Chicago Tribune sues Emanuel over email usage

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Tribune is suing Mayor Rahm Emanuel, claiming he's conducting city business on private email accounts.

The Tribune did not report that the lawsuit had been filed until noon - about the same time the mayor was ending his scheduled press conference.

The action, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges the mayor violated state law when he refused a Tribune request for emails and text messages concerning city business that were received or transmitted on his personal devices.

In the 19-page lawsuit, newspaper lawyers contend that under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, "all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts and policies of those who represent them as public officials..."

The Tribune also demands the mayor not destroy any government-related communications on his personal devices.

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, spokeswoman Kelly Quinn wrote:

"Mayor Emanuel believes that transparency in government is essential to good government and it is the administration's practice to fully comply to information requests to the letter..."

In their complaint, the Tribune lawyers compared Emanuel's use of his own email or cell phone account to controversies surrounding Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email server during her tenure as U.S. Secretary of State, and a scandal this year involving senior administrators at the University of Illinois.

This actually is the second such lawsuit the Tribune Company has against Emanuel. The first was filed in June to get emails related to a Chicago Public Schools contract.