Tribune Co. subpoenaed in Blagojevich case

Tribune Co. acknowledged Thursday that it had been subpoenaed in the federal criminal case against Illinois’ governor, Democrat Rod R. Blagojevich, and sources confirmed that the FBI had interviewed a close associate of company Chairman Sam Zell.

The associate, Nils Larsen, is the financial advisor who allegedly was asked to help get Chicago Tribune editorial writers fired. (None were fired.)

Larsen, a Tribune Co. executive vice president, is a 38-year-old financial whiz who was instrumental in Zell’s takeover of Tribune Co. He is also Zell’s point man in the effort to sell the Chicago Cubs. Neither Larsen nor Zell responded to requests for comment.

Tribune Co. owns television stations and newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune.

In the subpoena, authorities are seeking memos about potential staff cuts or changes to the Chicago Tribune editorial board, a source said.

On Tuesday, Blagojevich and Chief of Staff John Harris were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and solicitation of bribery.

The Democratic governor, upset with critical editorials, allegedly hatched a plan to get editorial writers fired and had Harris reach out to Larsen, identified in court records as Tribune Financial Advisor.

According to the criminal complaint, Blagojevich told Harris to say that changes had to be made to the editorial board or money for Wrigley Field renovations would be blocked. Tribune Co. has been in discussions with the state over the sale of Wrigley Field. Zell has sought to sell the Cubs to pay down debt incurred in his takeover of Tribune Co., which filed for bankruptcy protection Monday.

Blagojevich suggested someone might want to talk directly to Zell. Whether Larsen attempted to pressure the Chicago newspaper was unclear.

A Tribune Co. spokesman has said the conduct of its executives and financial advisors on the Wrigley Field deal was “appropriate at all times.”