Private citizen tried to remain private
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My headline sums up what I think about the point of this Tribune oppo piece…
Anyone who’s lived through a major home renovation has a horror story or two, and when J.B. Pritzker embarked on a $25 million remodel of his Gold Coast mansions, more money brought more problems.
Workers wrongly installed a bedroom safe. Expensive imported Italian marble slabs intended for a child’s shower could not be located. There were issues about whether a famed French designer had contributed to delays and cost overruns.
A frustrated J.B. and wife M.K. Pritzker had enough. They blamed the general contractor, and believed he had to go.
“I am 100 percent for firing!” she wrote in a 2010 email.
What resulted was a legal dispute that lasted several years. How it unfolded provides a glimpse into the billionaire Democratic governor candidate’s wealth and the steps he takes to keep it from public view, including asking for confidentiality agreements from contractors and fighting in court to keep the jury from hearing about his riches.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 9:43 am:
–Private citizen tried to remain private–
LOL, I had the same reaction.
As a private citizen, I also try to keep my business private, and I don’t have nearly as many billions as Pritzker.
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 9:44 am:
I’m outraged that JB tried to remain private. After Citizens United, only a fool would think that JB could consider himself a private citizen taking steps to remain private, when only he and a few other rich guys could afford to effectively run for political office. He was a public figure and he knew it (exclamation point)
- low level - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 9:46 am:
“100% for firing”…. the Tribune usually likes that kind of thing
- NIU Grad - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 9:48 am:
Welcome to the big leagues, JB
- Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 9:50 am:
So all of this happened before he ran for office.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:02 am:
===He was a public figure and he knew it===
He wasn’t running for office in 2011.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:08 am:
Litigation leads to publication.
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:12 am:
Does the lawsuit include JB asking if the contractor had a family? Did he threaten to bury the contractor and make him/her so radioactive they could never work again? Just curious.
- low level - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:13 am:
“asking for confidentiality agreements”
And so…?
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:13 am:
3 cheers for the Judge Lisa Curcio
“The Pritzkers, I don’t care who they are or what they own or how much their house is worth, they are in litigation,” Judge Lisa R. Curcio scolded their lawyer at an October 2011 pretrial hearing. “They are just like anybody else. It is no different than a personal injury case. You make a claim, your medical record is now at issue. The right to privacy went out the window.”
Great window into how JB wants to play by a different set of rules while pretending to be just like everybody else.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:15 am:
I can finally relate to JB because I asked the UPS guy to set my medicine out of the sun and it took two calls to get that done.
Testify JB - life’s so hard on billionaires.
- Been There - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:20 am:
Whatever you think of this I think it’s much worse that divorce filings are made public. Makes no sense to me that something private between two people is out in the public realm.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:28 am:
He wasn’t running for office in 2011.
That’s not the standard.
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:29 am:
==3 cheers for the Judge Lisa Curcio
“The Pritzkers, I don’t care who they are or what they own or how much their house is worth, they are in litigation,” Judge Lisa R. Curcio scolded their lawyer at an October 2011 pretrial hearing. “They are just like anybody else. It is no different than a personal injury case. You make a claim, your medical record is now at issue. The right to privacy went out the window.”
Great window into how JB wants to play by a different set of rules while pretending to be just like everybody else.==
Hey LP, wasn’t Governor carharrt, timex watch, can of stag , trash can can. G dropper, wasn’t he having the back porch meeting at the governors mansion trying to keep his lawsuit under seal?
- Whatever - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:30 am:
Public Servant @ 9:44 am ==After Citizens United, only a fool would think that JB could consider himself a private citizen taking steps to remain private, when only he and a few other rich guys could afford to effectively run for political office.==
Citizens United allows corporations to make contributions. Pritzker doesn’t need corporate contributions, so the case didn’t affect his ability to run. The case does mean that people who are not personally wealthy now have another potential source of campaign funds. Plus I second Mr. Miller’s comment.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:31 am:
Hey LP, what is your favorite Rauner “regular guy” costume? Motorbike rider or cowboy?
You are the quintessential hypocrite.
- Hammer - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:36 am:
There’s an argument to be made that billionaires aren’t or at least shouldn’t be allowed to be private citizens. They are entitled to some discretion or privacy but people with that kind of money can– on accident– affect policy and life in general for everyone else, to say nothing of actually intending to.
- A guy - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:41 am:
It is a bit of a window into how they traditionally deal with disputes.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:50 am:
—He wasn’t running for office in 2011.
Harold was not running for an office in 2011 yet her actions then are brought up today.
- Anon0091 - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:56 am:
I don’t know which is worse, the fact that the Trib would print such drivel two weeks before election day or that they would put it on the front page top of the fold as if this was exposing something big. Gee, and you wonder why JB wouldn’t play along with the Trib edit board interview.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 10:59 am:
–He was a public figure and he knew it..–
Not necessarily in 2011, as he wasn’t running for office. But, maybe, because he was a super-rich dude who’d been in the public arena before. You’d have to research precedence.
Still, anyone who can lawyer-up tries to keep their business out of the public domain during litigation.
You’ll recall Rauner’s litigation under seal with his former business partner.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 11:01 am:
–Harold was not running for an office in 2011 yet her actions then are brought up today.–
LOL, she was on the TV box competing for Miss America. I think that passes the “public figure” test.
- Steve - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 11:41 am:
He wasn’t an elected official . It’s hard to see how this is a big issue.
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 11:45 am:
$30k/mo rent. I cant fathom being a billionaire. No wonder JB cant get a handle on defining the middle class.
- AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 12:01 pm:
Fun Fact: My dad was the mediator (or, one of them, maybe) at one point during this dispute. He said JB was a nice guy.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 12:02 pm:
Taco Bell shorted me a taco.
Now I realize how hard life must be for JB.
Would he recommend to me that I use a confidentiality agreement with, “Dyllon” at the drive through?
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 12:07 pm:
Wrongly installed a bedroom safe?
Been there big guy.
It seems that no matter how much I have one of my staffers relay specific directions regarding how we need to install the bedroom safes, there’s a mix-up; wrong bedroon, wrong wall, wrong mansion, wrong country, behind the wrong multimillion dollar painting - sigh - life is so unfair.
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 12:25 pm:
I can think of only one reason to have a bedroom safe. Do you think that is where JB stashes his arsenal of AK47’s too?
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 12:30 pm:
==. There were issues about whether a famed French designer had contributed to delays and cost overruns.==
JB?
You need to have Stefan give Angelo a call soon. He does divine work. He is finishing up with my new yacht. Installing these retro toilets he bought from some old Gold Coast mansion. Once he finishes up our VanillaBoy’ shower using this incredible Italian marble that he found, I’ll have one of my designers meet one of your next month -say, Cannes?
Ciao JB
Meeting up with the Rauners in Cinco Terra next month.
- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 12:44 pm:
This is a trivial distraction. The big question about Pritzker are the mysterious family trusts and it’s sadly humorous to watch Democrats who (rightfully) bleated endlessly about Trump’s tax returns (and some who complained about Rauner’s far-from-full disclosures) become mouse-like quiet on JB.
- JAH - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 1:02 pm:
All is fair in Love and War
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 2:33 pm:
Alternate headline
Judge orders ” Private citizen Billionaire friend of labor” and now current Democratic nominee for Governor, to pay his contractor almost 1 million dollars plus lawyer fees after 6 week trial.
- BenFolds5 - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 2:52 pm:
Lake County Dem is correct. When it’s “your guy” there is a standard. When it’s the “other guy” it’s a different standard. But Trump Taxes. News Flash. All rich guys are rich because they have an army of people making sure they stay that way.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 4:03 pm:
Private citizen trying to stay private knife cuts both ways. I disagree. Pritzker’s actions here were fair game. Harold’s comments from her Miss America days falls into the same category. Public, yes. If Pritzker wanted to keep that all remodeling private, then why did he invite a public lawsuit in a public courtroom? Pursued to a jury verdict? And lost so badly that the verdict awarded the contractor everything, including his attorneys fees, costs of litigation and interest of $1 million?
I just don’t understand this.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 4:05 pm:
===why did he invite a public lawsuit===
People try to keep stuff quiet in lawsuits all the time. Try to keep up here, man.
- theCardinal - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 4:15 pm:
Ask Jack Ryan whats private and whats not? Not feeling compelled to feel sorry for the private citizen here.
- Anon0091 - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 5:03 pm:
An awful lot of class envy in this thread. Pretty sure Rich isn’t saying you should feel sorry for him. But it’s not remotely unusual that he didn’t want these details blared across the front page back in 2011.
- 37B - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 5:38 pm:
“I woke up this afternoon.
I saw both cars were gone.
Lord Mommy
I woke up this afternoon.
I saw both cars were gone.
I feel so low down deep inside.
I threw my drink across the lawn.
“Ukelele Blues” From “Martin Mull Live in your Living Room”
Everybody gets the blues sometimes…
ps: I pulled those lyrics up on Utube and what popped up?
A JB ad. Perfect.
- Been There - Tuesday, Oct 23, 18 @ 7:20 pm:
===it’s sadly humorous to watch Democrats who (rightfully) bleated endlessly about Trump’s tax returns (and some who complained about Rauner’s far-from-full disclosures) become mouse-like quiet on JB.===
Well plenty of dems brought this up during the primary. Even though I don’t think the questions were sufficiently answered a most of us jumped on the band wagon. No way we were going for Rauner.