Is Pritzker a “secret agent” for Madigan?
Wednesday, Dec 21, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz reports on some JB Pritzker contributions to House Democrats…
According to campaign records highlighted by the Rauner folks, $119,400 came from Stateline, which is listed at the same West Loop address as the Pritzker Group, and J.B. Pritzker listed the firm on a 2006 statement of economic interest.
Another $82,000 came from TNDP. It, too, has the same West Loop address, and its registered agent is Jay Robert Pritzker.
Republicans say that’s proof Pritzker is a secret agent of sorts of the governor’s arch-enemy, House Speaker Mike Madigan.
“After raising money for Rod Blagojevich, it’s no surprise that Pritzker is trying to hide hundreds of thousands in donations meant to help Mike Madigan,” Illinois Republican Party spokesman Steven Yaffe said in a statement. “Pritzker is just proving he is a political insider who will always side with Madigan to protect the status quo.”
The Stateline contributions are here. The company had previously made one campaign contribution before this November’s contributions to HDems. And that was for just $200 back in 2008.
The contributions by TNDP are here. No contributions prior to November are on record.
So, did Pritzker try to play hide the ball? Maybe. He did give to several other House Democrats this year, but not to Madigan’s Democratic Majority PAC, as he did with Stateline, nor did he contribute to Friends of MJM and DPI this fall, as he did with TNDP.
* The Pritzker camp’s response…
“While other people are finishing their Christmas and Hanukkah shopping, Bruce Rauner is obsessed with politics and J.B.,” says spokesman Dave Lundy. “If he spent a fraction of his energy solving our budget issues, maybe 125,000 college students would be able to go back to school when the stopgap budget expires on Dec. 31. J.B. is a well-known contributor to Democratic candidates and has been for decades.”
Lundy, by the way, was also in the Sun-Times today. Click here for that one.
- Deft Wing - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:18 pm:
So are readers to deduce that Pritzker was indeed playing hide the ball & is a Madigan toady … because Lundy’s “response” was nonresponsive?
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:20 pm:
Same initials as James Bond. Coincidence? I think not. /s
- MissingG - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:21 pm:
Wow, they really do find Madigan in every shadow. Must be a terrifying existence.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:27 pm:
If Pritzker IS a secret agent I can’t tell you how cool Yaffe just made Pritzker.
Now, is Pritzker the Sean Connery, Daniel Craig, Roger Moore or the George Lazenby “secret agent”
… and does Pritzker like Martinis?
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:28 pm:
=Republicans say that’s proof Pritzker is a secret agent of sorts of the governor’s arch-enemy,=
So what about his $5 million to The Ounce? Is Diana a secret enemy of the governor too?
Laughable that this sad little troupe continues with the enemies gag.
- but seriously - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:30 pm:
Why would he give through two separate LLC’s?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:31 pm:
So…
Is Yaffe also saying Rauner is like an arch-villain?
If that’s the case, adding that, boy oh boy this is really ridiculously fun.
“No, Mr. Pritzker, I don’t expect you to talk, I expect you to lose!”
(Cue to laser, cutting strapped down checkbook)
- Union Thug Gramma - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:39 pm:
Hmmmm…..and how MUCH money did Rauner spend on the last election????? A bit more than Pritzker did. Something like $9 Million on Munger alone? Oh. and she lost. Guess money can’t buy love…or enough votes in many cases.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:46 pm:
–Same initials as James Bond.–
And Jethro Bodine, double-ought spy.
With his mad sleuthing skills, maybe Yaffe can solve the mystery of that Kanye West “fish sticks” joke.
- A guy - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:48 pm:
JB hit all but Bucket #6….
Hey, it ain’t like he needs the new Fast Back Schwinn anyway…
- Altgelds Ghost - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:48 pm:
JB is being dragged into this by advisors who don’t see the long game. Take the guts and shut up. Decide if your in or out of the race and then create a plan and message to defeat rauner. Responding to these lame attacks 23 months before the election is exactly what team rauner wants.
Its just plain stupid to let rauner set the terms and agenda for JB He is being sucked into the mess when he needs to ignore these petty hits and plan his own strategy. Amateur hour. Lundy may have a good turn of phrase, but his strategic thinking ain’t ready for the big leagues. Just ask Exelon
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:54 pm:
So JB is a secret agent. Cool.
I would add that Rauner leaves me shaken, not stirred.
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 1:58 pm:
And let’s not forget the $15M Rauner spent in the last cycle. Does that make him a super double secret agent?
- Signal and Noise - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 2:15 pm:
I’m not 100% sold on JB as the best candidate. But the panic coming from the other side has me thinking otherwise.
- Ggeo - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 2:37 pm:
So, was Pritzker a secret funder of BEST, too? Is Pritzker in bed with the coal and gas companies, too?!
It’s a twisted web!
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 2:39 pm:
What an abysmal attack.
Of all the people to be flummoxed by, you pick J.B. Pritzker…
- LTSW - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 2:40 pm:
Campaign strategy for deep southern Illinois. Start referring to yourself as “Jay Bob”
- DuPage Bard - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 2:41 pm:
Pritzker response- You have a budget yet Governor?
All day everyday
- BEST Dave - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 2:43 pm:
“- Ggeo - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 2:37 pm:
So, was Pritzker a secret funder of BEST, too? Is Pritzker in bed with the coal and gas companies, too?”
Cute. And no.
- jim - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 2:49 pm:
Pritzker’s answer is a non-responsive response. he avoided the issue with a general denunciation of Rauner et al.
- Team Sleep - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 3:03 pm:
Perhaps the better way for Mr. Lundy to have ended his quip would have been to not mention the campaign contributions. That just feeds into Rauner’s narratives and rhetoric.
- The Captain - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 3:07 pm:
Man, do they really want to play the secret money game, are you sure? That Pritzker money isn’t all that secret it’s fully disclosed, maybe someone starts digging into where the $1.3 million the Illinois Opportunity Project gave to Ken Dunkin came from. Also, with Dunkin about to be out of a job let see what happens next, the rumors of secret money there have been rampant.
The Pritzker contributions have been fully disclosed, the money from Rauner’s allies to Dunkin and his allies have not. This is a foolish pandora’s box to open for Team Rauner.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 3:22 pm:
“it’s no surprise that Pritzker is trying to hide hundreds of thousands in donations meant to help Mike Madigan”
Hundreds of thousands, after Rauner spent tens of millions to buy the ILGOP? That seems pretty weak.
Perhaps the Pritzker camp can bring up the money Rauner gave to Democrats in the past.
I do like the Pritzker camp’s response and theme that’s forming in messaging, that Rauner is failing at governing and wrecking social services and schools by playing politics and not passing a budget.
- Altgelds Ghost - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 3:31 pm:
Remember Glenn Poshard and his take down over some minor contributions. JB needs to stay out of this race until he’s all the way in the race
- The Captain - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 3:33 pm:
Also, having donors who give contributions from multiple of their affiliated companies rather than all from just one is a really, really common practice. In fact it’s so common that Rauner’s donors did it all the time too, you can only post 3 links here so I’ll give just three examples here and hereand here.
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 3:41 pm:
Altgeld, that is a brilliant idea. Let Rauner spend a year defining Pritzker and bashing him without response.
What could possibly go wrong?
- walker - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 3:51 pm:
The “secret agent” tag was supplied by Hinz, in a clever mocking of Yaffe.
- Common Sense - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 3:55 pm:
JB Pritzker, what is his platform? Raising taxes is not going to save Illinois. Is Pritzker going to propose reforms? If not, then what will he change in Illinois? Rauner is not the problem and JB needs to realize that. JB knows Rauner is right on the turnaround agenda. JB Pritzker knows Illinois needs reforms and there is no denying it. JB is also wealthy enough that he should fund the Illinois Social Services that need it until the budget impasse is resolved.
- Altgelds Ghost - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 4:00 pm:
soccermom
i didn’t say a year I said until JB has a message and a plan to define him as something other than part of the MJM Rauner war
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 4:28 pm:
==JB Pritzker, what is his platform?==
If he runs, we’ll find out. If he doesn’t, it won’t matter.
== JB knows Rauner is right on the turnaround agenda. JB Pritzker knows Illinois needs reforms and there is no denying it.==
If you know so much of what Pritzker thinks on the issues, why are you asking us what his platform is?
==JB is also wealthy enough that he should fund the Illinois Social Services that need it until the budget impasse is resolved.==
So is Rauner.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 4:33 pm:
===JB is also wealthy enough that he should fund the Illinois Social Services===
No single person in this state is wealthy enough to do that.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 5:26 pm:
–Is Pritzker going to propose reforms?–
The word “reform” might be the only word more abused in politics than “conservative.”
When you say “reform,” please spell out what you mean, specifically, so that it can be put to the test.
Some naughty words in the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8AgOozM8KQ
- Old Timer Dem - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 6:06 pm:
What a freakin joke. Rauner gets millions from billionaire Republicans like Griffin and Zell but that is okay. I hope Pritzker does run and matches these “One Percenter’s” dollar for dollar
- shytown - Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 8:52 pm:
lame-o attack and lame-o response