Blagojevich and the Tribune

The New York Times looks into the allegation that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's tried to coerce Tribune Co. executives into firing Chicago Tribune editorial writers in exchange for help in financing the sale of Wrigley Field and finds no evidence that Tribune execs played ball.

From the NYT:

There have been staff cuts in several part of Tribune Company, but the paper says there have been none at The Tribune’s editorial page. The one editorial writer the governor complained about by name, John P. McCormick, remains the deputy editorial page editor.

Tribune Company released a statement on Tuesday afternoon saying, “No one working for the company or on its behalf has ever attempted to influence staffing decisions at The Chicago Tribune or any aspect of the newspaper’s editorial coverage as a result of conversations with officials in the governor’s administration.”

In a separate statement, the paper’s editor, Gerould W. Kern, said, “There was never an instance where I was contacted or called, where any influence at all was placed against me.”