By: E&P Staff Federal authorities subpoenaed documents from Tribune Co. related to charges that Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff conspired to pressure the media company to fire certain Chicago Tribune editorial board members, the newspaper reported on its Web site Thursday.
"As we've said before, we will fully cooperate with the government in its investigation into Gov. Blagojevich and his administration," Tribune spokesman Gary Weitman said in the article by Todd Lighty and Robert Becker. "As this is an ongoing criminal investigation, we will have to decline further comment."
Tribune Co. Chairman and CEO Sam Zell, who said in an interview on CNBC Wednesday that the FBI had contacted him in connection with the scheme, declined to talk to the Trib, the paper reported.
According to a criminal complaint issued after Blagojevich's arrest Tuesday, the governor is alleged to have threatened to hold up the purchase of Wrigley field with state-issued bonds unless Chicago Tribune Deputy Editorial Page Editor John McCormick and other unnamed editorial writers were fired. Blagojevich and his wife, who alleged is heard uttering profanities about the newspaper, were angered by editorials suggesting impeachment might be a way to remove the governor from office, federal authorities say.
The state funding, which appears dead now that Tribune is in bankruptcy protection, would have save the company about $100 million in capital gains.
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