Tipsheet

Illinois Governor Under Criminal Investigation for 'Scheme to Defraud” Taxpayers

J. B. Pritzker "can't be trusted," the Illinois Republican Party sounded off on Wednesday after learning the governor, along with his wife and brother-in-law, is under federal investigation.

You could say that his reputation...is in the toilet. Last year, a Cook County Inspector General investigation revealed that Pritzker removed the toilets in his Chicago mansion so he could lower his property tax bill by $331,000. It was dubbed a “scheme to defraud” taxpayers.

"An Illinois governor under federal criminal investigation 101 days into office must be a new record - even for Illinois," Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider said in a statement. "We already knew Pritzker was a serial tax dodger. He stashes millions offshore in zero-tax Bahamas bank accounts and took the toilets out of his Chicago mansion to dodge over $330,000 in property taxes. The Cook County Independent Inspector General called it 'a scheme to defraud' taxpayers. Yet Pritzker continues to push tax hikes on Illinois families and businesses - absurd hypocrisy from Pritzker."

Still, Pritzker had some audacious plans to raise Illinoisans' taxes.

"J.B. Pritzker can't be trusted," Schneider added. "Pritzker must immediately cease all of his efforts to raise taxes, including his graduated income tax, because he's under federal criminal investigation for not paying his own taxes."