Former Rauner staffer seeks public access to First Lady's emails about abortion bill

Illinois' First Lady Diana Rauner is actively involved in her husband's policy and personnel decisions, according to inside sources. And because Mrs. Rauner's opinion is so powerful, her private communications to staff about a bill Governor Rauner signed into law requiring Illinois taxpayers to fund low income and state employee abortions could become public.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Governor Rauner's former deputy chief of staff of communications Diana Rickert is suing the governor for access to emails surrounding the decision-making on HB 40 earlier this year. Rickert is requesting particularly Mrs. Rauner's communications on the topic be made public.

    Rickert ... asked for emails to and from Diana Rauner from June 1, 2017 that include the following terms: “abortion, HB40, reproductive rights, Personal PAC, Planned Parenthood, Terry Cosgrove.” The request included a personal email address, a state email address and one from her role with the Ounce of Prevention.

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