Bruce Rauner says his fingerprints are not on the Chicago Sun-Times.

This much we know: Rauner used to own 10 percent of the paper’s parent company. The paper reported on allegations Rauner threatened to “bury” an employee. The paper reversed a no-endorsement policy to endorse Rauner for governor. Sun-Times statehouse bureau chief Dave McKinney has resigned.

Calling the matter an “internal” issue at the newspaper, Rauner said he had nothing to do with any of it other than routine complaints and comments which he characterized as part of the give-and-take of any campaign and media organization. “I don’t want to get in the middle of that,” he said today (Thursday) in Bloomington. “I’ve had nothing to do with it.”

The Rauner campaign was upset the newspaper would not disclose the relationship between McKinney and his new wife, Ann Liston, a consultant whose clients have included Democrats. McKinney has said a Sun-Times-approved “firewall” existed between husband and wife.

Rauner, the Republican candidate for governor, is concluding a three-day Downstate bus tour encouraging supporters to participate in early voting.

(Copyrights 2014 Illinois Radio Network. Dave Dahl reporting.)