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Statement from The Chicago Tribune

By Michael Scherer | @michaelscherer | December 9, 2008 | +

The Chicago Tribune withheld publication of information about the wiretapping and bugging of Gov. Blagojevich at the request of the U.S. Attorney office. In a just released statement, the newspaper explains why.

The Chicago Tribune investigated allegations of misconduct involving
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich independent of the U.S. attorney’s
criminal probe.  As a standard practice, our reporters contact individuals involved in these stories for confirmation and comment prior to publication.  Consequently, we contacted the U.S. attorney’s office in the course of our reporting. On occasion, prosecutors asked us to delay publication of stories, asserting that disclosure would jeopardize the criminal investigation. In isolated instances, we granted the requests, but other requests were refused. The Chicago Tribune’s interest in reporting the news flows from its larger obligation of citizenship in a democracy. In each case, we strive to make the right decision as reporters and as citizens. That’s what we did in this case.

ALSO: Sen. Dick Durbin, the other Senator from Illinois and an Obama ally, has called for the state legislature to call for an immediate special election to replace Obama, effectively taking the power away from Gov. Blagojevich.

Related Topics: Uncategorized

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  • trifecta55

    Zell offering to fire editorial writers in exchange for $100,000,000? Anybody? Bueller?

  • http://phd9.blogspot.com Paul Dirks

    Well this should provide a nice distraction from the news that TribCo’s ownership was aquired on the backs of it employee’s ESOP’s.

  • m0mentom0ri

    I wonder how long this will ‘haunt’ the Chicago Tribune…

  • uricigar

    Dear Sir/M,
    I am Mr.Rod Blagojevich a governor of a STATE OF ILLINOIS. I have the courage to Crave indulgence for this important business believing that you will never let me down either now or in the future. Some months ago, an American Senator vacated his seat to become a President of United States. No one will ever come forward to claim it, and according to United States policy, after some months, the seat will revert to the ownership of the Government. This is the situation, and my proposal is that I am looking for a United States citizen who will accept appointment and OPEN a Bank Account abroad to facilitate the transfer of this seat. This is simple, all you have to do is to OPEN an account anywhere in the world and send me its detail for me to arrange the proper money transfer paperwork, and facilitate the transfer. There is no risk at all, and all the paper work for this transaction will be done by me using my position and connections in the state of Illinois. This business transaction is guaranteed. If you are interested, please reply immediately through my personal email sending the following details: (1) Your Full Name/Address (2) Your Private Telephone/fax Number. Please observe the utmost confidentiality, and be rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us. I look forward to your earliest reply.

    Yours,
    Mr.Rod Blagojevich

  • gysgt213

    Michael-will this haunt the Tribune? Is this their burden to bear? Will you have to get a lawyer and explain what you knew and when you knew it?

  • trifecta55

    Rahm Emmanuel helped take down Blago.
    .
    http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/09/rahm-blago/
    .
    But, I bet it haunts him.

  • gysgt213
  • sqr1

    Is Mark Halperin still haunting Time?
    .
    Also, uricigar, I did a Nigerian letter joke less than a month ago. The standard rule is that you have to wait 30 days before you can recycle material.

  • sqr1

    Smartest thing that Blago could do: Appoint P-Fitz to be Senator of Illinois. Announce that it is in exchange for not indicting his wife. Hope that P-Fitz recuses himself in order to be a witness.
    .
    This is not actual legal advice.

  • trifecta55

    Bill Kristol is still haunting Time. The Tire Swing is Still haunting MS.

  • wvng

    I, personally, am haunted by the fact that our entire country has been run by a corrupt criminal enterprise for the last eight years. Doesn’t appear to haunt MS, nor is it likely to haunt Bush and Cheney or any of their friends ever.
    .
    As entertaining and theatrical as the Vlad Blago story is, it pales in significance when compared to the big boys. Think about it. If any USA other than Fitz had been involved, a majority of the readers here would have expected a politically motivated prosecution. Anywhere in the country.
    .
    Obama is about to make a statement.

  • jcapan

    “Sen. Dick Durbin … has called for the state legislature to call for an immediate special election to replace Obama, effectively taking the power away from Gov. Blagojevich”

    This should be standard practice for all such vacant seats, not merely those tainted by scandal. G-wald’s recent post about nepotism/aristocracy is/should be sickening. And, yes, that means dems like Jesse Jackson or Caroline K. too. To be anointed instant incumbent makes even less of the so-called democracy.

  • cincinnatus est exterminata!

    The idea of Lynne Sweet out of a job makes me happy.

  • destor23

    The Tribune editors should be ashamed. The public had the right to know what the reporters knew, when they knew it.

  • formerlyjames

    Alan Keyes has agreed to fill in until the election. He did, after all, come in 2nd to Obama in the last Senatorial election. He would provide limitless entertainment in the interim.

  • henqiguai

    re: #14 “The public had the right to know what the reporters knew, when they knew it.”
    .
    Nope. There’s a Constitutionally guaranteed right to a free press, but you (we), the public, got no such “right” to anything the news organizations dig up, until they decide to publish (feel free to jump into the “legal discovery” swamp at your leisure). We have every right to not patronize any news organization that we think is not fulfilling its duty, however you might define it. But that’s it.
    .
    Further, all “rights” have responsibilities, and that includes news organizations (as opposed to “media” outlets); there really are times when they have the responsibility to play nice with the authorities. Deciding when to so play is supposedly why executive editors (and their legal staffs) get the big bucks.

  • formerlyrainbow68

    Why not? It’s a Democratic seat anyway.

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