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Sun-Times reporter quits over paper's handling of story

The Chicago Sun-Times' longtime Capitol bureau chief has resigned after the paper put him on leave following a tough story about Republican candidate for governor Bruce Rauner.

Dave McKinney worked for the Sun-Times for nearly 20 years following a stint at the Daily Herald. He said in a blog post he was placed on leave by the Sun-Times days after Rauner's campaign complained about a story.

The post was written as an open letter to Sun-Times Chairman Michael Ferro.

“Readers of the Sun-Times need to be able to trust the paper,” McKinney wrote. “They need to know a wall exists between owners and the newsroom to preserve the integrity of what is published. A breach in that wall exists at the Sun-Times.”

“It's had a chilling effect in the newsroom,” he wrote. “While I don't speak for my colleagues, I'm aware that many share my concern. I'm convinced this newspaper no longer has the backs of reporters like me.”

Sun-Times Editor Jim Kirk said the paper took time to examine potential conflicts of interest to protect McKinney.

“We came to the right result, found the political attacks against us to be false and we stand by our reporting, our journalists and this great newspaper,” Kirk said in a statement. “I disagree with Dave's questioning the integrity of this newspaper and my role as editor and publisher. I call the shots. While I've been here, our ownership and management have never quashed a story and they have always respected the journalistic integrity of this paper.”

Rauner's campaign wanted McKinney and the paper to disclose his marriage this year to a Democratic strategist. The campaign raised the issue just before the release of the story about allegations of tough talk from Rauner aimed at a former CEO of a company his firm invested in.

A statement from Rauner campaign manager Chip Englander over the weekend said the campaign didn't contact Ferro.

“The bottom line is the campaign followed all proper channels to combat the misleading and inaccurate story prior to its publication,” Englander said.

McKinney said his wife, Ann Liston, wasn't involved in the Illinois campaigns for governor. He wrote that while attempts to influence reporters' stories is common practice for campaigns, Rauner's camp made a false claim about Liston as “a last-ditch act of intimidation.”

“While we disagreed with him on this matter, we are saddened to see Dave leave the Sun-Times,” Englander said Wednesday. “We wish him the best.”

McKinney hired former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins to look into the matter. Collins was not available for comment Wednesday.

Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn started trying to make the dust-up a campaign issue over the weekend.

“This is indicative of the intimidation tactics that have long defined Bruce Rauner's career and campaign, and is exactly why we can't trust him with the governor's office,” Quinn said in a statement Wednesday.

Staff Writer Jamie Sotonoff contributed to this report.

Former prosecutor to look into reporter controversy

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