Lobbying Leverage
Yeas & Nays has learned that, only days after three Chandler family members resigned from the board of The Tribune Company, local lobbying firm Quinn Gillespie & Associates took on the company as a client.
According to the filing, Quinn was retained to deal with the “sale of Tribune Company to Tribune Employees,” and a Quinn representative added that they will handle government relations for the multimedia company. The registration became effective May 14, but was just received by the Secretary of the Senate on June 4, the same day it became public that the board members resigned. This represents the second media client signed by Quinn Gillespie recently: It was reported this week that the firm picked up XM and Sirius radio.
The Tribune Company, based out of Chicago, is the nation’s second largest newspaper publisher, but it’s endured serious financial difficulties in recent months — the company is $12 billion in debt. In April, real estate mogul Sam Zell won the bid to buyout Tribune.
