Reporter Pens Damning Resignation After Writing Story On GOPer’s Threat

Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner urges supporters to take advantage of early voting during a campaign event at The Savory House Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014, in Morton, Ill. The Rauner campaign visi... Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner urges supporters to take advantage of early voting during a campaign event at The Savory House Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014, in Morton, Ill. The Rauner campaign visited the counties of Henry, Tazewell and Winnebago Tuesday. (AP Photo/Journal Star, Fred Zwicky) MORE LESS
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The Chicago Sun-Times reporter who co-wrote a story on how Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner (R) allegedly threatened a business associate and then was reportedly targeted by the Rauner (pictured) campaign announced his resignation from the newspaper on Tuesday.

The reporter, Springfield, Illinois bureau chief Dave McKinney, wrote a long letter about how after he co-wrote the story he was put on leave by the Sun-Times. He also described how, when he came back to the paper, he was “advised” not to have his byline on reporting related to the company that Rauner and his business associate argued over.

He noted that he was pulled off his beat and his reporting for that day was “removed inexplicably from the Sun-Times website.”

McKinney, in his letter, did note that top members of the Sun-Times defended him against criticism from the Rauner campaign. McKinney also noted that the Sun-Times recently broke a three year no-endorsement policy and backed Rauner. McKinney suggested that there had been a “breach” in the wall between the owners of the paper and the newsroom. He concluded the letter saying that under the circumstances he had to resign.

He wrote, “I’m convinced this newspaper no longer has the backs of reporters like me.”

“We reporters have a healthy suspicion of both parties and candidates,” McKinney wrote. “It’s our job. It’s regrettable that this issue has emerged in the homestretch of an important election in Illinois, but respectfully, this isn’t about either candidate or the election. It’s about readers and their trust in us. So my decision could not wait. I hate to leave, but I must.”

“And so, it is with great sadness today that I tender my immediate resignation from the Sun-Times.”

In response, the Rauner campaign said the Sun-Times decision to post the story was “irresponsible” according to CBS’s Chicago affiliate. Trover also said that McKinney had “an extraordinary conflict of interest” given that he is married to Democratic political operative Ann Liston.

Read McKinney’s full letter, posted to his wordpress blog, here.

Rauner is the Republican candidate trying to defeat Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D). The TPM Polltracker finds Rauner with a slim 0.3 point lead over Quinn.

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Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for imkmu3 imkmu3 says:

    Toe the line set by the corporate overlords, or you’ll be moved to writing obits from now on.

  2. The Sun Times endorsed Rauner without even interviewing him. Sad how far they’ve fallen.

    Edit: it is worth reading McKinney’s blog post linked in the article above.

  3. “McKinney suggested that there had been a “breach” in the wall between the owners of the paper and the newsroom.”

    Yeah, it’s called the advertising department. Money comes in from campaign ads, creates profit, which gets turned into dividends, which monetarily influence the reporting. Of course, I have no doubt the owners also “invested” in Rauner’s campaign for their own benefit and weren’t about to let truth get in the way of their expected “dividends” from Rauner.

  4. "broke a three year no-endorsement policy and backed Rauner. "

    Gee boy howdy, I wonder what that cost Rauner.

  5. Ya know, I’ve long refused to subscribe to the online versions of the Chicago Tribune or Sun-Times knowing they were gonna disappoint me and make me regret such a decision.

    No more.

    Update: I urge you to go read his resignation letter. Excerpt:

    For guidance, I called Patrick Collins, a former federal prosecutor whose name is synonymous with ethics in Illinois. His involvement brought about an abrupt shift in the company’s tone from penalizing me to reinstating me. Ultimately, the company pledged I could return to the job with “no restrictions.”

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