Bears stadium talks included senior Illinois official in August
Chicago Bears stadium executive Karen Murphy spoke with Deputy Gov. Andy Manar in August as the team pursued a new stadium, according to emails obtained through a public records request.
The records show Manar asked Murphy on Aug. 11 for a 30-minute phone or video check-in, and Murphy agreed to a cellphone conversation on Aug. 20. About an hour before that meeting, Murphy asked that Bears minority owner and board member Pat Ryan be added, and Manar’s office sent a WebEx invitation to both of them.
The emails also indicate Manar and Murphy had at least one other August meeting, with an undated WebEx invitation labeled an infrastructure meeting. The contacts came after the Bears said in June they were shifting focus to a stadium project in Hammond, Indiana, even as Illinois continued discussions with the team. Gov. JB Pritzker’s office has said the state remains in talks with the Bears about plans in Illinois.
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