Chicago Tribune owner been subpoenaed and they're the source of most of the Blagojevich stories

[ProSense]

Report: FBI interviewed Tribune Co. exec in Blagojevich case

A top adviser to Tribune Company chief Sam Zell has been interviewed by the FBI about his interactions with an aide to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The paper says Tribune Company has also received a subpoena as part of the ongoing federal corruption probe.

Nils Larsen, 38, is described as a "financial whiz" who spearheaded efforts by the company to sell Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were charged Monday with trying to force the newspaper's owner to fire editorial writers in return for help selling the ballpark.

"A company spokesman has said that neither Tribune Co. executives nor their advisers did anything inappropriate," the paper says. "No Chicago Tribune editorial writers were fired."

The paper says Zell and Larsen didn't respond to requests for comment.

Tribune's Zell: FBI contacted me about Blagojevich

Thursday December 11, 10:13 am ET
By Dave Carpenter, Associated Press Writer

Tribune's Zell says he was contacted by FBI in Illinois governor case; mum on details

CHICAGO (AP) -- Tribune Co. Chairman and CEO Sam Zell acknowledged Wednesday that he has been contacted by the FBI in connection with the corruption investigation involving Gov. Rod Blagojevich but declined to discuss the case in any detail.

Zell, referred to indirectly as "Tribune Owner" in federal authorities' complaint Tuesday against the Illinois governor, indicated he didn't know whether Tribune was pressured by Blagojevich and his chief of staff to force the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial writers. In the end, none was fired.

<...>

Authorities said that during one call intercepted by federal wiretaps last month, Blagojevich's chief of staff, John Harris, told the governor he met with a financial adviser to the Tribune CEO who said Zell "got the message and is very sensitive to the issue."

Asked if the FBI was looking for evidence of pressure being put on Tribune staff, Zell told CNBC: "I think they're asking questions, as far as my knowledge is concerned. The Tribune did not respond at all."

When asked if any pressure was put on the Tribune staffers to change coverage, he said: "I certainly can't speak to that."

Tribune, which owns the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and six other major U.S. dailies along with 23 TV stations and the Chicago Cubs baseball team, has been foundering financially since Zell took control last year in a heavily debt-financed buyout. The Chicago-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday.

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Jackson Jr. denies he was involved in scheme

By ADAM GOLDMAN, Associated Press Writer Adam Goldman, Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO – Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. flatly denies that he and his brother were involved in a scheme to get him a Senate seat in a deal with scandal-tainted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (bluh-GOY'-uh-vich).

The remarks in an interview with The Associated Press Friday came on the heels of a Chicago Tribune report that cited unidentified sources. The newspaper said businessmen with ties to the governor and congressmen discussed raising $1 million for Blagojevich to get him to appoint Jackson to the Senate. The report depicts Jackson's brother as an active participant.

The congressman said "to an absolute certainty" that his brother was not involved in any scheming or wrongdoing.

Jackson has been identified as "Senate Candidate 5" in a federal complaint. The governor is overheard saying the candidate would raise $500,000 for Blagojevich, and an emissary would raise an additional $1 million.

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[ErinBerin84]

1. There was an ice storm in the middle of the night

so I turned on the tv and a replay of Lou Dobbs was on...there was someone they were interviewing outside in Chicago with just "Chicago Tribune" as the caption under him, not his name. He was being so douchey. "Ohhhhh,people really think that Obama's people would not care about who was in the senate seat replacing him? And the high priests in the media who were in the tank for Obama are acting all shocked, but this is what they're getting, Chicago." Excuse me, was this just Lou Dobbs being an asshole or was it really someone from the Tribune? If I remember correctly the TRIBUNE was "in the tank" for Obama in the end (well, an endorsement), and the Obama people never SAID that there were no conversations between his camp and the gov about the senate seat, just that they engaged in no deals. What an asshole.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. The first mistake is to assume that the problems unique to Chicago, are

unique to Chicago.

[shrike]

3. It was probably John Kass

Total dickweed. He's the conservative blowhard at the Trib. He was on CBS news the other night, looking very smug. This is his time in the sun.

[mopinko]

4. a hater

just a hater.
and the tribune editorial board- endorsed george ryan even after the willis children fried. endorsed bush twice. republican rag from back in the day when you were a republican rag, and proud of it. my only problem is when they pretend otherwise.

[shrike]

5. Yes, yes, a Republica rag through and through.

During the whole Clinton Debacle they didn't even pretend anymore. I used to get the Trib; cancelled it because I was tired of the editorializing on the front page. The woman I talked to in circulation didn't even seem surprised. She sounded like she'd heard it before.

[mopinko]

6. i don't get it any more either. but back in the day there was a line

between the editorial opinion and the news. they had a top notch international news staff, and there was no slant to their writing. no more.
it was the second endorsement of bush that was the last straw for me. but the installation of kass in royko's spot never sat well with me either.
i still miss having a daily paper. tried the sun-times for a while, but they just couldn't get the thing there every morning. f that.

[TheDoorbellRang]

7. John Kass? I wonder if anyone calls him "Jack"

seems like it would fit