Some story.===
Indeed. But how do you explain Team Rauner’s reaction? From the Illinois Times story:
“The newspaper’s request came after the governor’s press office ignored an emailed query asking where the governor had gone while a Holocaust survivor spoke at the annual ceremony held at the Old State Capitol.
Rauner gave the newspaper a redacted version of his appointment calendar showing that he had attended a meeting in the governor’s office while the ceremony continued. The governor redacted the names of the person, or people, with whom he met. The newspaper subsequently appealed to the attorney general, who ruled that Rauner must disclose the names of the people who attend meetings memorialized in his appointment calendar, which is prepared by public employees on public time using public equipment.”
#Superstars.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 3:54 pm
If you think this is ONLY about this day on his calendar, you miss the point. Even the POTUS, publicizes his calendar and everyone he meets is logged for the record (At the White House anyway)
Comment by Union Man Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 4:07 pm
‘Mystery solved’ but not the access to the calendar.
Comment by sal-says Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 4:13 pm
We thought the poster was saying Madigan and the politicians he controls created the Holocaust, forced IL to have a Memorial and made BVR the governor and mandated he would have to go…..
Not it really makes sense.
Comment by Anonin' Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 4:25 pm
Anonymous @ 1:25
After watching how things have went from the start of his run for office. You believe Rauner and his crew are wrong in what they think because?
Comment by Bemused Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 4:35 pm
If you have something to hide, hide everything. It keeps those seeking answers busy with the mundane.
Comment by Chicago 20 Monday, Sep 28, 15 @ 9:31 pm