Mar 13, 2009 1:32 pm US/Central
Report: Zell Was On Blagojevich Campaign's List
CHICAGO (AP) ―
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Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich speaks during a press conference at the Thompson Center on Jan. 23, 2009, in Chicago, Ill.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Days before ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on corruption charges that include an alleged plot to force the Chicago Tribune to fire some staffers, his campaign was planning to ask Tribune Co. Chairman Sam Zell for a $25,000 contribution, according to a published report.
On Friday, the Chicago Sun-Times reported it had obtained internal campaign documents, including a Nov. 25, 2008, "Focus List" in which Zell's name and 32 others are identified as potential donors.
The documents also suggest the plan to solicit the donation included Blagojevich reaching out to Zell.
"Rod to follow up," reads one notation on the Nov. 25 document, and on a Sept. 22, 2008, fundraising document titled "Call List," an entry reads: "Sam Party on 9.27."
The report comes a day after the Tribune reported that federal prosecutors interviewed Zell in January as a potential witness in their criminal investigation of Blagojevich.
The Tribune, Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs -- all of which are owned by Tribune Co. -- have been key components in the case against Blagojevich. While Blagojevich's alleged effort to sell the vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder received far more national press coverage, another charge is tied to the potential sale of Wrigley.
Blagojevich, who has since been impeached and removed from office, allegedly threatened to withhold state assistance to Tribune Co. in the sale in an attempt to strong-arm the newspaper into firing editorial writers who'd criticized him.
Zell's spokeswoman said Zell did not give any money to Blagojevich last year or promise to do so. And attorneys for the former governor and his brother, Robert, who headed his campaign fund, told the Sun-Times they did not solicit any money from Zell at the time.
The Sun-Times also reports that in another campaign document dated Dec. 3, 2008, one of the 143 names of potential donors for fundraising events is that of Marc Ganis -- a sports consultant hired by Tribune Co. to help with the sale of Wrigley.
Next to his name are notations, including one that reads: "Rod went to dinner on 9/19. Rod needs to follow up."
The dinner date also appears on Blagojevich's call log obtained by The Associated Press, a document which indicates Blagojevich did call Ganis and Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney on Sept. 26.
On Monday, the AP reported Ganis e-mailed in November Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris, who was also subsequently arrested, saying that President Barack Obama's election put "the opportunities we discussed" in front of Blagojevich.
"There is a real possibility these next two years could be very different than the last two for you guys," Ganis wrote in one of two dozen e-mail exchanged between Ganis and Harris obtained by the AP through the Freedom of Information Act. "An opportunity that this election may have presented."
Ganis told the AP that the message concerned the chance for Blagojevich to improve strained relations with the Illinois Legislature.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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