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* Mary Ann Ahern…
A campaign ad for Gov. Bruce Rauner featuring embattled Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens will no longer be airing in Illinois, a spokesperson for Rauner said Thursday.
“It was pulled to run the Blago ad and won’t be running anymore,” said spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski.
News of the ad being pulled follows a bombshell news report as Greitens on Wednesday night acknowledged that he’s been “unfaithful” in his marriage. Greitens denied allegations that he blackmailed the woman he had an extramarital affair with to stay quiet.
The Republican governor and his wife released a statement after the St. Louis television station KMOV reported that he had a sexual relationship with his former hairdresser in 2015. The station’s report, released late Wednesday after Greitens gave his State of the State address, said the woman’s ex-husband alleged Greitens photographed her nude and threatened to publicize the images if she spoke about the affair.
The YouTube version also appears to have been pulled down.
* Background…
KMOV, leaning on the recorded conversations, reported that Greitens invited the woman to his house and “scared her” by blindfolding her, photographing her and telling her not to talk about it.
The ex-husband described Greitens’ taking nude pictures of the woman as “blackmail,” and he and his attorney, Al Watkins, said they had been in contact with law enforcement recently, KMOV reported.
The woman told her ex-husband on the recording that Greitens apologized afterward and said he had deleted the photograph, KMOV reported.
The ex-husband’s attorney, Watkins, released a statement after they were asked about KMOV’s report.
“When a person in a position of power decides to belly up to the bar, it is always wise to belly all the way up,” Watkins said in an email. Asked for clarification, he continued: “I am strongly suggesting a fully forthcoming acknowledgment of his actions is a far more prudent course to pursue than a statement crafted to minimize his role and the ensuing devastation which inured to the detriment of innocents.”
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:29 am
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If only Rauner cared as much about veterans as his political career.
Comment by Almost the Weekend Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:32 am
Swap in Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. Greitens came across as awkward compared to Walker or Holcomb.
Comment by SmartiePants Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:35 am
L, as they say, OL.
Michael Madigan, and the extra-marital affairs he controls.
Comment by Nick Name Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:36 am
@ Almost the Weekend..
Oh but he has, he has. Spent a week in Quincy, that should make it all better. Played Connect4 too.
Comment by HoneyBadger Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:37 am
So, Gov Greitens messed up …… “Bigtime”.
Comment by We'll See Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:40 am
Another example of Rauner being unable to get almost anything right. He is a walking disaster, and his own worst enemy.
Comment by Retired Educator Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:41 am
This Greitens guy responding to an allegation he threatened an employee-turned-mistress with revenge porn if she spoke out with a simple statement admitting to a past affair that his wife forgave feels like Kevin Spacey’s response to allegations he assaulted a teen with an admission that he was gay. So tone deaf and so missing the mark of the real problem. Here’s hoping Greitens becomes the pariah in politics that Spacey is in Hollywood.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:42 am
If the dude ever offers to show you how to do pull-ups, decline. Way freaky-deaky.
I didn’t figure a “traditional values” type who fired rifles and blowed up stuff real good in his TV spots would have a hairstylist.
Go that ol’ Main Street barber with the pole out front, and he might not be in this mess.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:47 am
Gosh, all these holier than thou Republicans are disgusting.
Comment by Ron Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:57 am
Thanks Bruce. Hopefully the press asks him about this. Does he anticipate any similar stories about the other governor’s featured in his ad? Did he do any research prior to airing the ad? How long did he know about this affair before pulling the ad?
Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 9:59 am
Just think….this fellow had his sights on bigger and better things like the White House. Oh well.
Comment by flea Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:01 am
Bummer, dude.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:04 am
This demonstrates the problems when a person running for office is unable to tout his/her accomplishments, or his/her plans, and simply doesn’t have much personal capital in their own right.
Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:05 am
Rauner needs to rescind the $100,000 contribution he’s made to Greitens. Simple as that.
Comment by WSJ Paywall Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:08 am
leader of the show me state
Comment by Rabid Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:11 am
“Thanks Mike Madigan.” @fakegovgreitens
Comment by don the legend Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:11 am
Lookee here:
“Greitens is in his second year as governor and had been rumored as a potential presidential candidate. His top campaign adviser, Nick Ayers, is now Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff.”
NuttyNick has another success story
Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:12 am
@WSJPaywall - Someone should ask Rauner if in light of these revelations he regrets his support for Greitens and thinks he should resign.
If JB’s support for Rod is an issue, and it is, so is Rauner’s support for Greitens.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:20 am
Rauner is having a bad morning. Take a peek at the Illinois Review headline: “Chicago Republicans reject endorsing GOP Governor for re-election; pick challenger Ives.”
Comment by Say What? Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:20 am
So let me get this straight.
Scandal breaks, and the ad (and YouTube vid) gets pulled in 24-48 hours.
Disease appears, folks die, and it takes 6 days to notify families?
If we’ve learned one thing from Rauner’s tenure thus far it is this: those the two above sentences make perfect sense and can only refer to a dude named ‘Bruce Rauner’.
Comment by Macbeth Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:29 am
Kim Reynolds is not exactly popular….
Comment by Not a Billionaire Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:42 am
It may be wise for the GOP to jettison that whole family values plank in the platform.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:43 am
This is unbelievable. I’m shocked and disappointed. Why does a governor need a hairdresser?
Comment by Tommydanger Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:52 am
Rauner is cursed.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:56 am
“Why does a governor need a hairdresser?”
Because he doesn’t know how to comb his hair. /s
Comment by Huh? Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 10:58 am
“Why does a governor need a hairdresser?”
His “football” is bigger than blago’s.
Comment by Huh? Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 11:04 am
Rauner is not in charge of his hair
Comment by Generic Drone Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 11:14 am
The Missouri Republican Governor that ran on “ethics reform” in Jefferson City was blackmailing his former mistress with revenge porn? Fine stuff, there.
Ethics reform, indeed.
Comment by illini97 Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 11:31 am
Republican Family Values..
Comment by Shake Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 12:18 pm
Add “An extra-marital affair involving a different state’s governor” to the list of things that elicits a faster response from BVR than veterans dying from Legionnaires Disease.
Comment by Back to the Mountains Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 12:38 pm
Rauner gave $100,000 to Greitens, Uihlein gave $100,000 to a Roy Moore super PAC, Uihlein gave Rauner over $2 million…
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 12:39 pm
Geitens tries too hard to be believed. His multiple books, his entire focus on image made me suspicious. His wife has her eyes set on bigger things that being First Lady of Missouri, so she’s enabling him.
He did it. He blackmailed her. He doesn’t do anything without having an escape plan. Nope. He has got to go, now.
Thanks Bruce for helping get that empty suit elected in Jefferson City.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 1:47 pm
When Geitens started to run a friend of mine in MO told me that Geitens was a creep. So, there might be more coming out.
Comment by G'Kar Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 1:53 pm
Why would BVR pull the ad when according to that Felsenthal profile in Chicago Magazine he cheated on the first wife with the second wife? He clearly doesn’t think adultery makes one unfit for office.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 2:56 pm
What is this GOP gubernatorial fixation with duct tape?
Comment by Hyperbolic Chamber Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 3:04 pm
===He did it. He blackmailed her.===
Allegedly slapped her too. Heck of a guy Rauner pals around with, don’t you think?
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/missouri-governor-eric-greitens-allegedly-slapped-woman-having-affair
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 3:08 pm
==He clearly doesn’t think adultery makes one unfit for office.==
I actually don’t either, but maybe he thinks the blackmail and assault allegations are a step too far. I’d agree with him on that, too.
Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 4:07 pm
Rauners creepy duct tape spots make since now
Comment by Rabid Friday, Jan 12, 18 @ 7:45 am
Who’s mouth did Rauner want some tape on
Comment by Rabid Friday, Jan 12, 18 @ 8:04 am