Rauner Doubling-Down on Dishonesty as Blind Trust Scandal Grows

PolitiFact: “False” For Rauner To Claim He Was Not Conducting Personal Business

Governor Bruce Rauner is still reeling from the scandal surrounding his not-so-blind trust, and judging by an interview he gave on Friday, he seems intent to lie his way out of it. The Associated Press reported that Rauner held at least one meeting with former business associate Kip Kirkpatrick, who claims they discussed the settlement of an investment. Rauner had pledged to wall himself off from his investments upon his election, but the Kirkpatrick meetings call into question how blind Rauner’s trust really is.
Rauner sat with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board earlier last week and gave an “evasive answer” about the meetings. PolitiFact Illinois was not amused (emphasis added):
“Kirkpatrick’s lawsuit contends Rauner violated that pledge. In defending himself, Rauner has appeared evasive and is now attempting to parse the difference between personal involvement with an investment and personal involvement with a contract dispute stemming from an investment. It is a distinction without a difference. 
“Rauner is being disingenuous and obtuse, and we rate his statement as False.”
In a one-on-one interview with KWQC on Friday, Rauner dropped the nuance and evasion for outright denial.
“‘That’s just false, I did not do that, I did not have any business meetings on public property,’ Gov. Rauner said. ‘A lot of people have raised that question, there’s no business meetings on private property.’ When asked that the public schedule does state a meeting with a former business partner, Rauner said, ‘We weren’t discussing anything about old business.’”
Instead of admitting fault, it seems Rauner is going to double-down on dishonesty to get through his latest scandal.
“Bruce Rauner has a problem being honest with the Illinois public,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner was caught meeting with a business associate on state property despite promising a blind trust from his business interests. Now that he’s failed the public, Rauner’s trying to lie his way out of the scandal. Rauner needs to fess up and be honest with voters for a change.”

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