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*** UPDATED x1 *** More on that Kennedy poll

Tuesday, Jul 11, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Chris Kennedy campaign just finished a call-in for political reporters about its latest poll. As we’ve already discussed, Kennedy’s poll has the candidate ahead of JB Pritzker 44-38. Here are a few notes…

* 45-5 positive/negative for Kennedy.

46-12 positive/negative for Pritzker.

Pawar and Biss are in “low single digits.”

In a December poll, Kennedy was leading Pritzker 34-18.

* 3 of 5 voters know both of the candidates. 80 percent know Pritzker. 70 percent know Kennedy. Among the “know both” it’s 49-37 for Kennedy.

After 4 pro-Kennedy statements were read, Kennedy’s lead went to 66-20.

* They mentioned two big problems for Pritzker in the polling. The FBI tapes of Pritzker talking to Blagojevich, for example, led to 55 percent of respondents saying they have “major doubts about supporting JB Pritzker.” That number was 60 percent on Pritzker’s property tax issues.

By contrast, the top testing negative on Kennedy was 21 percent: “He talks tough on property taxes but benefited” from property tax breaks.

A property tax issue polls worse than an FBI tapes issue. Think about that for a second. People are up in arms about property taxes, man.

* Consultant Eric Adelstein repeatedly said during the briefing that the campaign is confident that it will have the resources to get its message out and compete.

*** UPDATE *** Yesterday was the A-1 filing deadline day, and Kennedy reported a mere $438,834.92 in large contributions. That’s not good at all. [For some reason, my previous search included stuff that shouldn’t have been in there. This is a revised post.] He had $907K on hand at the beginning of the last quarter. We’ll see what their burn rate is by July 17th, when D-2s are due.

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Democratic candidates weigh in on Pritzker/Blagojevich story

Thursday, Jun 1, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* In case you need to refresh your memory, the Chicago Tribune story is here. From the Chris Kennedy campaign…

The tapes speak for themselves.

* Sen. Daniel Biss’ campaign…

Including JB’s $230,000 property tax scheme, this is part of a disturbing pattern that JB is using the same rigged game that the rich and well-connected have played to benefit themselves at the expense of the rest of us

* Ameya Pawar’s campaign…

“This is what billionaires and political insiders do and people across the state are tired of politics as usual. Ameya Pawar’s record of beating the Chicago machine and passing legislation on behalf of working families represents a break from the status quo. If elected governor, Ameya will be a voice for the millions of Illinois families who have been left behind to fight over scraps.”

I haven’t heard back from Bob Daiber.

Rate ‘em.

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Trib reporter denies Pritzker story was a Rauner leak

Thursday, Jun 1, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* If you click here and watch this video, you’ll see JB Pritzker blame the Tribune’s Blagojevich story yesterday on Gov. Rauner’s campaign…

When I decided to run for governor, it was clear to me that Gov. Rauner and the GOP had nothing except the kitchen sink that they wanted to throw at the Democrats and particularly at me because Bruce Rauner’s afraid to run against me.

And, so, this is a nine-year-old tape that they are leaking in an attempt to distract from the fact that 700 days into this administration, into this failure of a budget, this governor has done nothing for the people of the state of Illinois.

He’s chosen to do this on the 700th day. A day when at the end of session it looks like we won’t get a budget for yet another year. So, Bruce Rauner having failed, the GOP having failed, this is their massive attempt to distract.

Pritzker said more about that later in the same media availability and then said much the same thing during another avail he had last night. Click here for that one…

It’s clear that Bruce Rauner and the GOP have nothing to run on, and so they are simply attacking… I knew when I decided to run for governor that they were going to throw the kitchen sink, that they were going to try to take down all the Democrats, particularly me because I think they’re mostly afraid of running against me in the general election. […]

So, what are they gonna run on? They can only run on trashing Democrats and introducing this idea of a nine-year-old leaked tape and attacking me.

* But the Tribune’s Jeff Coen was on WBEZ this morning and was asked about his source…

We don’t ever talk about sourcing on these kinds of issues. I know the [Pritzker] campaign threw out a Bruce Rauner allegation. That’s not correct. I can say that. […]

This is Tribune reporting going back over … We have had routes for information on this case. I mean for me personally I’ve been protecting sources on this case back to 2006.

* Audio…

* I asked the Pritzker campaign if they still stood by the allegations that this story was leaked by Rauner and/or the GOP to “distract” people…

“This is a continuation of attacks Bruce Rauner and the ILGOP have already made and the leak happened to coincide with the 700th day of session, where the governor failed to pass a budget for a third year.”

So, they tightened it up a bunch and dropped the direct connection allegation.

* The Pritzker campaign does appear to have some legit beefs about the way this story was reported out. They say they were only given an hour to respond to the story and weren’t told that tapes even existed. The Tribune reporters, the campaign claims, wouldn’t even read them any excerpts from the Blagojevich conversations, which is why the campaign’s first response seemed so oddly off-topic.

The question remains as well whether a federal judge’s order sealing these tapes was somehow violated. Remember, this was a huge issue back in the day. Blagojevich kept demanding that the judge “Release the tapes!” and the judge wouldn’t do it. This was a private conversation that didn’t result in any charges or even any testimony and yet it’s now public.

Campaign opposition researcher Will Caskey said this in comments yesterday…

I’m working in the gov primary for another candidate and am disgusted by this entire story. Nonpublic incidental collection should never be used for anything other than its intended purpose; that’s the entire reason the FBI is allowed to wiretap suspects. […]

This is the second time incidental collection from the Blagojevich trial has been used to embarrass a political target outside the investigation. People should be fired over this, and it’s disgusting nothing will happen.

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*** UPDATED x1 - Another Pritzker response *** More to Pritzker’s Blagojevich wiretap conversations than first believed

Wednesday, May 31, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Back when then state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias was in the running for a job in President-elect Barack Obama’s administration, none other than JB Pritzker told Gov. Rod Blagojevich that he was interested in being appointed to fill out the remainder of Giannoulias’ term.

“That’s the one I would want,” Pritzker said, according to federal surveillance recordings obtained by the Tribune.

Uh-oh.

* There’s lots of tantalizing sizzle in the first few paragraphs of this story entitled “J.B. Pritzker sought political office from Blagojevich, 2008 FBI wiretaps show,” but scroll way down…

Pritzker already had raised the idea of being named state treasurer if an opening occurred, and he followed up during a Nov. 14, 2008, call with the governor.

“I’ve got a lot of reasons why it makes sense. The problem for you would be the same problem with the Senate really,” Pritzker said. “I’ve given you contributions.”

“Total nonissue,” Blagojevich replied. “First of all, you give money to everybody, like (Attorney General) Lisa Madigan, OK?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, no question,” Pritzker said.

“Which, incidentally, if you can do for me what you did for her, before the end of the year. Can you think about that?” Blagojevich asked, aware that Pritzker had donated $50,000 to Madigan during the previous year.

“I can’t, I mean, not while everything’s up in the air, but I hear ya,” Pritzker said. “I hear ya and, and and … But anyway …”

“If we go in that direction, though, if that does happen, I mean there’s some other people who can help us that you know,” Blagojevich said.

“Sure,” Pritzker said.

“If you feel skittish about that, which I believe you shouldn’t, but go ahead,” Blagojevich said.

“Yeah,” Pritzker replied, “I don’t think we should even talk about it but I understand what you’re saying.”

Blagojevich was a true sleazeball.

There’s lots more, so click here and read the whole thing.

* The Pritzker campaign sent me this response…

There was nothing untoward about JB Pritzker’s conversations and throughout his career he has considered different ways he could serve the people of Illinois. The record is clear that Rod Blagojevich was having dozens of conversations with both elected officials and private citizens, including members of President Obama’s transition team, which is why he is currently in prison. JB has been a proud supporter of hundreds of progressive and Democratic leaders and organizations in Illinois and across the country, especially those who have been supporters of early childhood education.

Also, as the campaign is pointing out, the last contribution Pritzker gave to Blagojevich was during the 2006 race, two years before those contributions.

*** UPDATE *** A new Pritzker campaign statement…

“If one listens to the actual calls released in the story there was nothing untoward about JB’s conversations with the Governor,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Galia Slayen. “Throughout JB’s life he’s had an interest in serving the people of Illinois and that’s exactly what he expressed when discussing a potential opening in the Treasurer’s office. In fact, when the Governor brings up whether JB would be interested in being appointed to the Senate, on multiple occasions JB expresses he is not and moves away from the type of conversation that landed Rod Blagojevich in prison.

“This is just a continuation of attacks made by Bruce Rauner and Republicans and it’s no coincidence that it was published by the Chicago Tribune on the last day of another session where Governor Rauner has failed to pass a budget.”

The jab at the Trib is unusual, to say the least.

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