Sun-Times: "Rutherford’s Reasoning on Withholding Report Doesn’t Hold Water"

Photo from Robert Feder's column on political reporting

Natasha Koreki - who 'Expert Chicago Media Watcher' Robert Feder pointed to as a key asset for the Sun-Times in a story this week about the expansion of political coverage in the mainstream media - is really putting the screws to Governor's Candidate Dan Rutherford.

Rutherford’s reasoning on withholding report doesn’t hold water http://t.co/SR2uAMqSnT via @suntimes #TWILL
— natasha korecki (@natashakorecki) February 14, 2014

She's been all over this Rutherford story (and the entire 2014 campaign like nobody else at the Sun-Times) from day one.   And, unfortunately for the Rutherford campaign, the political beat she's currently on isn't her first assignment.

What did she cover before state government and politics?  Federal Court for 8 years.  She knows what happens in terms of press conferences and federal litigants.  Good for her.  Not great for the campaign, we're thinking...

From her piece where she's doing her job as a journalist and not letting the campaign, nor the attorney off the hook easily:

Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford’s reason for not releasing a taxpayer-funded report looking into sexual harassment allegations just doesn’t track. 

“There is a federal lawsuit that has been filed — under federal rules, we are not supposed to be talking to the whole world about the case — we are supposed to be talking about it in the courtroom,” Rutherford attorney Peter Andjelkovich told me last night. 

I told him I’ve covered federal court for more than eight years — and watched litigants routinely hold press conferences on their cases. 

“Then you’re familiar with federal rules?” he asked, following up that federal judges may slap a gag order on parties in a case for talking. 

You mean like Rod Blagojevich? He talked and talked for years before his trial. 

We aren’t even that far along in the Rutherford case yet.