Sun Times Reporter Resigns after Rauner Bullying and Sun Times utter Cowardice. Why I left

[lunasun]

http://davemckinney123.wordpress.com/2014/10/22/why-i-left/

At issue is the Sun-Times/NBC5 report about LeapSource and its fired female CEO, a story for which I proudly shared a byline with Carol Marin and Don Moseley. The piece focused on litigation involving the former executive, who alleged Bruce Rauner, while a director of the company, threatened her, her family and her future job prospects.

With the backing of our editors and supported by sworn testimony and interviews, the piece took us nearly a month to vet, report and write. It was approved by the legal departments at both the Sun-Times and NBC5 and was posted online simultaneously with Carol’s Oct. 7 broadcast report on NBC5. It was a Sun-Times story done in the finest traditions of the paper.

Prior to publication, the Rauner campaign used multiple tactics to block it, including having campaign staffers vowing to “go over” our heads. We are accustomed to such tactics.

But what does not come with the territory is a campaign sending to my boss an opposition-research hit piece–rife with errors–about my wife, Ann Liston. The campaign falsely claimed she was working with a PAC to defeat Rauner and demanded a disclaimer be attached to our story that would have been untrue. It was a last-ditch act of intimidation.
Faced with the Rauner campaign’s ugly attack, Sun-Times Publisher and Editor Jim Kirk immediately told the Rauner campaign that this “assault” on my integrity “border[ed] on defamation” and represented “a low point in the campaign.” In other statements, Kirk called the campaign’s tactic “spurious” and “sexist.”

Yet despite such strong rebukes, two days later, I was yanked from my beat as I reported on a legislative hearing focusing on Gov. Pat Quinn’s botched Neighborhood Recovery Initiative. My reporting for that day was then removed inexplicably from the Sun-Times website.

I was told to go on leave, a kind of house arrest that lasted almost a week. It was pure hell. Kirk told me that his bosses were considering taking me away permanently from the political and Springfield beats. He offered up other potential jobs at the paper, all of which I considered demotions. Because of my unexplained absence from my beat, colleagues started calling, asking if I had been suspended. Or fired.

[YBR31]

1. Rauner's methods make the original article more credible

Mr. Rauner used intimidation on a reporter and his spouse to quash an article that said he used intimidation on a former employee. His actions against the reporter and his wife just make me believe the original article that said he threatened a former employee and her family.

[lunasun]

3. So if certain people do not agree with him as gov.,can intimidation be expected like Christie in NJ

Or worse?
I'm starting to think he would use those kind of tactics

[Gidney N Cloyd]

8. Rauner was 10% owner of Sun-Times' parent company until a couple months ago, so...

...given he probably is just keeping his financial interest on the downlow temporarily, this situation with McKinney was EXACTLY another case of Rauner intimidating and threatening an employee.

I don't just want this bastard to lose, I want him humbled.

[RoccoRyg]

2. God help my state

If this corporate parasite becomes governor. My union is understandably shaken by his threats to shut down the government and force massive public sector lay-offs. For God's sake, people, get out there and VOTE!

[illinoismike]

4. Go Quinn!

I proudly voted early today for Governor Quinn and the whole Democratic ballot! Rauner is terrible! Corporate greed to the max!

[truebrit71]

5. Mitt Rauner will destroy this state if he gets into office. ..

.... ruthless scumbag...

[greatauntoftriplets]

6. McKinney was shafted.

[raging moderate]

7. Thank you, Mr. Rauner, for illustrating our point about you.

Rauner's actions and attitudes are feudalistic, and they are not consistent with the challenges of the twenty-first century.