Day after staff purge, Rauner insists no turmoil, refuses to apologize for cartoon flap

Despite communications team purge, gov insists administration isn’t in turmoil, refuses to apologize over cartoon

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Thursday tried to deflect fallout from his staff ’s fumbling of a response to a cartoon some called racist, insisting a purge of his communications teams did not mean his administration was in turmoil even as he privately warned of “enemies.”

But the governor found himself in the awkward position of having to publicly resist a Democratic state legislator’s request at a West Side criminal justice bill signing that the governor apologize for the Illinois Policy Institute cartoon.

“Will you apologize to the black people about the IPI cartoon even though you didn’t draw it? Let’s make it right today,” Ford said while standing close to the governor. “Can you apologize?”

The governor raised his voice.

“Let me be clear. I’m not apologizing for anything that I have nothing to do with. Let me be crystal clear. Ask that organization that did that cartoon. They should talk to you about what their views are on it. And I’m not gonna. I have fought for racial justice, equality of opportunity my whole life,” Rauner said.

The night before, Rauner had ousted four women from his communications team — after just weeks on the job — for a statement that tried to excuse him from weighing in on the cartoon because he is “a white male.”

But on Thursday morning, the governor described the latest late- night staff purge as normal turnover.

“I disagree with the characterization of turmoil,” Rauner said, responding to a reporter’s question. “Change comes as part of any organization.

And while he publicly painted a picture of smooth sailing in his administration, Rauner privately warned his remaining staff of “enemies” — everyone from Democrats, media, bloggers and “people who shouldn’t be our enemies, including people who used to work for this administration.”

The staffers ousted late Wednesday had only been on the job for weeks. They replaced members of Rauner’s team after a series of firings and protest resignations in mid- July.

The latest purge includes former Illinois Policy Institute staffer Diana Rickert, who served as the governor’s deputy chief of staff for communications; Laurel Patrick, communications director; Brittany Carl and Meghan Keenan, both communications specialists.

They were ousted over the communication team’s response to a cartoon by the Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative think tank that has placed other former staffers in key roles in the governor’s office.

The cartoon depicted a black child in a Cubs cap begging for money for school from a wealthy white man. The cigar- smoking man was showing one pocket empty and the other stuffed with tax increment financing money.

During a morning staff conference call, Rauner sought to dispel controversy over the staff exodus, according to a source with direct knowledge of the call. He called rumblings of the departures of his chief of staff Kristina Rasmussen and chief legal counsel Dennis Murashko “rumors.” And he confirmed the communications staffers’ exits, saying they were not a “good fit.”

Warning of “enemies,” the governor vowed to go on the offense against attacks on his administration.

Rauner told staffers his administration would “fight every rumor and innuendo diligently,” calling them “disgusting,” the source said.

While multiple sources said exits of other high- level staffers are also looming, Rauner on Thursday morning told reporters that the communications team resignations are the only ones, for now.

Yet by 6: 15 p. m. his admin- istration released a statement announcing the departure of Murashko, saying the top legal counsel was leaving for the private sector.

Rauner acknowledged on Thursday that the “communications effort is incredibly hard” with attacks coming from all sides, while calling it a stressful job with a high burnout rate.

But he denied any suggestion that his administration is in disarray.

The forced exodus came after Rauner scrambled to undo the damage from a statement his newly revamped communications office issued on Tuesday, with Patrick writing that the governor would not offer an opinion on the Illinois Policy Institute cartoon, which some deemed racist — because he is “a white male.”

Hours later, Rauner released a statement Tuesday night saying the initial comment “did not accurately reflect” his views.

And after a week of not commenting on whether he’d seen the controversial cartoon, on Thursday Rauner confirmed he had.

“I have seen it now. I understand why some people would be upset by it,” the governor said, while not addressing whether he deemed the image racist.

“My job is not to comment on every cartoon, every political statement that comes from outside our administration, and I will not do that,” Rauner said. “What I will do is fight every day for justice, fairness [ and] equality.”

“LET ME BE CLEAR. I’M NOT APOLOGIZING FOR ANYTHING THAT I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH. ... ASK THAT ORGANIZATION THAT DID THAT CARTOON. THEY SHOULD TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT THEIR VIEWS ARE ON IT. ... I HAVE FOUGHT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE, EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY MY WHOLE LIFE.” GOV. RAUNER