FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE
In and out. Sneed hears rumbles the days might be numbered for Brittany Carl, one of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s newly hired communications aides — who compared abortion to Nazi Germany’s eugenics programs on a conservative blog before she was hired.
This comes in the wake of the removal of Ben Tracy, the governor’s “body man” and/ or handpicked assistant, who was fired Monday on his first day of the job following a series of homophobic and racially insensitive comments that he made before he was hired.
“Both the governor and Diana are irate over the comments,” said a top source for the couple, who claims they are disappointed with the loss of some of their staff amid abrupt firings and resignations last week.
( Hmmm. Is a rehire in the works?)
Buckshot: Carl is a conservative blogger hired by new communications deputy chief Diana Rickert as part of sweeping changes within Rauner’s staff and communications department. Those caused a groundswell of unexpected resignations once top staffers started getting fired last week.
Sneed is told that, out of 120 department workers in the governor’s office, 15 staffers left, which included seven firings and eight resignations.
“It’s true Rauner was hoping for a diversity of hiring, but Carl’s hiring wasn’t well thought out,” said a Sneed source.
“So many people in the communications area had left or were fired; Carl’s hiring was akin to filling an empty chair,” the source added.
Carl, a $ 45,000 a year com- munications specialist, had also posted a story on eagnews. org in 2013 encouraging the dissolution of teachers unions.
The Rauner administration, still reeling from Carl’s posts against abortions and unions, emphasizes they were Carl’s personal opinions and written before she was hired.
Sneed is told the governor was not happy with the leadership of his communications department, felt relationships with the media could have been much better, and had tried to bring in new talent to offer new ideas — but felt his communications staff was not open to new ideas.
“So the plan was to bring in new talent who related better to the press and were better at messaging,” the source said.
“Look, the governor has no litmus test, but he does want staffers to have diversity of thought — and people who are not only talented but committed to move his agenda forward for the people of Illinois,” the source added.
Ink that.
Diana’s dictum . . .
Yum. Longtime Rauner staffer TJ Galulo ran into first lady Diana Rauner in her office on his first day as the governor’s new “body man” since the firing last week of the gov’s personal assistant on his first day on the job.
“Got any advice on my first day with the governor?” asked Galulo.
“Just make sure he eats lunch,” the first lady said.
“He forgets.”
Chicago’s own . . .
Comedian Tom Dreesen, Harvey’s pride, hits Chicago to emcee a memorial service at Gibsons for the late Chicago stellar/ philanthropist Jack McHugh, former owner of the Four Torches, where all the stars once went when they came to Chicago— among them Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Johnny Carson.
Then, Dreesen emcees the Joe Maddon “Try not to Suck” charity golf tournament at Bryn Mawr Country Club in Lincolnwood on July 31 — and heads Aug. 1 to emcee the “Funniest Policeman” in Chicago contest at the Laugh Factory on Belmont and Broadway before making the rounds on radio and attending a family reunion Aug. 14.
And, yes, Tom, we will do lunch.
Saying goodbye . . .
Please note: The untimely death of Jeanne B. Clark, the first woman to be deputy superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, will not only be memorialized privately by her family and friends in Niles, Michigan — but a special memorial will be held in Chicago on Aug. 6 that is open to her family, friends and fellow police officers.
Sneedlings . . .
Saturday’s birthdays: Selena Gomez, 25; Ezekiel Elliott, 22; and Alex Trebek, 77. . . Sunday’s birthdays: Daniel Radcliffe, 28; Slash, 52; and Woody Harrelson, 56.