After Trib Calls, Burr Ridge Hires PR Firm

BURR RIDGE, IL – Burr Ridge hired a "crisis communication" public relations firm related to a deputy police chief's drunken driving arrest 66 days after it happened.

What triggered the decision?

Apparently, a Chicago Tribune reporter's call.

On June 10 and June 17, Patch published stories about Husarik's drunken driving arrest in a police car in Virginia.

The next day, emails show Wright was in communication with Burr Ridge officials about Husarik's arrest, saying he was planning a story.

On the afternoon of June 18, Lissa Druss, CEO of Strategia Consulting, emailed Village Administrator Evan Walter that her email would stand as a memorandum of understanding that Strategia would provide a "crisis communications strategy" to the village at its regular hourly rate of $295.

Five minutes later, Walter emailed police officials that he was authorizing $2,500 to be available to spend with Strategia. "Please use as you see fit," he said.

Shortly before 5 p.m., Druss emailed Tribune reporter Jesse Wright that her firm now worked for the village and that Police Chief John Madden asked her to contact the reporter.

"What's your deadline? They are working on a response for you," she said. "Do you have time for a quick call? I want to share one thing."

Wright responded that Druss could call him.

"Honestly my deadline was four or so, but the chief said he needed until five. Sooner the better, basically," Wright said.

At 5:40 p.m., the firm provided Wright the village's news release, its first one for the arrest. The Tribune published Wright's story about 7 p.m.; the piece did not mention the public relations firm.

In an email to Patch last week, Wright said he did not know exactly what prompted the village to do anything "as of course I wasn't privy to those discussions and for all I know they had a firm on retainer."

"I never asked about it," he said.

Patch asked Mayor Gary Grasso why Burr Ridge hired a public relations firm.

In an email, Grasso said Husarik and others are held to a high standard.

At the same time, the mayor said Husarik and his family merit fairness and compassion while the process works its way through completion.

"Certainly, the media and journalists should be able to report this story fully and factually, if they wish, and their questions should be answered fully and truthfully," the mayor said. "This is a basic premise of our American society that sometimes also falters in my opinion."

He continued, "Thus, in a strong effort to keep the facts straight, complete and truthful, I thought it best for the Village to consult, if necessary, with professionals in public relations. We did the same, as we deemed needed, in consulting with this PR firm during Sterigenics. Like there, there has been little need to do so here."

Patch asked Grasso whether the village thought Chicago's TV stations would follow suit with their own stories once the Tribune published its piece. He did not indicate whether that was a factor in the decision to hire a public relations firm.

The news release originally went just to the Tribune.

The next morning, both Patch and resident Patricia Davis asked to see the news release. Not long after, Burr Ridge posted the statement on its website and notified subscribers of its email notification system.