Tribune, U of I Battle Over Redactions

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jun 23, 2009 8:40PM

In it's battle to obtain documents from the University of Illinois in connection with their investigation of the Clout College Controversy, the Chicago Tribune has stumbled upon a strange example of what they allege to be shenanigans: Ron Santo. While Santo has nothing at all to do with the controversy, it seems the school blacked out Santo's name in documents it handed over to the Trib which the Trib claims "violated the spirit of the law," in terms of their investigation. According to the Tribune's story:

The conversation took place between university lobbyist Terry McLennand and Teresita Soto Plutz, a medical school official. The two bemoaned Santo's latest rejection after McLennand asked Soto for help securing a residency for a connected candidate.

"Okay, let me call them," Soto writes back. "Well, the hubby is unhappy that [name redacted] got overlooked again."

"Poor [name redacted]," McLennand wrote. "I had not heard, he should be in. Did your husband get tickets?"

The e-mail is dated March 2, 2005, the day Santo failed in another bid to enter Cooperstown. U. of I. spokesman Tom Hardy said the employee handling the redactions didn't know who Santo was and assumed he was a rejected student.

The Tribune has been fighting the school via the Freedom of Information Act to obtain information regarding the school's alleged "clout list."