* Crypto dude whose divisive, controversial and Trump-supporting industry (not him) spent $10 million to defeat Pritzker’s lt. governor’s bid for US Senate and dumped $800,000 against state Sen. Robert Peters’ congressional campaign and $2.5 million against successful congressional candidate Rep. La Shawn Ford (who was endorsed by the Illinois House Speaker) complains about a 0.2% tax on the value of all crypto trades that’ll raise maybe $60 million…

A new digital asset tax tucked into the Illinois budget at the last minute threatens the state’s potential to become a major cryptocurrency hub, DRW’s Don Wilson said today.

“That just tells everybody, ‘Just leave. Pack up your bags and leave,’” Wilson, founder and CEO of the local trading firm, said during a Crain’s Q&A event for business leaders. “It sends the message, ‘We do not want you here.’” […]

“At a time when corporations are benefitting from Trump tax cuts and continue posting record profits, asking those firms to pay their fair share is a commonsense step to level the playing field to maintain fiscal stability and mitigate the impact working families and communities across Illinois,” the governor’s office said in a statement. […]

He added he had “zero inkling” a tax was coming as legislators were finishing the budget. “Everybody in the industry is caught off guard,” Wilson said. “Literally, in the middle of the night, they slipped it in.”

DRW has no Statehouse lobbyist. Wilson contributed $150K to stop the graduated income tax constitutional amendment, and gave almost $100K to Bruce Rauner.

I dunno, maybe build some relationships and mend some fences.